A species is a group or population of similar organisms that reproduce among themselves but do not naturally reproduce with any other kinds of organisms. Examples of species include this splashback poison dart frog (right), monarch butterflies, red oak trees, and humans. According to the scientists of the Ecological Society of America, an ecosystem is any geographic area, including the living organisms that live there and the nonliving parts of the physical environment.

ecosystem is a community of plants and animals living and interacting with one another sharing their available resources. An ecosystem encompasses all aspects and elements of this environment. It includes what we normally think of as the living, such as plants and animals, as well as more subtle components, such as air, water, and the sun's energy. Ponds are ecosystems because they host birds, fish, frogs, plants, and microscopic organisms.

When restoring an ecosystem, we help the land to regain the balance of native plants that were originally found on the site prior to European settlement. With restoration, we are not expecting everything to be exactly as it was 150 years ago since we don't have all of the pieces. By removing exotic plants that have moved in and sometimes taken over an area, we allow for the conditions that let the variety of native plants, and the birds and animals which depend on them, flourish in balance.

Panama's ecosystem is very diverse, and a large number of plant, animal and bird species can be found. In fact, Panama is home to over 900 species of birds, making it a bird watcher's paradise, and there are numerous mammals, amphibians, reptiles and marine life to be found, not to mention its rainforests, that will be the delight for all nature lovers.

Members of one species do not normally interbreed with members of other species in nature. Sometimes, members of different species, such as lions and tigers, can interbreed if kept together in captivity. But in nature, geographic isolation and differences in behavior, such as choice of habitat, keep these sorts of closely related animal species apart. Similarly, closely related species of plants can sometimes be hybridized by horticulturists, but these hybrids are rarely found in nature.

In Australia there are around 400 species but only approximately 10 are commonly abundant and represent a serious pest threat because of their nuisance biting or their ability to transmit disease. (BACK)

We are building a cellular level model of the rat Neocortical Column at the age of 2 weeks. This region has the most quantitative data and can also be tested rigorously in parallel with the simulations. Once we have built an accurate copy, we can use this column as a template to include neurons and connections from other brain regions, ages of the animal and species. In principal the template will allow us to build a neocortical column from any species.

Tell to us all you know about your fish and send us a picture if possible. We will try to help the best we can.

Among species? Well, I stated in my power point that I find it extremely unlikely based on the evidence that the animal phyla are related through common ancestry. Other biologists have said they're dubious of common ancestry at levels higher than that. The levels in between, I don't know. As a scientist I would have to say each case would have to be settled based on the evidence.

The effects of fire can retard or accelerate the natural development of plant communities, alter species diversity, change nutrient flows, and interact with other physical, chemical, and biological systems. Thus, for most North American ecosystems, fire sustains functional ecosystems. For other fire related questions see the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) FAQ Web site at http://www.nifc.gov/faq.html.

To see how different elements of the project (fish, plants, snail, etc) interact with each other like in nature. Plants give off oxygen for the fish and feed the fish somewhat, fish respire carbon dioxide and produce waste for the plants, and the snail and the algae also interact in that cycle.

Mangroves in Florida spread approximately over 500,000 acres of land and contribute largely to the overall health of the state's coastal zone in the south. They trap organic materials, chemical elements and other important nutrients in their roots and bring the into cycle. They also provide nurseries for various species of fish, crustaceans, and shellfish. They also are a big part of the aquatic food-chain as they provide food to species like snook, snapper, tarpon, red-drum and shrimp.

ecosystem comprises living and non-living components that interact with each other, such as plants and animals with nutrients, water, air and sunlight. Ecosystems range in size from a few square meters to millions of square kilometers. There are no set ecosystem boundaries, rather they are defined by the particular component(s) that biologists are interested in.

Perhaps first and foremost, ecosystems do not always respond immediately after a specific hydrologic change is implemented. Just as it took the ecosystem many years to respond to the negative changes made 50 years ago, ecological responses to our improvements will also take time. Second, time is needed to plan and design the specific features in more detail before they can be built.

Ecosystem restoration was designated as a primary mission area for the Corps in 1986, but the Corps has been involved in improving the environment since the passing of the National Environmental Policy Act in 1969. Corps ecosystem restoration projects have taken the form of dam removals and modifications, fish-ladder installation, wetlands creation, and improvements along riparian corridors.

Ecosystem-based management (EBM) is a method of resource-use planning that puts the stability and long term sustainability of ecosystems at the core of decision-making. The central idea behind EBM is that each element of an ecosystem is vital, as is the relationship between these elements. Ecosystem-based Management may allow higher risk activities in a specific cutblock only if low risk management is applied to the Great Bear Rainforest overall.