Ecosystems

Ecosystems are nature’s nuclear families, working together as functional or, in some cases, dysfunctional units. These families are made up of biotic (living)—plants, animals and microorganisms—and abiotic (non-living) components of a particular environment. Examples of ecosystems abound: coral reefs, deserts, rainforests and, of course, the human ecosystem, to name a few.

All natural ecosystems are open systems where energy and matter are transferred in and out through complex interactions and cycles. Living organisms within an ecosystem interact with every element in their local environment, and the success or failure of an ecosystem depends on these interactions. In fact, organisms within an ecosystem are categorized according to the function they serve, and energy, which enters as sunlight, flows through that ecosystem in one direction: from photosynthetic organisms to herbivores, carnivores and, finally, decomposers.

Biodiversity refers to the degree of biological diversity inherent within an ecosystem; it is thought that the greater the biodiversity, the greater the resiliency of an ecosystem. Even so, the introduction of new elements into an ecosystem can have a disruptive, even catastrophic, effect, causing the death of many species and the collapse of the entire ecosystem. Ecosystems can, however, recover from these disruptions; that recovery depends on the toxicity of the disruption and the resiliency of the original ecosystem.

The human factor

Humans live within the earth’s ecosystems, and through population growth, technology and consumption, we have managed to impact nearly every ecosystem on earth. We have disrupted the food chain, the carbon cycle, the nitrogen cycle and the water cycle, which all in turn affect each other. The harsh truth became starkly clear in 2005, when the United Nations issued its Millennium Ecosystem Assessment report. In it, over 1,000 scientists concluded that in the last 50 years, humans have altered the earth’s ecosystem more than at any other time in our history.

The most devastating way that we alter the Earth’s balance is in burning fossil fuels like coal and petroleum. Burning fossil fuels emits nitric oxide into the atmosphere, which combines with oxygen to ultimately form acid rain. This can poison our water and harm plants and fish. Burning fossil fuels also unlocks the carbon stored in these fuels and releases carbon dioxide into the air. The excess carbon dioxide in our atmosphere leads to global warming and all of its harmful effects. Accordingly, the human destruction of ecosystems threatens global stability and, if not addressed, will cause irreversible damage.

Leading by example

So now that you’ve heard the bad news, it’s time for the good news, which is that ACCIONA and other innovative companies are looking to the earth and our ecosystems to create energy that can displace the use of conventional fossil fuel-driven energy. There are several promising technologies in the pipeline.

Biofuels – Biofuels utilize biological waste to create an energy source that can reduce the use of fossil fuels, resulting in reduced greenhouse gas emissions and less pollution. Biofuels also provide a new revenue source for farmers while lending a solution to waste-management problems.

Biomass – Biomass refers to living and recently dead biological matter that can be used as a renewable-energy source to generate electricity and produce biofuels. ACCIONA’s cereal straw-powered plant in Spain, for example, fuels 50,000 homes.