If we don’t grasp why ecosystems function, it becomes harder to determine possible reasons for when they don’t, and makes it difficult to identify possible environmental threats to humans.
Humans have an impact that is felt worldwide. We interact with our environment in a myriad ways, often without thought to the consequences. An ecosystem is a group of organisms and non-living components linked by processes of energy transfer and cycling of components and, unless we understand the links, we cannot limit damage, conserve or restore.