Different Types Of Ecosystems Research Articles

Monitoring of ecosystems in an oil-extracting area

Complex monitoring has been carried out by five institutes of St.Petersburg Scientific Centerin on of the oil-fields, located in boggy landscape in the Western Siberia. The aim ofinvestigations is to estimate the conditions of land and water ecosystems around drilling wellsand in oil-extraction zone. Field work was performed in the surroundings of boring grounds atdifferent technological stages: 1) sand road pads construction, 2) drilling of wells, 3) wellsunder exploitation (oil extraction stage). During the field work the laboratory investigationsand chemical analyses of soil samples have been made. The state of soil and vegetation cover,soil microbial community, entomofauna, hydrobionts, ground vertebrates and birds has beenstudied. Soil microorganisms, plants, animals, hydrobionts have been used as bioindicators.Local changes of the components of environment caused by natural and technogenic factorswere found. Typical changes in ecosystems caused by impact of different technogenicdisturbances (oil spills, salt waters, technical oils, drilling muds, flooding by ground waters)were determined. The results of our investigations showed that the level of changes ofecosystems caused by technogenic impact was determined by three factors: the direction andintensity of impact, its duration and ecological resistance of ecosystem on a whole. Alongwith uniformity of technogenic impact in the different types of ecosystems, differentdeviations in their condition have been observed. In spite of rather pronounced deviations inthe condition of different components of environment the determined changes in the mostcases have the reversible character.

The impact of open innovation on product development: innovation versus creative ecosystems

Developed business ecosystems exhibit open innovation as the most relevant booster of organizational development. Also, from a combined approach to innovation perspective, using collaboration among different stakeholders in order to achieve competitive advantages, open innovation serves as an important technique for new business model creation. Thus, it is especially important to enhance the impact of open innovation on organisational processes as the main driver for organizational higher performance and development. Based on literature review this paper aims at exploring the main transition from product development processes to co-creation products through implementation of open innovation, in highlighting key differentiating aspects by different types of ecosystems. Consequently, a comprehensive framework for co-creation processes in innovation and creative ecosystems, in terms of product development stages, is provided based on specific adopted criteria, emphasising the open innovation impact within innovation versus creative ecosystems.

Cambios de la cobertura de la tierra, según los tipos de paisaje descritos en el metabolismo social. Caso de estudio: occidente de la cuenca del lago Guamués (laguna de La Cocha), Colombia. 1989-2016

El objeto de este artículo es analizar los cambios que ha tenido la cobertura de la tierra en el occidente de la laguna de La Cocha, desde al año de 1989 hasta 2016, usando la metodología Corine Land Cover y, a su vez, relacionándola con los escenarios que presenta Víctor Toledo sobre el metabolismo social, en los cuales están presentes los siguientes ambientes: Medioambiente Utilizado (MAU), Medioambiente Transformado (MAT) y Medioambiente Conservado (MAC). En la laguna de La Cocha existen diferentes tipos de ecosistemas: el páramo, la selva altoandina y el humedal. Ecosistemas que ofrecen a la comunidad servicios de abastecimiento, regulación hídrica y servicios culturales. Motivos que han llevado a que estos sean alterados, siendo el cambio de la cobertura de la tierra una de dichas alteraciones. En los resultados se identificaron diecinueve tipos de cobertura para el año de 1989 y veintiún tipos de cobertura para el año 2016, de igual manera se identificaron once tipos de cambio. Estos tipos de cambio se encuentran directamente relacionados con causas proximales y adyacentes o, dicho de otra manera, con factores que inciden para que se presenten aquellos cambios de cobertura. De este modo, en estos 27 años analizados, se observa una disminución del MAC y el MAU. Por tanto, el MAT ha tenido un aumento, principalmente por factores vinculados a la violencia, las políticas deficientes, la escasez de proyectos y la ausencia de asesoría técnica para los campesinos.

Ecogeographical rules and the macroecology of food webs

AbstractAimHow do factors such as space, time, climate and other ecological drivers influence food web structure and dynamics? Collections of well‐studied food webs and replicate food webs from the same system that span biogeographical and ecological gradients now enable detailed, quantitative investigation of such questions and help integrate food web ecology and macroecology. Here, we integrate macroecology and food web ecology by focusing on how ecogeographical rules [the latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG), Bergmann's rule, the island rule and Rapoport's rule] are associated with the architecture of food webs.LocationGlobal.Time periodCurrent.Major taxa studiedAll taxa.MethodsWe discuss the implications of each ecogeographical rule for food webs, present predictions for how food web structure will vary with each rule, assess empirical support where available, and discuss how food webs may influence ecogeographical rules. Finally, we recommend systems and approaches for further advancing this research agenda.ResultsWe derived testable predictions for some ecogeographical rules (e.g. LDG, Rapoport's rule), while for others (e.g., Bergmann's and island rules) it is less clear how we would expect food webs to change over macroecological scales. Based on the LDG, we found weak support for both positive and negative relationships between food chain length and latitude and for increased generality and linkage density at higher latitudes. Based on Rapoport's rule, we found support for the prediction that species turnover in food webs is inversely related to latitude.Main conclusionsThe macroecology of food webs goes beyond traditional approaches to biodiversity at macroecological scales by focusing on trophic interactions among species. The collection of food web data for different types of ecosystems across biogeographical gradients is key to advance this research agenda. Further, considering food web interactions as a selection pressure that drives or disrupts ecogeographical rules has the potential to address both mechanisms of and deviations from these macroecological relationships. For these reasons, further integration of macroecology and food webs will help ecologists better understand the assembly, maintenance and change of ecosystems across space and time.

Interference pathway of power transmission and transformation project on ecosystem

Understanding the interference pathways of power transmission and transformation projects on ecosystem is an important basis for the meticulous implementation of ecological protection. In this paper we analyze the interference characteristics of the projects and discern what the interference pathways are on different ecosystem in two periods of construction and operation, including forest ecosystem, grassland ecosystem, wetland ecosystem, desert ecosystem and farmland ecosystem. After the analysis, some protection and restoration measures are put forward. The results show that the main interference factors are building towers, power stations, doing earthing electrodes during construction period and activities of monitoring, management and maintenance during operation period. For different ecosystems, the interference pathways are variant, so discrepant measures should be taken to different types of ecosystems.

Disentangling the effect of drought on stand mortality and productivity in northern temperate and boreal forests

Abstract It has recently been reported that changing precipitation patterns increase tree mortality and reduce biomass accumulation in northern temperate and boreal forests. Functional diversity can mitigate the impacts of climate extremes in different types of ecosystems, but few studies have focused on tree functional diversity in forest ecosystems. It is critical to identify functional traits that could help anticipate the impact of drought on tree mortality, and how these affect above‐ground tree biomass productivity at the ecosystem level. We tested how three functional traits (ratio of dry leaf mass per unit area [LMA], xylem pressure at which 50% of stem xylem conductivity is lost through cavitation [Ψ50] and leaf area to sapwood ratio) influence severe drought impacts on stand mortality and productivity. We used structural equation modelling to compare the effect of a latent variable composed of these three traits between plots that had suffered drought and plots that had not, on the mortality and productivity of northern temperate and boreal forests of Québec, Canada. A latent variable composed of LMA and Ψ50 significantly explained drought‐induced tree mortality, but did not explain stand productivity response to severe drought. Therefore, even if these traits relate to the ability of species to survive drought (drought tolerance) at the tree level, they did not affect the maintenance of plant productivity during drought events (drought resistance) at the stand scale. We hypothesize that the effect of tree mortality on productivity was likely compensated by the formation of canopy openings that stimulate the growth of surviving trees. Synthesis and applications. Our results show that mitigation of water loss and xylem resistance to cavitation contribute similarly to severe drought tolerance in trees within northern temperate and boreal forests. Therefore, including drought‐resistant trees in fine‐scale mixtures might mitigate the impacts of drought on forest productivity due to the survivors’ response to released resources.

An Improved Boosting Learning Saliency Method for Built-Up Areas Extraction in Sentinel-2 Images

Built-up areas extraction from satellite images is an important aspect of urban planning and land use; however, this remains a challenging task when using optical satellite images. Existing methods may be limited because of the complex background. In this paper, an improved boosting learning saliency method for built-up area extraction from Sentinel-2 images is proposed. First, the optimal band combination for extracting such areas from Sentinel-2 data is determined; then, a coarse saliency map is generated, based on multiple cues and the geodesic weighted Bayesian (GWB) model, that provides training samples for a strong model; a refined saliency map is subsequently obtained using the strong model. Furthermore, cuboid cellular automata (CCA) is used to integrate multiscale saliency maps for improving the refined saliency map. Then, coarse and refined saliency maps are synthesized to create a final saliency map. Finally, the fractional-order Darwinian particle swarm optimization algorithm (FODPSO) is employed to extract the built-up areas from the final saliency result. Cities in five different types of ecosystems in China (desert, coastal, riverside, valley, and plain) are used to evaluate the proposed method. Analyses of results and comparative analyses with other methods suggest that the proposed method is robust, with good accuracy.

Control mechanisms and ecosystem‐based management of fishery production

AbstractFishery ecosystems are complex and influenced by various drivers that operate and interact at different levels and over multiple scales. Here, we propose a holistic methodology to determine the key mechanisms of fisheries, trophodynamics, and environmental drivers of marine ecosystems, using a multilevel model fitted to data on global catch, effort, trophic level, primary production, and temperature for 130 ecosystems from 1950 to 2012. The model describes the spatial‐temporal dynamics of world fisheries very well with a pseudo R2 = 0.75 and estimates the effects of key drivers of fishery production. The results demonstrate the integrative operation of bottom‐up and top‐down regulated trophic interactions at the global level and great variations in their relative importance among different types of ecosystem. The estimation of key drivers’ effects on marine ecosystems provides practical mechanisms for informed ecosystem‐based fisheries management to achieve the sustainable objectives that are consistent with the needs of specific fisheries.

Environmental filtering and competitive exclusion drive biodiversity‐invasibility relationships in shallow lake plant communities

Abstract Understanding the processes that influence the diversity of ecological communities and their susceptibility to invasion by exotic species remains a challenge in ecology. In many systems, a positive relationship between the richness of native species and exotic species has been observed at larger spatial (e.g., regional) scales, while a negative pattern has been observed at local (e.g., plot) scales. These patterns are widely attributed to (1) biotic interactions, particularly biotic resistance, limiting invasions in high‐diversity locations, producing negative local‐scale relationships, and (2) native and exotic richness covarying at larger spatial scales as a function of environmental conditions and heterogeneity, producing positive large‐scale relationships. However, alternative processes can produce similar patterns and need to be critically evaluated to make sound inferences about underlying mechanisms. We aggregated a large dataset of aquatic vegetation surveys from 1,102 Minnesota shallow lakes collected over 13 years to quantify spatial and temporal patterns of community composition. Using those data and additional information on environmental conditions we evaluated evidence for four distinct mechanisms that could drive patterns of native and exotic species richness: biotic resistance, competitive exclusion, environmental filtering and environmental heterogeneity. We found the classic pattern of a negative native‐exotic richness relationship at local scales and a positive relationship at lake scales. However, we found no evidence for local‐scale biotic resistance; instead, competitive exclusion by invasive species appeared to reduce native species richness after locations became invaded. Evaluating the influence of environmental filtering and heterogeneity, we found that native and exotic species occupied somewhat different niches. Invaders were less sensitive to environmental gradients and more tolerant of a wider range of conditions. This segregation of habitat preferences alone could produce a negative local native‐exotic richness relationship and a positive regional pattern without the involvement of biotic interactions. Synthesis. Our findings conflict with established expectations, which come from research predominantly conducted in terrestrial ecosystems. This illustrates the importance of explicitly evaluating underlying mechanisms in diversity‐invasibility research and for comparisons across different types of ecosystems. Identification of different drivers of diversity also has direct implications for decisions about management of freshwater plant communities.

Species Diversity of Oak Stands and Its Significance for Drought Resistance

Drought periods have an adverse impact on the condition of oak stands. Research on different types of ecosystems has confirmed a correlation between plant species diversity and the adverse effects of droughts. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes that occurred in an oak stand (Krotoszyn Plateau, Poland) under the impact of the summer drought in 2015. We used a method based on remote sensing indices from satellite images in order to detect changes in the vegetation in 2014 and 2015. A positive difference was interpreted as an improvement, whereas a negative one was treated as a deterioration of the stand condition. The Shannon-Wiener species diversity was estimated using an iterative principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm based on aerial images. We observed a relationship between the species indices of the individual forest divisions and their response to drought. The highest correlation between the index differences and the Shannon-Wiener indices was found for the Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (GNDVI) index (+0.74). In addition, correlations were observed between the mean index difference and the percentage shares in the forest divisions of species such as Pinus sylvestris L. (P. sylvestris) (+0.67 ± 0.08) and Quercus robur L. (Q. robur) (−0.65 ± 0.10). Our results lead us to infer that forest management based on highly diverse habitats is more suitable to meet the challenges in the context of global climatic changes, characterized by increasingly frequent droughts.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Machine Learning Techniques for Estimating the Responses of Carbon Fluxes to Climatic Forces in Different Terrestrial Ecosystems

Accurately estimating the carbon budgets in terrestrial ecosystems ranging from flux towers to regional or global scales is particularly crucial for diagnosing past and future climate change. This research investigated the feasibility of two comparatively advanced machine learning approaches, namely adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and extreme learning machine (ELM), for reproducing terrestrial carbon fluxes in five different types of ecosystems. Traditional artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine (SVM) models were also utilized as reliable benchmarks to measure the generalization ability of these models according to the following statistical metrics: coefficient of determination (R2), index of agreement (IA), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute error (MAE). In addition, we attempted to explore the responses of all methods to their corresponding intrinsic parameters in terms of the generalization performance. It was found that both the newly proposed ELM and ANFIS models achieved highly satisfactory estimates and were comparable to the ANN and SVM models. The modeling ability of each approach depended upon their respective internal parameters. For example, the SVM model with the radial basis kernel function produced the most accurate estimates and performed substantially better than the SVM models with the polynomial and sigmoid functions. Furthermore, a remarkable difference was found in the estimated accuracy among different carbon fluxes. Specifically, in the forest ecosystem (CA-Obs site), the optimal ANN model obtained slightly higher performance for gross primary productivity, with R2 = 0.9622, IA = 0.9836, RMSE = 0.6548 g C m−2 day−1, and MAE = 0.4220 g C m−2 day−1, compared with, respectively, 0.9554, 0.9845, 0.4280 g C m−2 day−1, and 0.2944 g C m−2 day−1 for ecosystem respiration and 0.8292, 0.9306, 0.6165 g C m−2 day−1, and 0.4407 g C m−2 day−1 for net ecosystem exchange. According to the findings in this study, we concluded that the proposed ELM and ANFIS models can be effectively employed for estimating terrestrial carbon fluxes.

Investigating Heat Exchange in Ecosystems with Bottle Biology

Logistics often limit the number of field-based labs that include different types of ecosystems. Moreover, few lab classes allow students the opportunity to measure ecosystem-level changes. This article describes an activity appropriate for high school biology or introductory collegiate biology courses, where bottle biology can provide an opportunity for students to measure differences in temperature and humidity that result with different types of vegetation. This approach allows students to develop an understanding of how ecosystems transfer energy and cycle water, as well as the implications of land use change, such as timber harvest or grassland restoration, on regional climate.

Headwater streams in the EU Water Framework Directive: Evidence-based decision support to select streams for river basin management plans

Headwater streams are important contributors to aquatic biodiversity and may counteract negative impacts of anthropogenic stress on downstream reaches. In Denmark, the first river basin management plan (RBMP) included streams of all size categories, most being <2.5m wide (headwater streams). Currently, however, it is intensely debated whether the small size and low slopes, typical of Danish streams, in combination with degraded habitat conditions obstruct their ability to fulfill the ecological quality objectives required by the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). The purpose of this study was to provide an analytically based framework for guiding the selection of headwater streams for RBMP. Specifically, the following hypotheses were addressed: i) stream slope, width, planform, and general physical habitat quality can act as criteria for selecting streams for the next generation of RBMPs, and ii) probability-based thresholds for reaching good ecological status can be established for some or all of these criteria, thus creating a sound, scientifically based, and clear selection process. The hypotheses were tested using monitoring data on Danish streams from the period 2004–2015. Significant linear relationships were obtained between the ecological quality ratio assessed by applying the Danish Stream Fauna Index (DSFIEQR) and stream slope, width, sinuosity, and DHI. The obtained models were used to produce pressure-response curves describing the probability of achieving good ecological status along gradients in these parameters. Next, threshold values for slope, width, sinuosity, and DHI were identified for selected probabilities of achieving minimum good ecological status. The obtained results can support managers and policy makers in prioritizing headwater streams for the 3rd RBMP. The approach applied is broadly applicable and can, for instance, help prioritization of restoration and conservation efforts in different types of ecosystems where the biota can be significantly linked to separate and quantifiable environmental characteristics.

Sustainability of utility‐scale solar energy – critical ecological concepts

Renewable energy development is an arena where ecological, political, and socioeconomic values collide. Advances in renewable energy will incur steep environmental costs to landscapes in which facilities are constructed and operated. Scientists – including those from academia, industry, and government agencies – have only recently begun to quantify trade‐offs in this arena, often using ground‐mounted, utility‐scale solar energy facilities (USSE, ≥1 megawatt) as a model. Here, we discuss five critical ecological concepts applicable to the development of more sustainable USSE with benefits over fossil‐fuel‐generated energy: (1) more sustainable USSE development requires careful evaluation of trade‐offs between land, energy, and ecology; (2) species responses to habitat modification by USSE vary; (3) cumulative and large‐scale ecological impacts are complex and challenging to mitigate; (4) USSE development affects different types of ecosystems and requires customized design and management strategies; and (5) long‐term ecological consequences associated with USSE sites must be carefully considered. These critical concepts provide a framework for reducing adverse environmental impacts, informing policy to establish and address conservation priorities, and improving energy production sustainability.

Entrepreneurial Activity in Post-Socialist Countries: Methodology and Research Limitations

The subject of this article is the entrepreneurial activity of the population residing in the post-socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), and its goal is to identify different types of ecosystems of entrepreneurship in these countries by means of analyzing entrepreneurial activity in various countries/groups of countries considered in the context of their societal and economic development. Empirically this article is based upon data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM). On the basis of an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of existing approaches in the relevant literature to the taxonomy of business ecosystems, using a set of key country-level indicators of the GEM for 2011, this article proposes a taxonomy for entrepreneurship ecosystems based on two «axes» - the quality of entrepreneurial activity (high, average, below average) and the state of the entrepreneurial framework conditions in the respective countries (favorable, average, below average). The result is a clustering of CEE countries’ entrepreneurship ecosystems, where the worst cluster consists solely of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the best contains the Czech Republic. Russia belongs to a cluster with mid-level indicators along both axes. The results might be used to implement a more focused policy promoting entrepreneurship and support for small businesses, which must move away from generalized schemes towards concrete policy concepts taking into account the resources and limitations of each of the selected types of entrepreneurship ecosystems.

Міграція селену у біогеохімічному ланцюзі: ґрунт– вода– рослина–продукція птахівництва–людина

&lt;p&gt;Selenium is an essential micronutrient required for normal functioning of living organisms. It is distributed in inorganic and organic forms in marine and freshwater systems, in soils, biomass, and atmosphere. Its distribution patterns in terrestrial ecosystems have great diversity. There are biogeochemical provinces with selenium deficiency and toxic concentrations of this trace element. Variability of biochemical characteristics of soil and water in different regions of the world makes significant differences in the content of selenium in plants. The total content of selenium in plants depends on several factors: soil type, pH, redox potential reserves of selenium in soils, selenium compounds form (available or unavailable), precipitation, temperature and growth stage of the plant.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There is a correlation between the content of selenium in the soil and feed on plants, on the one hand, and animals and birds – on the other. Cereal crops, animals and birds, grown in soils of different types of ecosystems are included in human food chain, therefore food is a major source of selenium for human organism. Selenium status of the population varies, from 10 g&lt;sup&gt;-3&lt;/sup&gt;/day in selenium deficient regions to 1400 g-&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;/day in regions with selenium toxicity.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Large number of countries are characterized by moderate and low levels of selenium intake from foods of plant-grower and stock-raising. Inadequate flow of it in the body (depending on the degree of deficiency) could lead to physiological changes within the normal regulation or significant metabolic disorders or cause the specific diseases, since selenium deficiency is associated with more than 75 different diseases and pain symptoms. The only way of selenium contamination increase in human organism is the selen inclusion in the diet enriched with such micronutrient, like poultry meat.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The selenium-enriched dietary meat product can be considered as biocorrection food and iIts consumption will contribute to the prevention of hiposelenoz. Nevertheles, there is a narrow range between the recommended rates (50–120 g&lt;sup&gt;-3&lt;/sup&gt;/day) and the maximum permissible level of selenium consumption (400 g&lt;sup&gt;-3&lt;/sup&gt;/day) while at high concentrations it can cause toxic effects in human body. Further comprehensive environmental and toxicological studies of migration patterns and levels of selenium in the environment should be done to minimize adverse effects to human health associated with dangerous concentrations of selenium.&lt;/p&gt;

From ad hoc to strategic ecosystem management: the “Three-Layer Ecosystem Strategy Model” (TeLESM)

Recently, business ecosystems have been recognized as one of the most interesting phenomenon in software engineering research. Companies experience a paradigm shift where product development and innovation is moving outside the boundaries of the firm and where networks of stakeholders join forces to co-create value. While there is prominent research focusing on the managerial perspective of business ecosystems, few studies provide strategic guidance for how to intentionally manage the different ecosystems that companies operate in. Therefore, and on the basis of multicase study research, we provide empirical evidence on the challenges that software-intensive companies experience in relation to the different types of business ecosystems they operate in. We conduct a state-of-the-art literature review to identify strategies that are used to manage ecosystem engagements, and we develop a conceptual in which we identify strategies for managing the innovation ecosystem, the differentiating ecosystem, and the commoditizing ecosystem. By categorising the different strategies in relation to the different types of ecosystems for which they are valid, the three-layer ecosystem strategy model provides comprehensive support for strategy selection. We validate the of the identified strategies in 6 software-intensive case companies, and we provide empirical insights on the relevance and the desired use of these strategies as experienced by the case companies.

Resurvey of historical vegetation plots: a tool for understanding long‐term dynamics of plant communities

Resurvey of historical vegetation plots: a tool for understanding long‐term dynamics of plant communities

Fusion of High Resolution Multispectral Imagery in Vulnerable Coastal and Land Ecosystems.

Ecosystems provide a wide variety of useful resources that enhance human welfare, but these resources are declining due to climate change and anthropogenic pressure. In this work, three vulnerable ecosystems, including shrublands, coastal areas with dunes systems and areas of shallow water, are studied. As far as these resources’ reduction is concerned, remote sensing and image processing techniques could contribute to the management of these natural resources in a practical and cost-effective way, although some improvements are needed for obtaining a higher quality of the information available. An important quality improvement is the fusion at the pixel level. Hence, the objective of this work is to assess which pansharpening technique provides the best fused image for the different types of ecosystems. After a preliminary evaluation of twelve classic and novel fusion algorithms, a total of four pansharpening algorithms was analyzed using six quality indices. The quality assessment was implemented not only for the whole set of multispectral bands, but also for the subset of spectral bands covered by the wavelength range of the panchromatic image and outside of it. A better quality result is observed in the fused image using only the bands covered by the panchromatic band range. It is important to highlight the use of these techniques not only in land and urban areas, but a novel analysis in areas of shallow water ecosystems. Although the algorithms do not show a high difference in land and coastal areas, coastal ecosystems require simpler algorithms, such as fast intensity hue saturation, whereas more heterogeneous ecosystems need advanced algorithms, as weighted wavelet ‘à trous’ through fractal dimension maps for shrublands and mixed ecosystems. Moreover, quality map analysis was carried out in order to study the fusion result in each band at the local level. Finally, to demonstrate the performance of these pansharpening techniques, advanced Object-Based (OBIA) support vector machine classification was applied, and a thematic map for the shrubland ecosystem was obtained, which corroborates wavelet ‘à trous’ through fractal dimension maps as the best fusion algorithm for this ecosystem.

Anchoring in ecosystemic kinds

The world contains many different types of ecosystems. This is something of a commonplace in biology and conservation science. But there has been little attention to the question of whether such ecosystem types enjoy a degree of objectivity—whether they might be natural kinds. I argue that traditional accounts of natural kinds that emphasize nomic or causal–mechanistic dimensions of “kindhood” are ill-equipped to accommodate presumptive ecosystemic kinds. In particular, unlike many other kinds, ecosystemic kinds are “anchored” to the contingent character of species and higher taxa and their abiotic environments. Drawing on Slater (Br J Philos Sci 66(2):375–411, 2015a), I show how we can nevertheless make room for such contingent anchoring in an account of natural kinds of ecosystems kinds.