What is the Artificial Ecosystem?
Artificial ecosystems are human-made ecosystems where biotic and abiotic factors are created by humans for their purposes. These ecosystems can not survive without the influence of humans. All the setup of the ecosystem along with organisms and energy flow are regulated and controlled by humans. Examples of artificial ecosystems include crop fields, aquariums, gardens, dams, zoos, terrariums, greenhouses, fish farms, artificial wetlands, managed forestry, parks, hydroponics, etc.
Salient Features of Artificial Ecosystem
The salient features of artificial ecosystems are as follows.
- Artificial ecosystems are entirely human-created ecosystems that require human intervention for their survival.
- The genetic diversity of flora and fauna is very low in most of them because the number and variety of organisms are regulated by humans.
- Artificial ecosystems do not support the evolution of the organisms indwelling in them due to the absence of natural factors.
- Both food chains and nutrient cycles are usually not complete in these ecosystems because in most cases the appropriate decomposers and bacteria are absent.
- Artificial ecosystems are created for human purposes such as productivity, conservation, or entertainment.
Difference between Natural and Artificial Ecosystem
The main difference between a natural and artificial ecosystem is that a natural ecosystem is an ecosystem that occurs naturally without any human influence, whereas an artificial ecosystem is created and maintained by humans. An ecosystem is a community of living organisms that interact with each other and the environment where they live.
In this article, we will read about natural and artificial ecosystems, their types, examples, and differences between Natural and Artificial ecosystems.
Table of Content
- Difference Between Natural and Artificial Ecosystems
- What is the Natural Ecosystem?
- What is the Artificial Ecosystem?
- Conclusion: Difference between Natural and Artificial Ecosystem
- FAQs on Natural and Artificial Ecosystem