Biodiversity affects ecosystem functioning, as do the processes of disturbance and succession. Ecosystems provide a spread of products and services upon which individuals depend. The most important of these is climate. Climate determines the biome during which the ecosystem is embedded. Parent material determines the character of the soil in an ecosystem, and influences the availability of mineral nutrients. The study of ecosystems can cover 10 orders of magnitude, from the surface layers of rocks to the surface of the earth. Ecosystems are often studied through a spread of approaches-theoretical studies, studies monitoring specific ecosystems over long periods of your time, people who check out differences between ecosystems to elucidate how they work and direct manipulative experimentation. Journal articles are most often Primary Research Articles. However, they can also be Review Articles. These types of articles have different aims and requirements. Sometimes, an article describes a new tool or method. Because articles in scientific journals are specific, meticulously cited and peer-reviewed, journal databases are the best place to look for information on previous research on your species.