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for all, all for one When animals adjust to so-called ecological niches this is considered a special form of adjustment. This flexibility makes it possible for different species to settle in the one and the same habitat without interfering with each other. For example, the indigenous spruce offers habitats for many different birds as well as for the animals which they eat, such as insects, beetles, larvae and worms. They all use the same big tree restaurant - but different tables. This example illustrates the main principle of eco-systems: one for all, all for one. If a single element, one species or one niche, disappears from such a habitat all the other elements living in this particular eco-system may have to die. On the other hand, just like this eco-system only functions with all its species, individual species can only exist with other inhabitants of their eco-system which in turn must co-operate well with all the other eco-systems on Earth.. Service providers for live Eco-systems act as big gearwheels of a world-spanning gearbox. All eco-systems of our planet together produce very specific services for the entire biosphere. One of these services is the special composition of the world's atmosphere without which life on Earth would not be possible.
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Our climate and weather regulate amounts of moisture in the air as well as air temperatures. This also works vice versa. Other important factors are the regulation and distribution of fresh water supplies, water temperatures and ocean currents as well as development and redistribution of ground sediments. Because all species have developed under relatively unchanged conditions of these services, they are well adjusted to them and, at the same time, dependent on them. In other words, species - including our own - can only continue to exist if the planet's different eco-systems continue to exist. On 1 Oct 1996, the worldwide WWF-Family started the "Living Planet Campaign", thus announcing the ambitious task of maintaining an intact network of all eco-systems. State-of-the-art research findings were used to choose regions which are most important for the continued existence of this network for life on our planet. If we succeed in maintaining these eco-regions we will make a vital contribution to preserve bio-diversity. Author: Georg Schwede Source: Journal of the WWF (07/93) |
