What Is An Ecosystem?
An ecosystem is made up of all of the interacting living things, including plants, birds, fish, and bacteria, and the environment (air, water, dead organisms, soil, and solar radiation) in which they live. Ecological processes consist of the way that the living and non-living things interact and how these interactions and the ecosystem components themselves change over time. These processes determine how an ecosystem functions. Healthy ecosystems tend to function in a more balanced way and have more predictable patterns and productivity, while unhealthy ones have experienced disturbance in one or more of their components or processes. This is why they do not have the same set of patterns and productivity as healthy ecosystems.
Why Coastal Ecosystems Matter
Coastal ecosystems, such as salt and brackish marshes, prairies, and bottomland hardwood forests, provide a variety of benefits to society including carbon storage, commercial and recreational fisheries, migratory bird habitat, and flood reduction. These ecosystems provide us with products like food and timber. They regulate our environment through processes like pollination, decomposition, and water purification, and are home to a variety of different living things, from deer to shrimp. Lastly, the natural world has emotional, spiritual, and cultural significance for us all.
These ecosystems are fundamental to our very existence. Yet, we are losing them at a rapid rate to development, erosion, and sea level rise.
The loss of coastal marshes and prairies has decreased their capacity for the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere at the same time that new development in these same areas is drastically increasing the release of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels. In addition, the paving over and development of bottomland hardwood forests and prairies has reduced the ability of these natural systems to regulate flooding and groundwater recharge at a time when we are experiencing more extreme weather events.
Thankfully, we have over 8 million acres of undeveloped coastal lands in Texas.
Much of this land is privately owned and at risk of being lost because the cost of maintaining large tracts of land is much greater than many landowners can bear. At TCX, we want to provide a means for donors to help protect and support these ecosystems. Donations are used to provide grants to landowners for maintaining their land in a natural state and ensuring the existence of these ecosystem benefits
into the future.
These ecosystems are fundamental to our very existence. Yet, we are losing them at a rapid rate to development, erosion, and sea level rise.
The loss of coastal marshes and prairies has decreased their capacity for the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere at the same time that new development in these same areas is drastically increasing the release of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels. In addition, the paving over and development of bottomland hardwood forests and prairies has reduced the ability of these natural systems to regulate flooding and groundwater recharge at a time when we are experiencing more extreme weather events.
Thankfully, we have over 8 million acres of undeveloped coastal lands in Texas.
Much of this land is privately owned and at risk of being lost because the cost of maintaining large tracts of land is much greater than many landowners can bear. At TCX, we want to provide a means for donors to help protect and support these ecosystems. Donations are used to provide grants to landowners for maintaining their land in a natural state and ensuring the existence of these ecosystem benefits
into the future.
Ecosystems Included In The Program
By supporting carbon storage in natural coastal ecosystems, you are also supporting all of the other benefits that these ecosystems provide, such as holding flood waters, reducing the energy of storm surges, providing habitat for wildlife and native pollinators, and supporting productive fisheries and biodiversity all along the Texas Coast. We will include three coastal ecosystem types in our carbon storage program by 2020. These are coastal marshes, coastal prairies, and bottomland hardwood forests. Currently, only coastal marshes are included in our carbon storage capacity.
Click the links below to learn more about these ecosystems
Coastal Marsh
Coastal marshes have been reduced to less than 50% of their historical global range. Click here to learn more about these ecosystems and their importance on the Texas coast.
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Coastal Prairie
Texas coastal prairie once covered 6.5 million acres of the state. Today, less than 1% still remains. Click here to learn more about why these ecosystems should be protected.
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Bottomland Hardwood Forest
The bottomland hardwood forests of Texas make up the largest remnant expanse of forest on the Gulf Coast. However, these ecosystems are threatened by fragmentation from development. Click here to learn more.
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