They can also overlap with one another or be part of larger ecosystems.
Ecosystems can be big, like the one that surrounds Yellowstone National Park, 2 or as small as a single fallen tree. 1 People depend on ecosystems for many benefits, such as food, water, clean air, building materials, and recreation. Monitoring fish populations and setting catch limits are ways people are already managing ecosystems.Įcosystems are communities of living things, including plants, animals, and microorganisms, that interact with each other and the physical world.
