Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants, animals, and micro-
organisms in an area functioning together with all the non-living physical
factors of the environment.
According to British ecologist Arthur Tansley (1935), an ecosystem is a
system that arises from the integration of all living and non-living factors of
the environment.
Ecology
Ecology is the study of how living and non-living factors affect each
other in an environment. An ecosystem is the basic and functional unit of
ecology.
Classification of Ecosystems
Natural Ecosystems Man-made Ecosystems (aquaria,
garden, dams & cropland of maize,
wheat, rice).
Terrestrial Aquatic Ecosystems
Ecosystems
Grass land Fresh water Marine
Forest Desert
Ecosystems Ecosystems Ecosystems
Ecosystems Ecosystems
Running water Standing water
Ecosystems (lotic) Ecosystems (lentic)
How do nutrients cycle?
• Energy follows a ONE-WAY path
– Sun living organisms heat atmosphere
– The planet does not create or receive more of elements when needed
instead they cycle between the biotic (living) and abiotic(nonliving)
parts of the biosphere
• Matter CYCLES through living organisms endlessly
• Biogeochemical cycles
– Carbon and Oxygen
– Water
– Nitrogen
Structure of an Ecosystem
Living (Biotic) Components
• Producers
• Consumers ( primary, secondary and tertiary)
• Decomposers
(Maintains biological cycle)
Non-living (Abiotic) Components
• Organic
• Inorganic
• Physical
Biotic Components of Ecosystems
• Producers (or autotrophs)
Green plants and some bacteria which manufacture
their own food (photo autotrophs (auto=self;
troph=food, photo=light) & (chemo-autotrophs).
• Consumers (or heterotrophs)
Herbivores, Carnivores, Omnivores, Detritivores
Animals which obtain their food from producers
•Primary consumers
•Secondary consumers
•Tertiary consumers
• Decomposers
Bacteria and fungi that decompose dead
organic matter and convert it into
simpler parts
Abiotic Components of an Ecosystem
Chemical factors:
Carbohydrates, Water, Ammonia, Gases, Lipids, Proteins
nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, hydrogen, oxygen and
sulphur, level of toxic substances, salts causing salinity
and various organic substances present in the soil or
water
Physical factors
Rainfall, Humidity, Temperature wind, latitude and altitude,
soil type, water availability, water currents, sun hours,
average temperature, maximum-minimum
temperature, annual rainfall
Water Cycle
Also called the hydrologic cycle is the continuous
circulation of water among Earths organisms, atmosphere
and surface
Evaporation – change of liquid to gas when heated
Transpiration – release of water through stomata (openings
In a plants leaves.
Condensation – gas changes to liquid when it loses thermal
energy
Precipitation – water that falls from atmosphere to Earth as
Rain, snow, sleet or hail
FUNCTIONAL ATTRIBUTES
of an Ecosystem
Food Chain Food Web
The transfer of food energy from the The interlocking pattern formed by
source (plants) through a series of several food chains that are linked
organisms by repeated eating and being together is called a food web.
eaten up is referred as food chain.
Ecological Pyramid
The graphical representations of different trophic levels in an ecosystem is
known as ecological pyramid .
They are used to illustrate the feeding relationships between organisms.
Types of Ecological Pyramids
•Pyramid of number
•Pyramid of biomass
•Pyramid of energy
Pyramid of Biomass
The pyramid of biomass is used to show the total biomass of individuals
at each trophic level.
It is better than the pyramid of number for showing the relationships
between organisms.
Pyramid of biomass is upright in case of grassland and forest ecosystems
and inverted in case of pond ecosystems.
Pyramid of energy
Pyramid of energy is used to show the amount of energy transferred between
trophic levels. It provides the best representation of the overall nature of an
ecosystem.
The pyramid of energy flow is always upright because there is always loss of
energy while moving from lower trophic level to higher trophic level.
Therefore, the energy reaching the next trophic level is always less compared to
that in the previous trophic level.
Flow of Energy in an Ecosystem
First Law of Energy
Energy can neither be created nor be destroyed
Second Law of Energy
No energy transformations are 100% efficient
Ten-percent Rule of Energy
Only 10% of food energy is transferred from one trophic level to another
Producer → primary consumer → secondary consumer → tertiary consumer
(1000 Kcal) (100 Kcal) (10 Kcal) (1 Kcal)
PRIMARY PRODUCTION
Primary productivity of an ecosystem is defined as the rate at which
radiant energy is converted into organic substances by photosynthesis
or chemo-synthesis by the primary producers.
Net primary production (NPP) and the respiratory loss
(R) added to it gives the gross primary production (GPP).
Thus, NPP = GPP . R.
Ecological Succession
Ecological succession is the gradual process by which ecosystems change and develop over
time. It is therefore a series of predictable temporary communities or stages leading up to a
climax community. Each stage/temporary community is called a successional stage or seral
stage. Each step prepares the land for the next successional stage. All habitats are in the state
of constant ecological succession.
The observed changes in an ecological community over time.
The species composition will change over time as some species become more prominent
while other may fade out of existence.
Types of Succession
Primary succession
Primary succession refers to a series of community changes which occur on an entirely new
habitat which has never been colonized before. For example, a newly quarried rock face or
sand dunes. (pioneer and climax community) bare rock
Secondary succession
Secondary succession refers to a series of community changes which take place on a
previously colonized, but disturbed or damaged habitat. For example, land obtained after
felling trees in a woodland, land clearance, or fire.
Two primary cause that initiate the ecological
succession
An established species and impact of external natural
forces, which try to alter the environmental
condition of that area
Ex. Hardwood tree replacing red pine
Ecosystem is continuously changing and reorganizing,
ecological succession refers to orderly changes in
composition or structure of ecosystem
Process of ecological succession
Nudation creation of bare area (due to drought, glaciers, frost etc.
(Climatic factor), or due to overgrazing, disease outbreak, agricultural/
industrial activities (biotic factors))
Invasion successful establishment of new species in bare area
Migration (dispersal) seeds, dust by air water
Ecesis ( new species establishment)
Aggregation (increase in population by reproduction)
•
Competition
(food, water and space in species)
Reaction
Stabilization: Maximum biomass
and symbiotic (mutually beneficial) linkages
between organisms and
are maintained quite efficiently per unit of
available energy
Forest ecosystem
• tropical rain forests (small mammals, reptiles birds,
monkeys, predators like tigers, jaguars etc. plant biodiversity
Tall tree, dense canopy.)
• temperate forests (deciduous plants like oaks, maples,
coniferous plants like pines, ferns, lichens and mosses are also
found.)
• coniferous forests (spruce, pine fir)
• Tundra (mosses, lichens, grasses and some dwarf trees;
animals like arctic foxes, hares, snowy owls; it is fragile
ecosystem)
Grassland ecosystem
• Grasslands (grazing animals like wild horses,
kangaroos, zebra as well as predators like wolves,
cheetas etc. )
• Tropical grassland (hot through out the year)
(savannas) closest to equator.
• Temperate grassland (hot during summer and
very cold during winter)farther from equator
Desert Ecosystem
Abiotic Components
Low rainfall, high temperature, and
sandy soil
Biotic Components
Producers
Predominantly thorny shrubs, cactus, opuntia, etc.
Consumers
Different insects, lizards, reptiles, nocturnal rodents, birds, etc.
Decomposers
Various bacteria and fungi
Pond Ecosystem
Abiotic Components
It includes organic and inorganic substances,
atmospheric gases dissolved in water, minerals
found in dissolved state, etc.
Biotic Components
Producers
Submerged floating and emergent aquatic plants
For example, nelumbo, hydrilla, chara, etc.
Consumers
May be primary, secondary, or tertiary, e.g., small fishes, beetles,
mollusca, crustaceans, etc.
Decomposers
Chiefly bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, etc.