Mixed Ecosystem Essay

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Fen in a Forest Ecosystem

The ecosystem that is of interest in this particular case is the fen in a forest. These are two ecosystems of different categories and yet coexist with the fen being an aquatic ecosystem and the forest being a terrestrial ecosystem. This combination of ecosystems gives a rich place that can effectively support the endangered species and species that are considered vulnerable and rare to be found in many ecosystems.

A fen is described as a wetland system that has permanent water sources mainly from the ground that keeps the wetland always with water though at times the levels may drop slightly. The substrate to the fen is always alkaline to slightly acidic soil. The ground water and the water that is directed to the fen from the slopes caries with it a lot of nutrients to the fen hence this ecosystem can support many types of plants. Most commonly found in a fen are grass, sedge, rush, spring peeper, green snakes, dragonfly, mosquito monarch butterfly among many others (Irish Peatland Conservation Council, 2015).

A forest is a dynamic constantly changing ecosystem that is mainly comprised of trees that have undergrowth beneath them. A forest often supports a lot of ecosystems within it, from other smaller plants to the animals and birds that seek refuge in it. Trees in the forest play an important role of cleaning the air, cooling the environment during hot days and conserving the heat in cold nights and also act as a sound absorber, facts that make the forest conducive for many species to live in (Forest Facts, 2007).

The monarch butterfly, which is found in the fen, is one of the insects that portray the most highly evolved migration pattern of any known species of butterflies. They are known to travel over 2800 miles from the U.S. And Canada to the central Mexican forests.

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They then hibernate in the mountain forests where the weather is les harsh. Despite this unique quality of the butterfly, the WWF reports that its population has hit an all time low over more than 20 years. This is due to the abnormal weather patterns experienced in the U.S. And Canada which happen to be the breeding grounds, now turned to death fields for the butterfly (World Wildlife Fund, 2015). The monarch butterflies have the intrinsic value in their very existence as the butterflies found in U.S. And Canada. They also have the instrumental value in that they help in pollination that in turn enables plants in the forest to make food for other animals and man. The monarch butterfly also holds the uniqueness value in that it is found only in Canada and U.S. And also bearing the fact that it is the only butterfly that has the most evolved and elaborate migration patters.

The green snake is also found in the fen and fundamentally survives on the insects, birds and small rodents like the mice that may be found around the fen. The smooth green snake is not poisonous hence kept as pet by many people around this ecosystem. The snake has the intrinsic value juts as the other species around the fen since it exists independent of the functions it plays in the eco system. The instrumental value can be associated with the part they play in the food chain since they are eaten by the hawks and the uniqueness value is the fact that they are a species that can be kept as pet by human beings.

The other specie that is found in the….....

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