Freshwater Pond Ecosystem and Nutrient Cycling
A freshwater pond might look simple, but it's actually a brilliant example of how different zones create various habitats. The pond bottom has little oxygen but loads of shelter, perfect for decomposers. Mid-water is fish territory, whilst the surface and margins buzz with life thanks to plenty of oxygen and light.
Here's where it gets interesting - if you introduce something new like perch, everything changes. The perch munch on smaller fish and frogs, which means less food for herons higher up the chain, but more slugs lower down since fewer frogs are eating them.
The nutrient cycle is nature's ultimate recycling system. Dead stuff becomes litter, which breaks down into soil nutrients, gets absorbed by plants (biomass), travels through food chains, and starts the whole process again when things die. It's like a never-ending loop that keeps ecosystems healthy.
Remember: Every change in an ecosystem creates a domino effect - nothing happens in isolation!