Natural biological communities become rarer and rarer. Their abundance of species, the problems of their preservation as well as their importance for the whole ecological structure, even for inconspicuous microbiotopes, are treated in these series on hand and documented by characteristic examples. Almost all of the details are photographed in their natural site to secure the greatest possible authenticity. The included texts give detail information on the biology of the species as well as on the development and ecology of the biotope.

Ecosystem Pond - Plant Society - Pond on working days - Pond on weekends - Zone of warping (picture) - Zone of warping (diagram) - Plant living submerged: Chara sp. - Plant with submersed leaves: water buttercup (Ranunculus aquatilis) - Plant with submersed leaves: water milfoil (Myriophyllum sp.) - Plant with submersed leaves: water pest (Elodea canadensis) - Plant with floating leaves: yellow and white pond lily (Nuphar sp.) - Plant with floating leaves: water aloe (Stratiotes aloides) - Reed bed: reed (Phragmites communis) - Reed bed: cat-tail (Typha latifolia) - Reed bed: bur-reed (Sparganium erectum) - Shallow water: water plantain (Alisma plantago-aquatica) and duck weed (Lemna sp.) - Shallow water: arrow head (Sagittaria sagittifolia) - Shallow water: iris (Iris sibirica) - Shallow water: marsh trefoil (Menyanthes trifoliata) - Shallow water: horsetail (Equisetum fluviatile) - Shallow water: mare’s tail (Hippuris vulgaris) - Sedge belt: swamp-rush (Heleocharis sp.) - Forest peat - Village pond - Artificial scenery with ponds - School pond.

Ecosystem Pond - Animal Society - Zone of warping of a pond with animals, schematic figure - Fresh-water yellyfish, Craspedacusta sp. - Moss animal (Bryozoa) - Fresh water Snail, Planorbis orbicularis - Fresh water Snail, Puccinea putris - Fresh water Mussel, Unio sp. - Reed Spider, Aranea cornuta - Malaria Mosquito, Anopheles spec. - Alder Fly (Drone Fly), Sialis lutaris - Damselfly, Coenagrion - Dragonfly, Aeschna cyanea - Water Strider (Skipper), Gerris sp. - Carp, Cyprinus carpio - Pike, Esox lucius - Frog, Rana esculenta - Frog spawn, Rana esculenta - Ring Snake (Common Grass Snake), Natrix natrix - Great Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus arundinaceus - Little Bittern, Ixobrychus minutus - Coot, Fulica atra - Gadwall, Anas strepera - Great Crested Grebe, Podiceps cristatus - Muskrat, Ondatra zibethica - Water Shrew, Neomys fodiens.

Ecosystem Puddle - Melt-water puddle in the mountains - Frogs in snow-puddle - Red coloured puddle, caused by flagellates - Euglena sanguinea, unicellular red flagellate - Lowland puddle - Branchipus - Waterflea, Daphnia and Ephippium with winter eggs - Cartwheel trace with toads, Bombina - Fire-bellied Toad, Bombina variegata - Wood puddle - Molge in wood puddle, Triturus alpestris - Small puddle in root region of fallen tree - Water Striders in a puddle, Gerris sp.

Ecosystem Moor - Formation of an upland moor I: zones of warping of ponds (diagram) - Formation of an upland moor II: low moor and forest peat (diagram) - Formation of an upland moor III: raised bog (diagram) - Bog with wool grass, Eriophorum - Forest peat - Upland moor (Raised bog) - Marginal slope of an upland moor - Peat Moss, Sphagnum, habitus - Leaf of peat moss, Sphagnum, with water-storage cells - Dying wood at the edge of a moor - Survival of plants in moors: Protection against suffocation by peat moss Sphagnum (diagram) - Hummoks and hollows - Fenberry, Vaccinium oxycoccus - Blueberry, Vaccinium myrtillus, flowers and fruits - Cranberry, Vaccinium vitis-idaea - Heather, Erica. Ling, Calluna - Black Crowberry, Empetrum nigrum - Star Moos, Mnium - Sedge Grass, Carex pauciflora - Sundew, Drosera - Butterwort, Pinguicula - White Birch, Betula pubescens - Moor pine, Pinus montana - Peat cut - Back-swimmers, Notonecta glauca - Moor Frog, Rana arvalis - Common Viper, Vipera berus - Black Crouse, Lyrurus tetrix.

Ecosystem Forest - Schematic figure of the sections of the wood - Moss, Polytrichum (soil protection) - Clubmoss, Lycopodium (soil protection) - Fern, Aspidium, (soil protection) - Blueberry, Vaccinium myrtillus, (soil protection) - Privet, Ligustrum vulgare - Whitethorn, Crataegus oxyacantha - Holly, Ilex sp. - Spruce, Picea sp. - Beech, Fagus silvatica - Red Ant, Formica rufa - Shepherd Spider, Opilio sp. - Crab Spider, Thomisus sp. - Camberwell beauty (butterfly), Nymphalis antiopa - Common Yellow Underwing (butterfly), Noctua pronuba - Long Horned Beetle, Cerambyx cerdo - Stag Beetle, Lucanus cervus - Scolytid Beetle, Ips typographus, gallery design - Grass Frog, Rana temporaria - Toad, Bufo bufo - Common Lizard, Lacerta vivipara - Heron, Ardea cinerea - Goosander, Mergus merganser, breeding place - Goshawk, Accipiter gentilis - Capercaillie, Tetrao urogallus - European Woodcock, Scolopax rusticola - Tengmalm’s Owl, Aegolius funereus - Black Woodpecker, Dryocopus martius - Crossbill, Loxia curvirostra - Common Shrew, Sorex araneus - Bank Vole, Clethrionomys glareolus - Yellownecked Field Mouse, Apodemus flavicollis - Red Squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris - Beach Marten, Martes foina - Red Deer, Cervus elaphus.

Ecosystem Alpine Meadows. Plants - Alpine meadow zone, schematic figure - Alpine meadow zone, landscape - Flora destroyed by winter sports - Crustose lichen, Rhizocarpon geographicum - Foliose lichen, Haematomma sp. - Alpine meadow grass, Poa alpina - Grassland, Nardus stricta - Fern, Botrychium lunaria - Alpine birch, Betula nana - Gentian, Gentiana verna - Gentian, Gentiana punctata - Alpine Rose, Rhododendron ferrugineum - Alpine Soldanel, Soldanella sp. - Biscutella laevigata, an Alpine crucifere - Rampion, Phyteuma sp. - Pasqueflower, Anemona pulsatilla - Mountain Avens, Dryas octopetala - Lion’s Foot, (edelweiss), Leontopodium alpinum - Lilium martagon, an alpine lily - Nigritella nigra - Orchis globosus, an alpine orchid - Dwarf Pine, Pinus mugo.

Ecosystem Alpine Meadows - Animals - Ecological niches for the animals of the high mountain region - Alpine Blue Butterfly, Lycaena sp. - Painted Lady, Vanessa cardui - Gaurotes virginea - Alpine Carabid Beetle, Carabus sp. - Siberian Grasshopper, Gomphocerus sibiricus - European Black Salamander, Salamandra atra - Mountain Lizard, Lacerta vivipara - Golden Eagle, Aquila chrysaetos - Alpine Ptarmigan, Lagopus mutus - Water Pipit, Anthus spinoletta - Alpine Accentor, Prunella collaris - Wheatear, Oenanthe oenanthe - Snow Finch, Montifringilla nivalis - Alpine Chough, Pyrrhocorax graculus - Raven, Corvus corax - Snow Vole, Microtus nivalis - Blue Hare, Lepus timidus - Marmot, Marmota marmota - Ibex (Steinbock), Capra ibex.

Ecosystem Mud-flats (Shallows) - Shallow coast, schematic figure - Shallow coast, photograph - Shoal sand - Shoal mud - Animals, living in the shoal sand and mud (schematic figure) - Lugworm, Arenicola marina - Sea Annelid, Nereis diversicolour - Annelid, Lanice conchilega - Annelid, Heteromastus filiformis - Sea Mussel, Mytilus edulis - Mussels, Scrobicularia plana (Hen) and Solenidae sp. - Soft-shelled Clam, Mya arenaria - Common Periwinkle, Littorina littorea - Shallow Snail, Hydrobia ulvae - Common Cockle, Cardium edule - Shore Crab, Carcinus maenas - Shrimp, Crangon crangon - Shrimp fishing-boat - Plaice, Pleuronectes platessa - Marine Polychaete, Nereis diversicolour - Common Shelduck, Tadorna tadorna - Ringed Plover, Charadrius hiaticula - Dunlin, Calidris alpina - Oystercatcher, Haematopus ostralegus - Avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta - Curlew Sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea - Seal, Phoca vitulina - Baby-seal, Phoca vitulina, juvenile.