An ecosystem is a holistic system of plants, animals, and non-living matter, which need each other to survive and are located in a particular geographic area. It is constantly influenced by wind, rain, light, and heat, whereby the shape of the terrain, the soil properties, and the climate also have an influence.
So, you may be wondering if your vegetable garden is a natural ecosystem. Here is how:
A vegetable garden is an ecosystem in which many ecological processes take place that influence one another. Plants, animals, micro-organisms, and non-living matter are dependent on each other and work together to form a bubble of life.
What type of ecosystem is a garden?
There are four different types of ecosystems: terrestrial, lentic, lotic, and artificial.
A garden is classified as a terrestrial type of ecosystem. Terrestrial ecosystems are land-based communities of biotic and abiotic factors interacting with each other. Besides gardens, other examples of terrestrial ecosystems are forests, deserts, grasslands, tundras, and coastal regions.
Lentic and lotic ecosystems are aquatic ecosystems.
Lentic systems are still bodies of freshwater, primarily relying on photosynthesis. Examples are ponds, rivers, lakes, swamps, and small streams.
Lotic ecosystems are moving bodies of water that flow to other bodies of water and eventually to the ocean. Examples are springs, rivers, and bigger streams. Unlike lentic, the lotic systems do not depend on photosynthesis and can include both fresh- and saltwater bodies.
Artificial ecosystems are man-made systems. Examples are areas as large as beaches and forests and those as small as terrariums. In many cases, they were either made to replenish the environment or help environmentalists’ study and learn.
Components of a garden ecosystem
Like every ecosystem, a vegetable garden contains biotic and abiotic factors.
Biotic factors of a garden ecosystem
The biotic components are the ones that are alive. In a garden ecosystem, these include plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria. Biotic components are further classified as producers, consumers, and decomposers based on their energy requirement source.
- Producers are the plants. With sunlight and chlorophyll, they generate their own energy requirement through photosynthesis. All other living beings are dependent on them for food or at least oxygen.
- Consumers include herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. Herbivores are all living organisms that eat plants only. Carnivores eat other living organisms. And omnivores are the ones that eat plants and other living organisms.
- Decomposers are fungi and bacteria called saprophytes. They eat decaying organic matter and convert it into nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The saprophytes play a vital role in recycling the nutrients so that the producers can use them once again.
Abiotic factors of a garden ecosystem
The abiotic components are the physical and chemical factors involved with the living organisms at any part of their lives. They are also called ecological factors, the characteristic of an environment.
Abiotic factors in a vegetable garden ecosystem include soil, temperature, rain, altitude, wind, nutrients, and sunlight.
Example of a garden ecosystem
In your vegetable garden backyard ecosystem, the sun is the ultimate energy source. The plants (producers) use this energy to synthesize food in the presence of carbon dioxide and chlorophyll. That way, the energy from the sun is transformed into chemical energy through several chemical reactions.
The herbivores are dependent on that energy from the plants. They feed on it. Common herbivores in a vegetable garden are:
- larvae of moths and butterflies
- crickets
- beetles and beetle larvae
- bugs
- flies and fly larvae
Next in the garden ecosystem food chain are the carnivores. They feed on the herbivores and other carnivores. Common examples of carnivores in a garden are:
- mice
- rabbits
- voles
- shrews
- weasels
- badgers
At any level, microbes then decompose any dead and decaying organic matter. After various chemical reactions, these decomposers release molecules back to the environment in the form of chemicals. The producers again use the chemicals, and the cycle starts again.
The components of a garden ecosystem are closely linked through the energy flows and nutrient cycles. That is how you can say that a vegetable garden is an ecosystem. It’s actually a perfect model to display the interactions and influence of the different components of an ecosystem.
If your backyard ecosystem is a beautiful mess right now and weeds have taken over, check out these 5 ways to clear it up easily.
Ecosystem services of a garden
Ecosystem services are the gains acquired by humankind from surroundings ecosystems; the benefits people obtain from ecosystems.
It is evident that healthy soils are a prerequisite for food production, that forests provide the raw material wood, and protect mountain dwellers from avalanches.
In addition, there are numerous other ecosystem services, functions that are also essential but are far less obvious to us.
There are four different types of ecosystem services that have been distinguished:
1. Provisioning services
- food, crops, wild foods, and spices
- raw materials like lumber, skins, fuelwood, organic matter, fodder, and fertilizer
- genetic resources
- biogenic minerals
- medicinal resources
- energy
- ornamental resources
2. Regulating services
- purification of water and air
- climate regulation
- waste decomposition
- predation regulates prey populations
- biological pest control and disease control
- pollination
3. Cultural services
- cultural: use of nature as a motif in books, film, painting, folklore, national symbols, etc.
- spiritual and historical
- recreational experiences
- science and education
- therapeutic
4. Supporting services
- material cycles
- soil formation
- primary production.
A single ecosystem does not necessarily offer all four types of services simultaneously.
If we look specifically at the ecosystem of a garden, we can find a mix of all four types of ecosystem services. While food and raw materials may be the most obvious ones, waste decomposition and pollination seem to be a bit more in the back of our minds. And the recreational aspect of having a lovely garden may even seem for granted for many of us.
Conclusion
A vegetable garden is a perfect example of a terrestrial ecosystem where biotic and abiotic factors influence one another and form a beautifully orchestrated life bubble. Additionally, a garden has an immeasurable amount of ecosystem services that benefit humans in many different ways.
If you don’t have your own garden yet, check out this step-by-step guide to start a vegetable garden at home and create an unique ecosystem in your backyard.
Learn all you need to know to avoid typical beginner mistakes and get it right from the beginning (e.g. why you shouldn’t plant cucumbers near tomatoes and much more).
Recent Posts
Despite a few benefits to planting cucumbers near tomatoes, there is one significant danger in doing so: You should not plant cucumbers near tomatoes because of the possibility of shared diseases...
Cucumbers need about 8 hours of full sunlight daily, and they like warm temperatures to grow well. You can’t grow cucumbers in winter in most parts of the U.S. unless you have an indoor growing...
