Post #1850261

2026-04-29 20:14 UTC

does anyone have reading/viewing recommendations for materials on how different ecosystems interact with each other? (not interactions within a single ecosystem, but how one ecosystem might affect an ecosystem next to it) i&#39;m interested in how changes to the land in one ecosystem might affect ecosystems near and far. specifically, i&#39;m interested in how changes to desert ecosystems might affect neighboring ecosystems (or even ecosystems far away). but i&#39;m very open to learning about other examples. the issue is that i don&#39;t even know what to search for, so any pointers in the right direction would be helpful. #ecology #nature #science #ecosystems

Replies (7)

@mk30@tilde.zone 2026-04-29 22:33

on the subject of relationships between ecosystems, this documentary featuring the kogi people of south america has indigenous insights into how changes in different parts of a river system affect ecosystems in other parts of the river system. although it's not presented as scientific results, i think it's a good example of local knowledge that shows an understanding of how changes in one ecosystem affect another ecosystem. https://youtu.be/ftFbCwJfs1I?si=DbslzsP3pg7TPyEF #ecology #nature #science #ecosystems #indigenous

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@beadsland@beige.party 2026-04-29 20:54

@mk30 Research on littoral habitats might lead you to discussions, more broadly, on other transitional zones between ecosystems.

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@pastelexuvia@cathode.church 2026-04-29 21:17

@mk30 neat! wiley online library is our go-to for flora, fauna and climate – i recommend looking for a video tutorial to learn how to use it. im learning about succulent genera that originate in hot, arid regions, and wiley has been useful. for your purposes you may want to start with how desert ecosystems develop. usually its because theres a mountain range separating an inland area from the coast, rainfall reaches the mountains but doesnt go any further inland

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@coop@denton.social 2026-04-29 21:27

@mk30 Climatology circumscribes a lot of the abiotic interactions (biogeochemical flows, climate forcing, hydrology, etc.), while ecology of migratory species (especially keystone species such as salmon) shows how changing the habitat for a species in one habitat can dramatically effect another. Somewhere in between, there is biogenic VOCs and cloud nucleation. Lots of emerging things in this space.

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@PaulWermer@sfba.social 2026-04-29 21:27

@mk30 I've seen some interesting tidbits about the role of forests in precipitation inland of the forests. Quick search found: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gcb.15763 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ads4361 And there have to be articles relevant to local ecosystem changes on migratory species, with impacts over the migratory range. Ditto issues related to pacific salmon as various factors in spawning streams affect success rates, with impacts on the wild salmon population, and hence both food availability for large marine predators, etc. (Not an expert by any means, but snippets gathered from various sources over the years)

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@numodular@c.im 2026-04-30 00:42

@mk30 Biotic atmospheric rivers, from overlapping carbon sinks, for example. Old growth forests, meets rivers/oceans, etc..

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@DanielleVossebeld@mastodon.social 2026-04-30 04:41

@mk30 Not specifically linked to the desert. The University of Utrecht has done research on tipping points, which also include multiple ecosystems. I have been to a lunch meeting discussing the connection AMOC and Amazon rainforest. I should check my notes, but here is one through searching: https://research-portal.uu.nl/en/publications/quantification-of-the-cascading-tipping-probability-from-the-amoc/ A book on discussing ecosystems, with some connections, combined with personal narratives, is from Andri Snær Magnason: On Time and Water

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