Different living ecosystems and biomes exist on earth guided by the climatic conditions that exist in those places. Places near the equator have different conditions with places far from the equator. Further places near the tropics may differ because of various reasons. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast between four types of biomes; the rainforests, the grasslands, the marine systems and the fresh water systems.

A simple understanding of these biomes is important for their comparison and contrasts. Rainforests biomes are found closer to the equator. They are characterized with many animals in diversity. Also, diversity in plant life is a characteristic with rainforests. Grasslands, on the other hand, have features of domination by grasses, instead of large trees and shrubs. Oceans, coral reefs and estuaries compose of the marine biome. In these environments, rain is provided by sea water (University of California, 2014). Water masses with salt concentration that is below one percent are categorized as fresh-water biomes.

The very notable similarity between the four biomes of rainforests, grasslands, and marine and fresh water masses is the fact that they support life (Huston, 1979). Various species of aquatic of terrestrial and aquatic animals are supported by these environments. For example, the rainforests has the highest number of plant and animal species, because of its varied conditions and favorable climate. Human life is supported in this biome. Plant life too is supported. On the same note, grasslands support both animal and plant life. For example, animals like camels are mostly found in grasslands. In the marine environment, sea fish and other animals have their lives supported. This too applies to fresh water biomes.

There is a difference in terms of life support in the four ecosystems. The marine and the fresh water biome support few mammals because they are deficient of oxygen and light. Looking at man for example, a human being will live comfortably in the rainforests, less comfortably in the grasslands (because of the high temperatures), and cannot be able to live at all in water. From this, it is evident that the types of animals supported in the different biomes vary. Looking at the rainforest for example, it has almost all the types of species that exist on earth. The grasslands cannot accommodate some of these species because of the high temperatures. Further, in the water masses, a difference occurs in terms of life support, mainly because of the difference in salt content. In this case, the fresh-water biome will support organisms that identify with fresh water. These organisms cannot survive in the marine biome because of the salt.

Interdependence of living organisms in the stabilization of the ecosystem is a characteristic feature similar in all the biomes. Sea fish in the fresh water biome, for example, gets oxygen from the algae, and other primary producers. They in turn give out carbon dioxide to these micro-organisms. Big fish feed on small fish and other smaller organisms for survival. In the terrestrial biomes, the rainforests and the grasslands, animals depend on plants for oxygen, and the plants depend on animals for carbon dioxide (James et al. 2007). However, there is a difference in terms of ecological stability in the water biomes and the land biomes. The land biomes, namely the rainforests and the grassland, are very much affected by fluctuations of temperatures, which greatly destabilizes the ecosystem. On the other hand, the penetration of sun’s heat is not as much in the water masses. Going by this, the ecosystems of fresh water and marine environments are more stable.

The aspect of stratification or vertical zonation is a characteristic feature of all the biomes (Jason, 2002). In all the biomes, living organisms are found at different zones. For example, in the grasslands and the rainforests, there are soil organisms, ground level organisms, as well as, these that live in trees, like the birds of the air. Similarly, in the marine and the fresh water biome, some organisms like the water plants are found on the surface of the water mass. As one goes deep t the water mass, different species of organisms are found. Another similarity in the four biomes is the ability for all of them to realize similarity, if there is no disturbance rendered upon the ecosystem. In addition, all the four types of biomes have populations being experienced at different trophic levels.

Another difference in the four biomes occurs in the form of desiccation. Organisms in the grasslands are the most affected by this feature because of the high temperature characteristic of these places. Then follows the rainforests where some parts have very high temperatures that lead to desiccation. There is a difference also in the source of rainfall in the four biomes (Helene, Robert & John, 1997). In the rainforests, rain comes from two sources: the plants that grow in the tropics, and the clouds forming from collecting moisture. In the grasslands, rain is very rare, because there is little moisture, and there are no trees. In the marine and the fresh water biome, rain comes from the water masses. Light is another aspect that is experienced with a difference in the four biomes. In the freshwater and the marine biome, light does not penetrate much to be of help to organisms that are deep to the waters. In the rainforests, light is adequate, though some organisms may prevented from assessing it by the others. For example, a canopy prevents the ground vegetation from assessing light. In the grasslands, light is very adequate, since there is no prevention to its penetration. Accompanied by an effect like that of light is gravity. Gravity has a lot of effect in the grasslands. In the rainforests, its effects may be hindered by some tall plants, which shield the vegetation. In the marine and fresh water biomes, the effect of gravity is not felt.

Human activities and their impacts are found across all biomes. In their endeavor to control the world, human beings have extended their activities in all the parts of the globe (Perrings et al, 1995). They pollute water, affecting the stability of the ecosystem. They pollute land, and the result is destabilization of the ecosystem. In the freshwater and the marine biomes, fishing activities by man have disrupted the stability of the ecosystem. Similarly, man engages in very many activities in the grasslands and rainforests that affect the stability of the ecosystems. Such activities include farming, ball types of construction works, as well as, adventure of the wonders of creation by human beings. The difference in the human impacts in the four biomes is the nature of human activity. For example, man cannot be able to carry out much construction work in the marine biome, while they can build structures in any part of the grasslands or the ecosystems.

References

James, J.E., Matthew, E.S., Elsa, E.C., Helmut, H., Ngai, J.T., Eric, W.S…. & Jennifer, E.S. (2007). Global analysis of nitrogen and phosphorus limitation of primary producers in fresh water, marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Ecology Letters, 10 (12): 1135-1142

Jason, L. (2002). Does food web theory work in marine ecosystems? Marine Ecology Progress Series, 230 (2002): 1-9.

Helene, C., Robert, J.P., & John, A.D. (1997). Population density and community size structure: A comparison of aquatic and terrestrial systems. Wiley Online Library, 80 (1): 139-149

Huston, M. (1979). A general hypothesis of species diversity. The American Naturalist, 113 (1): 81-101

Perrings, C., Karl, G.M., Carl, F., Holling, C.S., & Jansson, O.B. (1995). Biodiversity loss: Economic and ecological issues. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

University of California Museum of Paleontology. (2014). The fresh water biome. Retrieved online from http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/freshwater.php