Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of biotic communities, their abiotic environment and
the interaction between them.
It was introduced by A G Tansley in 1935.
It may be natural or artificial.
o Natural – Pond, Lake, Desert, Forest, grassland, Village, Hill, etc.
o Artificial – Aquarium, Spaceship, Pot of houseplants.
Components of Environment
o Abiotic – These are the non-living substances present in the environment.
Temperature – Every individual has a body temperature. Some can change their
body temperature according to environment and others cannot.
Poikilotherm (Cold Blooded) – These organisms can change their body
temperature according to environment. Eg, Fishes, Amphibians, Reptiles
Homeotherm (Warm Blooded) – These organisms maintain their
constant body temperature. Eg, Mammals, Birds, Bats.
Light – It provides solar energy to the ecosystem for heating and photosynthesis.
Wind – It controls weather, transpiration, Pollination and dispersal of seeds.
Humidity – It is the amount of water vapour present in the atmosphere. It
controls the formation of clouds, fog, and dew. Epiphytes grow well in humid
areas.
Precipitation – It occurs as rainfall, dew, snow etc. Rainfall decide the type of
forest like evergreen or deciduous or desert or grassland etc.
Water – It is an essential factor in environment. Availability of water decides the
type of plants like xerophytes or hydrophytes or mesophytes.
Soil – It determines vegetation growth, pattern and nutrient available on it.
Topography – It is the surface behaviour of the earth like altitude, slope, plain,
mountain or valley.
Gases – Different gases present in atmosphere have different impacts on living
bodies.
o Biotic – These are the living organisms present in ecosystem.
Producer – These are the green plants, some protists and certain bacteria. They
produce their foods by photosynthesis. They may be Phototrophs or
Chemotrophs.
Consumer – These are organisms which depend on others for food. These are of
3 types
Primary Consumer – These are the organisms which get their food from
plant or plant products. Also known as Herbivores. Eg. Cow, Goat,
Horse
Secondary Consumer – These are the organisms eating Herbivores. Also
known as Carnivores. Eg, Human, Cat, Dog, Fox
Tertiary Consumer – These are the organisms eating Carnivores. Also
known as Top Carnivores. Eg, Tiger, Lion
Decomposer – These are the organisms getting their foods from dead organisms.
Also known as Scavengers or detrivores or Saprotrophs. Eg, Bacteria, Fungi.
Pond Ecosystem
o It is an example of fresh water ecosystem.
o Abiotic components – Standing water, Sediments below the water, Oxygen, Carbon
dioxide, Minerals like calcium, phosphorous dissolved in water.
o Producer – These are chlorophyll bearing phytoplankton and hydrophytes. They produce
Carbohydrates by Photosynthesis.
o Consumer – These are Zooplanktons (Herbivores), insects, small fishes (Carnivores) and
Fish, Frogs, Snakes (Top carnivores).
o Decomposers – These are saprophytes like Bacteria, Fungi which are abundant in the
mud of the Pond.
Function of Ecosystem
o Productivity
Primary Productivity – It is defined as the amount of biomass produced per unit
area over a time period by plants during photosynthesis. It is the total food
produced by the plants. But some of it is used by the plant itself for processes like
Respiration.
Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) – It is the total amount of food
produced by the plants.
Net Primary Productivity (NPP) – It is the amount of food stored in plants
for after respiration. NPP is the available biomass for the consumption of
consumers. GPP – R = NPP
Secondary Productivity – It is the amount of biomass stored in consumers after
utilized by them.
o Decomposition – Decomposers break down complex organic matter into inorganic matter
like CO2, Water and nutrients and the process is known as Decomposition.
Detritivores break down complex foods into simpler substances by the process is
called Fragmentation.
By the process of Leaching, water soluble minerals go down into soils.
The rest of the simpler substances then decomposed by decomposers and formed
Humus of the soil.
o Flow of Energy – Sun is the source of energy. Plants trap solar energy for making food.
But not all of it used for making food. Almost 90% of the energy is lost as heat. When
this energy is transferred to the next trophic level again 90% of it lost as heat and only
10% of it is used. So, there is a decrease in useful energy at each successive level due
loss of energy as heat. This is called 10% law.
o Food Chain – The transfer of energy from plants through a series of organisms each of
which eats the previous and eaten by following is known as Food Chain. Here, the flow
of energy is unidirectional.
o Eg, Grass Insect Frog Snake Eagle
o Food web – The interconnecting food chains constitute a food web. Here, flow of energy
is multidirectional.