Ecosystems

Objectives
At the end of the topic lesson, the learners should have:

1. Defined the term ecosystem

2. Identified the ecological role of a particular organism
3. Described the flow of energy and matter through an ecosystem
4. Discussed the significance of biogeochemical cycle
5. Compared the general characteristics of various biomes
• Ecosystem
consists of the
interaction
between various
communities of
organisms and the
nonliving, physical
environment.
• An ecosystem is
shaped by both
biotic and abiotic
factors.
• Biotic factors refer to the
biological components
which include all the
interacting living organisms.
• For example, a freshwater
shrimp in a lake ecosystem
may be influenced by the
algae that it eats, the biya
(goby) that feeds on it, and
other species that compete
with it for food and space.
• A shrimp also eats
decomposing materials, and
thus, may be influenced by
surrounding trees that drop
their leaves on the lake’s
surface.
• Abiotic factors, on the
other hand, refer to the
physical or nonliving
conditions that influence
the ecosystem’s
interactions.
• These factors include the
amount of sunlight and
water, temperature,
humidity, precipitation,
available nutrients, and
type of rock or soil.
• The algae the shrimp feeds
on can only grow in areas
underwater that can be
reached by sunlight.
• Also, the wind that creates
water currents may
influence the movement of
decomposing materials
within the lake so that food
may not be always
available to the shrimp.
• The combined effects of
biotic and abiotic factors
determine if a shrimp will
survive in its habitat, or the
specific environment where
it lives.
Major Types of Ecosystems
There are three
major types of
ecosystems in the
biosphere—
• Land
(terrestrial),
• marine, and
• freshwater.
Climate
• The climate of a region refers to
the average prevailing conditions
of temperature and precipitation.
• Climate is the average weather
conditions for a particular location
over a long period of time.

• Both temperature and precipitation

are influenced by the fact that the
surface of the Earth is unevenly
heated by the sun.
• The spherical shape causes
different regions to receive sunlight
in varying degrees, thereby creating
different temperature zones.
• The tropics, for instance,
receive the greatest
amount of solar energy
and are therefore the
warmest temperature
zones.
• On the other hand, the
polar zones—the Arctic
and Antarctic regions—are
the coldest temperature
zones because they
receive the least amount
of solar energy.
• The temperate zones,
situated between the
tropics and the polar
zones, experience
seasonal changes in
temperature ranging from
hot to cold.
• The seasons—
summer, autumn,
winter, spring—
come about
because the Earth
rotates at an angle
that is tilted with
respect to the
Earth’s orbit around
the sun.
Homework: (20 points)
How does the uneven distribution of sunlight
affect precipitation? Explain and give one
example.

½ crosswise
Local Climate and Microclimate
Local Climate
• The climate in a
small geographical
area is known as
local climate.
• The differences in
local climates can
be influenced by
two factors—large
bodies of water
nearby, and the
presence of
mountains.
• Large bodies of water,
such as oceans and large
lakes, tend to lower the
air temperature of the
surrounding land.
• Compared to soil or rock,
water has greater ability
to absorb large amounts
of heat and release it very
slowly.
• Thus, compared to inland
communities, coastal
communities experience
cooler temperatures.
• Mountains also cause
climate in surrounding
areas to vary.
• A mountain range near a
coastal area may block
cool air moving inland
from the ocean.
• Also, air temperature
higher up in the
mountain is cooler than
at ground level.
• Wind moving across a
mountain may cause
precipitation at the
mountaintop where
the temperature is
cold enough to cause
moisture to
condense.
• Air that descends on
the other side of the
mountain is therefore
dry. Consequently,
plant life is richer on
the windward side of
the mountain.
Microclimate
• Climate may vary on an even
smaller scale.
• This is known as
microclimate.
• For example, a lush green park
within an urban area has
conditions that differ
remarkably from those of its
car-strewn, concrete
surroundings.
Land Ecosystems
True or False:

The Philippines and Brazil have

similar climates thus they have
similar ecosystems.
TRUE
• Rain forests abound in different locations around the globe, such
as the Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of
Congo, and Sudan.
• All these places are found in the tropics which are typically warm
and humid.
• The tropical rain forest is an example of a biome.
Biome
• A biome is a major type of
land ecosystem that
extends over a particular
region of the Earth.
• Each biome consists of
distinct sets of
communities with unique
adaptation to the abiotic
factors—primarily
climate—of its
environment.
There are seven widely
occurring biomes.
• tropical rain forest
• savanna
• desert
• temperate grassland
• temperate deciduous
forest
• taiga
• tundra
• (Other biomes that do not
cover large areas include
polar ice caps, mountain
regions, tropical monsoon
forests, chaparral, and
semi- desert.)
Tropical Rain Forest

• Tropical rain forests

are the richest
ecosystems on Earth.
• Air is warm and humid
all throughout the
year, and rainfall may
measure up to 350 cm
annually.
• These conditions
promote lush growth
of vegetation.
• Trees can reach 70 meters in
height, with their leafy tops
forming a dense covering,
called canopy, over the forest
floor.
• Vegetation beneath the
canopy consists of smaller
trees, ferns, epiphytes, and
vines; this layer is called the
understory.
• On the forest floor, thick mats
of moss spread over large
areas and decomposers
actively break down decaying
organic matter.
• The tropical climate also
supports a diverse array of
life-forms.
• About 50% of all species on
Earth live in these rain forests,
including 40% of all flowering
plants and 30% of all bird
species.
• All these species occupy only
about 7% of the Earth’s land
surface.
• Based on early estimates,
Philippine rain forests has 13,
500 plant species, of which 8,
000 are flowering plants and 3,
200 species are not found
elsewhere in the world.
Savanna
• An open landscape with abundant
grass, scattered trees and shrubs,
and found in the region bordered by
the tropics and the deserts is the
savanna.
• This biome has a warm climate, with
alternating wet and dry seasons.
• It receives less rainfall (75 to 125 cm
annually) than tropical rain forests,
and occasionally experiences long
periods of drought during the dry
season.
• Savannas are located in Africa,
Australia, and South America.
• Savannas support herds of herbivores,
carnivores, and small, burrowing
animals which are active only during
the rainy season.
• Grazing animals such as zebras,
antelopes, giraffes, elephants,
kangaroos (in Australia), and insects
form a large portion of the animal
population.
• These herbivores compete for the
limited vegetation during the dry
season.
• Carnivores, which prey on the grazers,
include lions, cheetahs, leopards,
jackals, and hyenas.
• Small animals like snakes, rodents,
and arthropods stay dormant inside
their moist, cool burrows to escape
the dry season.
Desert
• A desert is a region of land that supports
only little vegetation because it is hot and
dry.
• The temperature of the soil surface may
vary between high levels during daytime
and low levels at nighttime.
• To conserve energy, most animals become
active only at night. They remain in cool,
moist burrows during the day.
• The average rainfall in a year is less than 30
cm and all organisms conserve water to
survive.
• Camels, for example, drink large quantities
to tide them over the long dry periods.
Taking advantage of very occasional rains,
cacti store water in their fleshy stems.
• Deserts may be found
on the coasts of land
masses such as the
Namib desert in
Namibia and the
Atacama desert in
Chile.
• Others may be found
in the interior of
continents such as the
Great Basin desert in
North America, the
Gobi desert in
Mongolia, and the
Australian deserts
Temperate grassland
• The temperate zone contains
landscapes, known as temperate
grasslands or prairies, which are rich in
perennial plants like grasses and herbs.
• The vegetation is supported by soil that is
typically deep and nutrient-rich.
• A few woody shrubs and trees may grow
but forests do not develop because of
periodic droughts and fires.
• Plants in temperate grasslands have a
growing season and a dormant season.
• The growing season lasts for 100 to 175
days and plants begin to grow only when
the daily average temperature is 10oC.
• The temperature is too cold during the
dormant season. Annual precipitation is
only about 76 cm on the average.
• Temperate grasslands
support communities of
grazing animals, such as
antelopes, mule deers,
rabbits, and prairie dogs.
• Cattle have been
introduced in farmlands in
this region.
• Predators include coyotes
and badgers. Birds (hawks,
owls, flycatcher, and
prairie chicken) and
insects (dung beetle,
crickets, water bugs) also
form part of its dominant
wildlife.
 Temperate
deciduous forest
• Deciduous trees are large trees that
shed leaves during winter.
• Shedding prevents water loss from
the leaves, which is crucial during
the dry, cold season.
• Sugar maple, red oak, and American
beech are some examples of trees
that dominate the temperate
deciduous forest.
• These trees receive sufficient
rainfall, which averages 75 to 150 cm
per year.
• Lichens, mosses, ferns, herbs,
shrubs, and some conifers also form
part of the vegetation.
• Temperate deciduous forests
support a wide variety of
animal species, but not as rich
as that of tropical rain forests.
• Commonly found animals
include insects, spiders,
amphibians (frogs, turtles,
salamanders), birds (hawks,
woodpeckers, snowy owls),
and mammals (raccoons,
opossums, porcupines,
skunks, deers).
• Animals may hibernate, that is,
remain dormant, or migrate to
warmer regions during the cold
months.
 Taiga
• The biome of coniferous forests in the
northern regions of Asia, Europe, and North
America is known as the taiga.
• These places near the polar region
experience long, cold winters and short,
cool summers.
• Precipitation is generous throughout the
year, and it may fall as winter snow or
summer rain.
• Conifers are adapted to this climate.
• They are shaped like inverted cones so that
snow slides off their sloping branches.
• They usually grow thin and in close clusters
as protection against the cold winds.
• Their leaves are shaped like needles and
covered with waxy substance to restrict
water loss during transpiration.
• There are not too many species in the
taiga because of the unforgiving
climate.
• Herbivores include deers, elks, and
beavers.
• Carnivores include weasels, lynx,
bobcats, wolverines, minks and owls.
• Seed-eating birds, like finches and
sparrows, remain throughout the year
while insect-eating birds stay in the
taiga only during their breeding
season.
• The crow, which feeds on both insects
and seeds, resides permanently in the
taiga.
Tundra
• A nearly barren land area found near the North Pole
with very cold temperature and dry air is known as the
tundra.
• Temperatures in the tundra average -27oC in a year.
The temperature drops to about -70oC during the long
winter, and it can rise to 16oC during the short
summer.
• The persistent cold causes the ground to freeze. The
permafrost, or frozen soil, reaches a depth of 25 to 100
cm and prevents the growth of plants with deep roots.
• At summertime, the topsoil thaws and forms pools of
water that makes the ground wet and soggy.
• Low-growing vegetation such as lichens, mosses, and
short grasses, then begins to grow.
• Marshes, lakes, and ponds may take shape as more
soil water melts. Dense stands of trees such as willows
and birches may surround these bodies of water.
• Surprisingly, the tundra
supports several species of
animals.
• Caribou reindeer, and lemmings
feed on the vegetation.
• The summer marshland is also
a suitable feeding place for
migratory birds such as
harlequin duck, plovers, and
sandpipers.
• The predators of the tundra
include wolves, arctic foxes,
and polar bears.
Review (10 min)
• Tropical rainforest • Temperate deciduous
• Savanna forest
• Desert • Taiga
• Temperate grassland • Tundra
Aquatic Ecosystems
Major types
• There are two major types of aquatic
ecosystems—marine and freshwater
ecosystems.
• A third aquatic ecosystem, the coastal wetland
ecosystem, has unique features because salt
and freshwater meet in such places.
Marine
Ecosystems

• Marine ecosystems are found in

the ocean habitat.
• They may be divided into four
zones based on the depth and
distance from the shore—
• shallow waters (intertidal
zone),
• coastal ocean (coastal
zone),
• open ocean surface (photic
zone), and
• deep ocean waters (aphotic
zone).
Shallow Waters
• The shallow waters comprise only a small
region of the ocean, mostly along the
shoreline.
• This area is also known as the intertidal
zone because it is bounded by the low-
tide line and the high-tide line.
• Organisms that live in this zone are well-
adapted to the changing tides, the
pounding of the waves, and the rich
amount of nutrients washed off from the
surrounding land.
• Barnacles and mussles, for example,
attach to coastal rocks with cement-like
substance to withstand the force of the
waves.
• Sea urchins and sea stars cling to rock
surfaces using their tube- feet for suction.
Open Ocean Surface
• The upper surface of oceans receives the most
generous amount of sunlight and is aptly
referred to as the photic zone.
• Phytoplankton drift in the photic zone where
they can obtain solar energy for food
production.
• Photosynthesis by these producers accounts
for about 40% of the primary production on
Earth.
• Zooplankton also thrive in the photic zone
where they can feed on phytoplankton.
• Many fishes, mammals, and some
invertebrates swim and feed in this zone as
well.
Coastal Ocean

• The region of the ocean

extending from the low-tide line
to the edge of the continental
land mass is referred to as the
coastal ocean, or neritic zone.
• The waters in this zone are fairly
shallow and may be entirely or
partly penetrated by sunlight.
Thus, it is often rich in
phytoplankton and other
organisms.
• Two examples of coastal ocean
communities are the kelp forests and
coral reefs.
• Kelp forests grow in the cool oceans
within the temperate region, such as
along the coasts of California and the
Pacific Northwest.
• These producers support the
community of sea stars, sea urchins,
snails, sea otter, various fishes, and
some marine mammals such as seals
and whales.
Deep Ocean Waters
• Diminishing levels of sunlight reach
the deeper ocean, an area referred to
as the aphotic zone.
• Relatively fewer organisms live in
these dark waters, and those that live
here display interesting adaptations.
• Squids, octopuses, and other
invertebrates exhibit bioluminescence,
or the ability to produce light, which is
used to communicate or attract prey.
• Bacteria and archaea extract energy
from sulfur compounds spewed by
deep-sea vents.
• These unusual producers supply food
to giant tube worms and clams which
are, in turn, fed upon by other marine
animals such as crabs.
• The deep ocean floor, known as the
benthic zone, is also home to
echinoderms and mollusks that feed
on detritus that settle at the bottom.
• The benthic zone stretches from the
bottom of shallow waters to the deep
ocean floor.
Freshwater Ecosystem

• Freshwater contains smaller amounts

of dissolved salt than marine water.
• Only 3% of the Earth’s surface water is
freshwater and it is contained in
bodies of water such as ponds, lakes,
rivers, and streams.
• Freshwater ecosystems are
classified into two types based
on the type of body of water
present—
• standing-water ecosystems
and
• flowing-water ecosystems.
Standing-water Ecosystems

• Standing-water ecosystems refer to

ecosystems within ponds and lakes.
• Water flows into, circulates within, and
flows out of these bodies of water, but the
net movement results in a fairly still and
calm flow.
• The internal water flow is important in
distributing heat, oxygen, and nutrients
throughout the different zones of the
ecosystem.
• Lakes and ponds can be divided into
several zones similar to those of the
ocean.
• Freshwater plankton, microscopic
algae, and cyanobacteria abound in the
photic zone.
• These organisms together with water
plants actively photosynthesize and
serve as producers for the community.
• In the aphotic zone, food production is
limited since sunlight is too low and the
water is turbid.
• The benthic zone contains various
bacterial decomposers. These
decomposers break down sunken
detritus and enrich the water with
nutrients in the process.
Flowing-water
Ecosystem
• Flowing-water ecosystems refer to
ecosystems in rivers, streams, creeks,
and brooks.
• These bodies of water are formed from
freshwater springs that grow and
merge as they flow down mountain
slopes.
• The volume and temperature of their
waters are influenced by the amount
of rainfall or snowmelt, the features of
the surrounding landscape, and the
shade cast by plants growing nearby.
• Organisms that live within these
habitats are quite well adapted
to the varied physical conditions.
• Using their hooks, the larvae of
insects hold onto aquatic plants.
This prevents them from being
washed away by the rapid
currents.
• In the same way, catfish using
their suckers anchor to rock
surfaces.
• The salmon are able to swim
along and against the flow of
rivers because their bodies are
streamlined.
• Further downstream, animals
such as bears, river otters, and
turtles assemble to fish for their
food.
Coastal Wetland
Ecosystems
• Wetlands are land areas that may be partially
or completely covered with water.
• A special type of ecosystem is located along
the coasts, in the transition zone between
freshwater and marine bodies of water.
• Freshwater from inland bodies empties into the
sea at the mouth of rivers and coastal bays.
• These merging regions, called estuaries, have
dissolved salt concentration and temperature
levels that are midway between the levels of
marine water and freshwater.
• Estuaries are important as spawning and
breeding grounds for many marine species,
including commercially valuable fishes and
shellfish.
• They also serve as feeding and nesting places
for migratory birds.
• Mangrove ecosystems are part
of the coastal wetlands that are
widespread in the tropical
regions.
• In the Philippines, there are
about 100 000 hectares of
mangrove wetlands.
• Mangroves are salt- tolerant
trees growing on the soft,
muddy soil of wetlands.
• Many fish, shrimp, and
invertebrate species use the
mangrove areas to feed, spawn,
and breed.
Review
• shallow waters ecosystems • standing-water ecosystems

• coastal ocean ecosystems • flowing-water ecosystems

• open ocean surface • coastal wetlands

ecosystems ecosystem

• deep ocean waters • mangrove ecosystems

ecosystems