CARMEL E.

COCHING MPH, RM
 ECOSYSTEM
Ø Ecological system
Ø The structural and functional unit of life in nature.
Ø A natural unit consisting of all plants, animals, and
microorganisms in an area functioning with all the non-
living physical factors of the environment.
Ø A self-sustained community of plants and animals
existing in its own environment.
Ø The term ecosystem may be defined as a system
resulting from the integration of all the living and non-
living factors of the environment. Desert, Forest, Ocean,
Grasslands, Mountains are all ecosystems.
ECOLOGY
Ø Derived from a Greek word “oikos” that means
household/habitat and logos which means study
Ø Was coined in 1866 by the German scientist Ernst Haeckel.
Ø It relates to the scientific study of organisms or groups of
organisms in their natural habitat.
Ø Studies the interactions among organisms and their
environment such as the interactions organisms have with
each other and their abiotic environment
Can be divided into various subdivisions:
ü Plant Ecology – study of
interrelationships of plants with
their environment
ü Animal Ecology – study of
interrelationships of animals with
their environment
Based on habitat:
v Habitat ecology - study of habitats and their effects upon the
organisms.
Based on levels of organization:
v Autecology- ecological study of one species of organisms.
v Synecology-ecological studies of more than one species of organisms.
v Population ecology- Study of interactions between individuals of same
species.
v Community ecology - Study of interactions between individuals of
different species.
v Biome ecology - Study of interaction between different communities of
a biome.
v Eco-system ecology - Study of interactions between the biotic and
abiotic components of an eco-system.
Based on specialized fields of ecology:

v Freshwater ecology: Study of interactions among freshwater

organisms.
v Marine ecology: Study of interactions among marine organisms.
v Zoogeography: Geographic distribution of animals.
v Phytogeography: Geographic distribution of plants.
v Statistical ecology-Statistical studies on population, sampling
techniques and community problem.
v Estuarine ecology -Study of interactions among estuarine organisms.
v Terrestrial ecology -Study of interactions among terrestrial (land)
organisms.
Ecosystems can broadly be categorized
as

Terrestrial ecosystems - all the ecosystems on land such as a forest, a desert, grassland,
a cropland, etc.

Aquatic ecosystems - all the ecosystems where the dominant factor is water such as a
pond, a lake, a river, a spring, a lake, a sea, an ocean, etc.

Natural ecosystems - all the naturally occurring ecosystems where man’s interruption is
thought mainly to be unwarranted such as a forest, grassland, river, etc.

Artificial ecosystems - all the ecosystems which are created and managed by man such
as a cropland, a garden, a pond, etc.
BIOTIC COMPONENTS
- Includes microbes, animals, plants and their
products

Categorized as:
q Producers – convert simple organic substances
into complex organic substances with the help of
solar energy.
2 types:
q Photosynthesis – manufacture food with the
help of chlorophyll in presence of sunlight so
energy utilized is radiant energy
q Chemosynthesis – manufacture food with the
help of chemical energy evolved during
chemical reactions
q Consumers – consume the food produced by the producers.
q Primary Consumers (Herbivores) – eat producers such as
green plants
q Secondary Consumers ( Smaller carnivores) – eats
herbivores
q Tertiary Consumers ( Larger carnivores) – eats smaller
carnivores
q Decomposers – group of organisms consisting of small animals
like worms, insects, bacteria and fungi
- a vital function in nature, without this, all the nutrients would
be tied in dead matter and no new life could be produced.
ABIOTIC COMPONENTS
Ø Non-living.
Ø Rocks, soils, gases, water, temperatures, winds
Physical Factors ü Rainfall
ü Sunlight
ü Humidity
ü Temperature
ü Nature of soil
ü Water currents
Chemical Factors ü Salinity of Water
ü Nutrients present in soil
ü Percentage of water and air in
soil
Limiting Factors Food, water, shelter and space
FOOD CHAIN
- The transfer of food energy from the
source (plants) through a series of
organisms by repeated eating and being
eaten up.
2 MAJOR TYPES

- A common chain
Grazing Food Chain - Starts with green plants and
culminates in carnivores

Detritus Food Chain - Starts with dead organic matter which

the detritivore and decomposers consume.
 Interconnected and A network of food
forming a complex chains where different
network of several food types of organisms are
chains together at the connected at different
same time. trophic levels
 ECOLOGICAL
PYRAMIDS
Ø A graphic representation of trophic structure and
function of an ecosystem, starting with producers at
the base and successive trophic levels forming the
apex.
Ø Named as Eltion Pyramids
Ø Was developed by Charles Elton
3 types of ecological pyramids

Pyramid of Pyramid of Pyramid of

numbers biomass Energy
ECOLOGICAL PYRAMIDS

Ø represents the number of

individual at each trophic level.
Ø It is upright in case of
grassland and pond
ecosystems.
PYRAMID OF BIOMASS
Ø based upon the total biomass
at each trophic level in a food
chain.
Ø Used to show the total
biomass of individual at each
trophic level.
PYRAMID OF ENERGY
Ø the amount of energy present at
each trophic level
Ø The flow is always upright because
there is always loss of energy while
moving from lower trophic level to
higher trophic level.
Ø The energy reaching the next
trophic level is always less
compared to that in the previous
trophic level.
ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION
Is a gradual process in which structure of an ecosystem gets changed 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. Each step prepares the land
for the next successional stage. All habitats are in the state of constant ecological succession.

A natural process by which different groups or biological communities colonize the same area
over a period of time in a sequence.
 TYPES OF ECOLOGICAL
SUCCESSION

Primary Secondary Autogenic Allogenic Autotrophic Heterotrophic

Succession Succession Succession Succession Succession Succession
v Primary Succession – occurs in essentially lifeless areas-regions in which
the soil is incapable of sustaining life as a result of such factors as lava
flows, newly formed sand dunes, or rocks left from retreating glacier.
v Secondary Succession – it occurs in areas where a community that
previously existed has been removed; it is typified by smaller-scale
disturbances that do not eliminate all life and nutrients from the
environment.
v Autogenic Succession – if the existing community itself causes its
replacement by some other community
v Allogenic Succession – if the existing community is replaced by another
community due to some external force
v Autotrophic Succession – there is gradual increase in the organic matter
content supported by energy flow.
v Heterotrophic Succession – there is progressive decline in energy content.
CAUSES OF SUCCESSION
Initial or Initiating Causes: Ecesic (continuing) Causes: Stabilizing Causes:
Erosion and deposits, wind, fire The processes as migration, Climate of the area is the chief
caused by lightening or volcanic ecesic, aggregation, cause of stabilization
activity and biotic include competition reaction etc which
various activities of organisms. cause successive waves of
populations as a result of
changes chiefly in the edaphic
features of the area
GENERAL MECHANISM OF SUCCESSION

Nudation – the development of a Invasion – the successful

bare area without any form of life
due to several causes ( landslide,
establishment of a species
erosion, deposition) in a bare area.
Causes:
Successive stages:
• Migration (dispersal) – the seeds, spores or other propagules of the species reach the bare area.
• Ecesis – the process of successful establishment of a species
• Aggregation – result of reproduction

• Topographic – due to soil erosion by

gravity, water or wind
• Climatic – due to glaciers, dry period,
 Cont..

Competition and Co-action –competition for space and

nutrition. Individuals of a species affect each other’s life in
various ways (co-action)

Reaction – the mechanism of modification of the

environment through the influence of living organisms

Stabilization (Climax) – the final terminal community

becomes more or less stabilized for a longer period of time and it
can maintain itself in equilibrium with the climate of the area.
ECOSYSTEM
EXAMPLES
FOREST ECOSYSTEM
Forest is a natural terrestrial ecosystem where
the trees, shrubs, climbers and ground flora in
plants and several groups of mammals, birds,
reptiles and microorganisms in animals.
- Are areas of the landscape that are dominated
by trees and consist of biologically integrated
communities of plants, animals and microbes.
2 Components:
a. Abiotic component- the physical
environment of a forest (climatic and
edaphic soil)
b. Biotic component – includes various groups
of plants, animals and microorganisms
 GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEM
Ø The grasses and shrubs from the dominant part of
vegetation.
Ø It grows in areas where rainfall is usually low and
the soil depth and quality is poor.
3 types
1. Tropical Grasslands – occur near the boarders of
tropical rain forests in regions of high average
temperature and low to moderate rainfall.
2. Temperate Grasslands – found on flat, gentle
sloped hills, winters are very cold but summers are
hot and dry.
3. Polar Grasslands – found in arctic polar region
where severe cold and strong frigid winds along
with ice and snow create too harsh a climate for
tress to grow,
DESERT ECOSYSTEM
Ø An arid or semi arid area with very low annual
rainfall and sparse patches of vegetation.
Ø Very extreme climatic conditions, either too hot or
too cold

3 Major Types:
1. Tropical deserts – like Sahara and Namib in Africa
and Thar desert, Rajasthan, India are the driest of
all
2. Temperature deserts – like Mojave in Southern
California where daytime temperatures are very
hot in summer but cool in winters
3. Cold deserts – like Gobi desert in China and high-
altitude cold desert in Ladakh have cold winters
and warm summers
 MARINE ECOSYSTEM
Ø 71% of the Earth's surface and contain
approximately 97% of the planet’s
water.
Ø Distinguished from freshwater
ecosystems due to the presence of
dissolved compounds, especially salts
in the water in high concentrations.
Ø 85% of the dissolved materials in
seawater are sodium and chlorine,
seawater has an average salinity of 35
parts per thousand of water.
2 Major Life zones:
a. Coastal zone – warm, nutrient rich
shallow water. Zone of high
primary productivity due to high
nutrients and ample sunlight.
b. Open sea – the deeper part of the
ocean, away from continental
shelf
FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEM
Ø Cover 0.80% of the Earth’s surface and
consist of 0.0009% of its total water
3 Basic types:
a. Lentic – standing water, pools,
ponds and lakes
b. Lotic – moving water, streams
and rivers
c. Wetlands – the soil is saturated
or inundated for at least part of
the time.
WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS

Ø Are dominated by vascular plants

that have adapted to saturated soil.
Ø 4 main types: swamp, marsh, fen
and bog
Ø Most productive natural ecosystems
in the world because of the
proximity of water and soil.
 ESTUARINE ECOSYSTEM
Ø A transitional zone between
marine and freshwater
ecosystem
Ø Are places where rivers meet the
sea and may be defined as areas
where salt water is measurably
diluted with fresh water.