How human activity affects the delicate energy balance in an ecosystem with often adverse consequences

Ecosystems: living communities - for iPod/iPhone

Humans enter the equation

Ecosystems: living communities

Transcript -- A short introduction to this album

Transcript -- Ecosystems: living communities

How the definition of an ecosystem as "a living system of energy transfer" arose

What is an ecosystem?

Transcript -- How the definition of an ecosystem as "a living system of energy transfer" arose

Transcript -- What is an ecosystem?

Understanding the role of the sun, carbon, and energy interactions between organisms in ecosystems

The energy cycle

Transcript -- Understanding the role of the sun, carbon, and energy interactions between organisms in ecosystems

Transcript -- The energy cycle

Transcript -- How human activity affects the delicate energy balance in an ecosystem with often adverse consequences

Transcript -- Humans enter the equation

How ecosystems need careful understanding if we are to sustain them for the future whilst using them to our economic advantage

Managing or meddling?

Transcript -- How ecosystems need careful understanding if we are to sustain them for the future whilst using them to our economic advantage

Transcript -- Managing or meddling?

Education

What are ecosystems, and what do different ecosystems have in common? How are they affected by human activity? From the diverse rainforests of the tropics to the smallest microbial communities, ecosystems support life on Earth. This album reveals the ecological relationships that create these living systems of energy transfer and explores some of the key processes that occur. It goes on to show how these complex systems can be affected by external influences and harmed by the activities of humans. This material forms part of The Open University course S396 Ecosystems.