Unit-II

Ecosystem

Prepared By: Mr. Vikas Rena

Faculty, AECC-Environmental Studies
Maitreyi College, University of Delhi
 Functions of Ecosystem

Function

Biogeochemical cycling
Energy flow Six element (Carbon,
Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen,
Sulphur, Phosphorus)
 Trophic Structure/ Trophic Level
The producers and consumers are arranged in an
ecosystem in a definite manner and their interaction
along with population size are expressed together as
Trophic Structure.

• Energy and Nutrients pass in the ecosystem by food chains and

webs from lower trophic level to the higher trophic level. This
means, each step of food chain/web is called tropic level.
• A trophic level means a feeding level.
– First level – all producers
– Second level – all herbivores
– Third level – first level carnivores
– Fourth level – second level carnivores
– So on……..
 Energy flow
Solar Energy Bio-chemical energy

• Sun • First Trophic Level

• Producers

Examples: (First trophic level)

Sun Sun
Heterotrophic organisms (Herbivorous and carnivorous)

Herbivorous Second trophic level

phytoplankton
Shrub or grass

Carnivorous
zooplankton
Deer First order carnivore Third trophic level

Fish
Lion Other carnivorous animals

Large Fish/Fish
Second order carnivore Fourth trophic level
eating Birds
• Unidirectional or one-way flow of energy in an ecosystem
• The flow of energy follow the two laws of thermodynamics
• Ist law of Thermodynamics: states that energy can neither be
created nor be destroyed but it can be transformed from one form
to another.
Radiant energy Biochemical energy
• Sun • Green plants

• IInd law of Thermodynamics: states that energy dissipates as it is

used or in other words, its get converted from concentrated to
dispersed form.
• Example: loss of energy takes place through respiration, loss of energy in
locomotion, running etc.
• At every level there is about 90% loss of energy and only 10% of the energy
transferred from one to other trophic level.
 Human
Rice 10 calories
100 calories

Human
Alfalfa Steer 1 calorie
100 calories 10 calories

Trout Human
Grass Grasshopper Frog 1 calorie 0 ·1 calorie 0 ·01 calorie
100 calories 10 calories
 Food Chain
• Transfer of energy from source in plant
through a series of organisms by eating Shrub or phytoplankton

and being eaten, constitute the food chain. grass

• The particular pathway of nutrient and zooplankton
energy movement depends on which Deer
organism feeds on another.
Small Fish
• At each step, a large part of energy lost in
form of heat.
Lion Large Fish/ Fish
• Each chain usually have, four to five links. eating birds

• In food chain energy flow is unidirectional

(producers to herbivores).
• Generally decomposers are not included in
the food chain but when included then as
the last trophic level.
 Grazing/Predatory food chain
• Aquatic Ecosystem • Grassland Ecosystem

Phytoplankton
Grass

Zooplankton Rabbit

Small Fish Fox

Large Fish
Lion
Parasitic Food Chain Detritus/Sapro-trophic Food Chain

Tree Dead Organic

Matter

Birds
Bacteria /
Fungi
Parasites
 Food Web
 The ecosystem contain several food chain in nature and the interlinking pattern
of food chain form a food web.
 Transfer of food energy in a food web is unidirectional but from many different
alternative pathways.
 As much as food web in complex that ecosystem is more permanent and stable.
 The balancing of trophic levels or equilibrium of an ecosystem is known as
Homeostasis.
 A science of self control as homeostasis in an ecosystem is called cybernatics.
 Disturbances in this due to human activities cause extinction of species.
Food Web
Food Web
 Ecological pyramid
• The graphical representation of ecological
parameters at different trophic level, in Secondary
which first trophic level or producer form the Consumer/
base and higher trophic level form the Top
successive tier is called ecological pyramid. Consumer
 Base- Producers
 Mid- Herbivore Primary
 Top- Carnivore Consumers

• First of all the ecological pyramid was formed

by Charles Elton- ‘Eltonian Pyramid’.
• Producer utilize energy directly from sun and Producers
convert it to biomass. Base of pyramid is
made of first trophic level organism
(producers). Then Herbivores which eat on
plants. Then Second trophic level organisms,
carnivores.Then predators third trophic level.
 Pyramid of Number
Large
Fish Lion
Small
Fish Fox
Zoo Plankton Rabbit
Phyto Plankton Grass
• Number of individual of Hyper Parasites
organisms at each trophic level
• It may upright or inverted Parasites
depend on the ecosystem and
food chain.
Birds
• Grassland Ecosystem- Upright
• Aquatic Ecosystem- Upright Tree
• Tree Ecosystem- Inverted
 Pyramid of Biomass
• Based upon total biomass (dry matter)
• It can also be upright or inverted.
• Upright: forest ecosystem and Tree Ecosystem
• Inverted: Aquatic ecosystem

Hyper
Parasites Large Fish

Parasites
Small Fish

Birds Zoo
Planktons

Tree Phyto
Planktons
 Pyramid of Energy
• The amount of energy at each
trophic level
• This pyramid is always upright
• 90% loss of energy at each
trophic level.
• According to the 10% law of
Lindeman, the 90% part of
obtained energy of each
organism is utilized in their
metabolic activities and heat
and only 10% energy is
transferred to the next trophic
level.
• 90% energy is lost at each
trophic level.
• Top consumers like lion are
Ecologically weakest but
physically they are strongest.
 Biogeochemical cycle
Bio-living Organism
Geo- Rock, Soil, Air, Water
Chemical- Material or Nutrients
Cycle-Path
• The constant exchange of materials between the living
organisms and their abiotic environment through the
recycling of materials is known as biogeochemical cycle.
• Out of 30 to 40 necessary element of life, 6 most important
elements are: Carbon, Hydrogen (water), Oxygen, Nitrogen,
Sulphur and Phosphorus.
• These materials move from non-living to living and again
back to non-living material in a cyclic form.
• The movement of nutrient takes place through various food
chain to different trophic level and finally reach to detrivores
or decomposers.
• The decomposers break down the nutrients to the soil
which again taken up by plants.
Carbon cycle
Hydrologic or water cycle
Oxygen cycle
Nitrogen cycle
Phosphorus cycle
Sulphur cycle