microecosystems can exist in locations which are precisely defined by critical environmental factors within small or tiny spaces.

such factors may include temperature, pH, chemical milieu, nutrient supply, presence of symbionts or solid substrates, gaseous atmosphere (aerobic or anaerobic), etc.

terrestrial hot-spring microecosystems are defined by gradients of water temperature, nutrients, dissolved gases, salt concentrations etc. along the path of terrestrial water flow the resulting temperature gradient continuum alone may provide many different minute microecosystems, starting with thermophilic bacteria such as archaea “archaebacteria” (100+°C), followed by conventional thermophiles (60-100°C), cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) such as the motile filaments of oscillatoria (30-60°C), protozoa such as amoeba, rotifers, then green algae (0-30°C) etc. of course other factors than temperature also play important roles. hot springs can provide classic and straightforward ecosystems for microecology studies as well as providing a haven for hitherto undescribed organisms.

a thermophile is an organism — a type of extremophile — that thrives at relatively high temperatures, between 45 and 80 °C (113 and 176 °F).

via mi na lee