Johnny just learned about ecosystems in his class at school. At dinner, he explains to his parents that we live in an ecosystem and they are a mix of biotic and abiotic factors. He then tells them an ecosystem can still survive even if one small thing is missing such as nitrogen in the soil. His dad explains that the ecosystem would not be able to survive. Is dad correct or is Johnny correct?

Question

Johnny just learned about ecosystems in his class at school. At dinner, he explains to his parents that we live in an ecosystem and they are a mix of biotic and abiotic factors. He then tells them an ecosystem can still survive even if one small thing is missing such as nitrogen in the soil. His dad explains that the ecosystem would not be able to survive. Is dad correct or is Johnny correct?

Answer 1

https://www.google.com/search?q=Life+without+nitrogen&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiO6amTjcDaAhUR8YMKHXteAfsQ3rMBCC8oAg&biw=1257&bih=613

Answer 2

Both Johnny and his dad have part of the answer correct, but let's break it down.

An ecosystem is a complex web of interactions between living organisms (biotic factors) and their non-living environment (abiotic factors). Biotic factors include plants, animals, and microorganisms, while abiotic factors include things like sunlight, temperature, water, soil, and nutrients.

Johnny is correct in saying that an ecosystem can still survive if one small thing is missing, such as nitrogen in the soil. This is because ecosystems are often able to adapt to changes and function within certain limits. While nitrogen is an important nutrient for plant growth, there are other ways it can enter the ecosystem, such as through the atmosphere or from decomposing organic matter. Some plants have also evolved the ability to obtain nitrogen from other sources or through symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

However, Johnny's dad is also correct in saying that an ecosystem would not be able to survive without nitrogen. Nitrogen is an essential element for the growth and survival of plants, which are at the base of the food chain. If nitrogen were completely absent from an ecosystem, plants would not be able to photosynthesize effectively, leading to a decrease in their growth and reproduction. This, in turn, would affect all other organisms that depend on these plants for food or habitat.

So, while an ecosystem can tolerate some variations and adaptations, the absence or severe limitation of a critical factor like nitrogen would eventually disrupt the ecosystem's functioning and could lead to the collapse of certain populations or even the entire ecosystem.