Concordia and the Archers had reassembled in the Desert.
"So what are we learning today?" Mimi asked.
"Today, I will be teaching you about Energy Distribution in Ecosystems and the various Life Forms that carry out this Function. With relation to Energy Distribution, I have classified Life Forms that perform this function into Eight Major Classes namely Atmospheric Regulators, Pathogens, Symbiotes, Herbivores, Carnivores, Omnivores, Scavengers and Resource Managers" Concordia said.
"Could you explain each of them in detail?" Concordia asked.
"First I'll begin with Atmospheric Regulators as they play a very vital role in every Ecosystem. This Class Of Living Beings exist to regulate the Climate of an Ecosystem. Most of the Living Organisms that fall into this Category are Microorganisms. They achieve this unique function by breaking down the Elements through the process of Metabolism to generate Energy. In the process of generating Energy, they usually release Compounds or Elements that are Vital to sustaining Life. Aside from Microorganisms, most Green Plants fall into this Class" Concordia explained.
"Next in line are Pathogens" Mei said.
"Pathogens are Living Organisms that cause disease however they have a vital role to play in Ecosystems as well. One could consider them the Drivers Of Evolution. Pathogens exist to place stress on the Living Organisms that exist within a particular Ecosystem. They do this by eliminating Living Organisms that have a low rate of Adaptability. This stress also ensures that the Living Organisms do not in turn stress out their Ecosystem via Overpopulation. The Living Beings that survive the stresses imposed on them by Pathogens usually acquire stronger immunity to the Pathogen and also learn to manage their Ecosystem prudently to avoid falling prey to the diseases caused by the Pathogen. In so doing, their Survival Rates increase dramatically and they evolve into more Resilient Organisms" Concordia explained.
"Next in line are Symbiotes" Mimi noted.
"First of all, I must say that both Pathogens and Symbiotes are Parasitic Organisms. In other words, they are Organisms that cannot survive without depending on a Living Host. This however is the difference between a Symbiote and a Pathogen. Unlike Pathogens that drive Host Evolution through the application of Stress, Symbiotes drive the evolution of the Living Organisms they inhabit by enhancing or augmenting the Living Organisms with certain advantageous abilities the Host could not naturally possess. Basically, they provide Benefits or Advantages and in turn derive Survival Advantages from their Host by depending on the Host for Survival thus this is a State Of Co-Dependence and Cooperation. Some example of Symbiotes are Gut Bacteria that aid Living Organisms in Metabolism and Root Bacteria in Legumes that allow them to infuse the Soil they inhabit with Nitrogen thus killing the Nematode Pest in the Soil that could potentially harm them" Concordia explained.
"This brings us to Herbivores" Mei said.
"Herbivores are Living Organisms that survive by depending solely on a Plant Diet. They are responsible for converting the Elements present in Plants into Energy. They also serve as the Regulators Of Forest Growth by trimming Overgrowth thus allowing the Sunlight most Plants depend on for Survival to reach the Undergrowth. In so doing, they maintain the Health Of The Forest. Without them, the Earth would quickly become a barren wasteland as the older and sickly trees would suffocate and starve the younger and healthier trees. Aside from this, they also aid in propagating Plant Life by spreading Seeds and Pollen. By spreading Seeds which they eat and excrete when they move about, they ensure Diversity in Forest Life by ensuring that no specific species of Plant Life is confined to a particular region. Furthermore, by spreading Pollen as they move from Tree to Tree or from Plant to Plant, they aid in the Fruiting Process. They also fertilize the soil through the excretion of the Food they eat" Concordia explained.
"This brings us to Carnivores" Mimi said.
"Carnivores in a sense act like Pathogens by placing stress on Herbivores. They depend on the Energy harvested by Herbivores through their Plant Diets by consuming the Herbivores. Most Carnivores cannot survive solely on a Plant Diet. They also ensure that Herbivores don't overly stress their environment through overpopulation by feeding on the Herbivores. The Herbivores provide an essential good to the Ecosystem but this good could quickly degenerate into an ill if not managed properly so basically Carnivores are the Managers Of Herbivores" Concordia explained.
"I see, so if the Carnivores don't control Herbivore Populations, the overgrazing by Herbivores could quickly turn the land barren" Mimi realized.
"This brings me to Omnivores. Omnivores depend on both Plant and Animal Diets and act to regulate both Carnivores and Herbivores. They do this by consuming Carnivores that are usually smaller than themselves. These smaller carnivores also tend to breed rather rapidly. By balancing both Plant and Animal Diets, they regulate Carnivores and Herbivores to minimize stress to the Ecosystem" Concordia explained.
"Tell us about Scavengers" Mei asked.
"Scavengers act as the Ecosystem's Clean-Up Crew. They provide an invaluable service to the Ecosystem by consuming dead and decaying organisms as well as Materials and Minerals that are difficult to break down naturally. The purpose of Scavengers is to return the aforementioned to their original state as basic elements. Without Scavengers, Pathogens would greatly multiply and stress the Ecosystem to the point of No Recovery. In Ancient Times, some cultures actually revered Scavengers because they knew that whenever a Scavenger was absent for an extended period of time, the next likely phenomenon to manifest was an Epidemic. Hence the presence of Scavengers became tied to the Health Of The Ecosystem and their absence became an Omen for the Potential Outbreak of an Epidemic" Concordia explained.
"Finally, there are the Resource Managers right?" Mimi said with a laugh.
"True, amongst all Living Organisms, these are a special group responsible for allocating and regulating resources. These I term the Resource Managers. Some of them like Elephants are responsible for clearing the Forests of Old and Diseased Trees allowing for New Growth. They also lead other Living Organisms to New Sources Of Water during the Dry Season and during Droughts thus they play an important role in preventing Famines and ensuring that all Living Organisms survive Droughts. Others like Beavers control the Flow Of Waterbodies by building Dams which they achieve by felling Trees close to Waterbodies. In so doing they ensure that lands Upstream are fertile but this can have negative repercussions for lands Downstream" Concordia explained. "Did you get it?" Concordia asked.
"Yes, thanks a lot" Mimi said.
"In a sense, the relationships that exist amongst Living Organisms in the Wild can to an extent mirror the relationships that exist in Human Societies as well. Someone once told me that you can find every kind of person, every Human Character mirrored in the Animal World. Rest for now, we will resume your lesson another day" Concordia said.