STRUCTURE (or) COMPONENTS OF A N ECOSYSTEM

The term structure refers to the various components.

So the structure of an ecosystem explains the relationship betw een th e abiotic (non –living)
an d the biotic (living) components.
An ecosystem has two major components
• Biotic (living) components

• Abiotic (non living) components

Biotic components
The living organisms (or) livin g m em b ers in an
ecosystem collectively form its commu n ity called biotic components (or) biotic
community.

Examples
• Plants (producers),

• animals (consumers),

• microorganisms (decomposers).
Abiotic (non-living) components

The non-living components (physical a n d edaphic) of ecosystem collectively form a

community called abiotic components (or) abiotic community.

Examples

Climatic factors- Wind, rainfall, light , temperature

Edaphic factors- soil, mineral, PH, topography

Food Chain in Grassland Ecosystem

Food Chain in Pond Ecosystem

Phytoplankton Zooplankton Small Fish Tuna fish

(Algae) (Water flees)
❖ Phytoplankton are the autotrophic components of the plankton community and a key part of oceans, seas and
freshwater basin ecosystems.
❖ Zooplankton are a type of heterotrophic plankton that range from microscopic organisms to large species, such as
jellyfish. Zooplankton are found within large bodies of water, including oceans and freshwater systems.

Artic Tundra food chain

MAN

Lichen
Reindeer
❖ Food chains in ecosystems are rarely found to operate as isolated linear sequences. Rather, they are found to be
interconnected and usually form a complex network with several linkages and are known as food webs.
❖ Thus, food web is a network of food chains where different types of organisms are connected at different trophic
levels, so that there are a number of options of eating and being eaten at each trophic level.

❖ Biomagnification, also known as bioamplification or biological magnification, is any concentration of a toxin,

such as pesticides, in the tissues of tolerant organisms at successively higher levels in a food chain.
❖ Biological magnification often refers to the process whereby certain substances such as pesticides or heavy metals
work their way into lakes, rivers and the ocean, and then move up the food chain in progressively greater
concentrations as they are incorporated into the diet of aquatic organisms such as zooplankton, which in turn are
eaten perhaps by fish, which then may be eaten by bigger fish, large birds, animals, or humans.
❖ The substances become increasingly concentrated in tissues or internal organs as they move up the chain.

❖ Thus the grazing food chain derives its energy basically from plant energy while in the detritus food chain it is
obtained primarily from plant biomass, secondarily from microbial biomass and tertiarily from carnivores.
❖ Both the food chains occur together in natural ecosystems, but grazing food chain usually predominates.
 ENERGY FLOW IN AN ECOSYSTEM

Flow of energy in an ecosystem takes place through the food chain and it is this energy flow which keeps the
ecosystem going. The most important feature of this energy flow is that it is unidirectional or one-
way flow.

The flow of energy follows 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. The solar energy captured by the green plants (producers) gets converted into biochemical energy of
plants and later into that of consumers.

IInd law of Thermodynamics states that energy dissipates as it is used or in other words, its gets converted from a more
concentrated to dispersed form. As energy flows through the food chain, there occurs dissipation of energy at every trophic
level. The loss of energy takes place through respiration, loss of energy in locomotion, running, hunting and other
activities. At every level there is about 90% loss of energy and the energy transferred from one trophic level to the other is
only about 10%.

Energy flow models: The flow of energy through various trophic levels in an ecosystem can be explained with the help of
various energy flow models.
(a) Universal energy flow model: Energy flow through an ecosystem was explained by E.P. Odum as the universal
energy flow model . As the flow of energy takes place, there is a gradual loss of energy at every level, thereby resulting in
less energy available at next trophic level as indicated by narrower pipes (energy flow) and smaller boxes (stored energy in
biomass). The loss of energy is mainly the energy not utilized (NU). This is the energy lost in locomotion,
excretion etc. or it is the energy lost in respiration (R) which is for maintenance. The rest of the energy is used for
production (P).

(b) Single channel energy flow model: The flow of energy takes place in a unidirectional manner through a single
channel of green plants or producers to herbivores and carnivores. The model and illustrated the gradual decline in
energy level due to loss of energy at each successive trophic level in a grazing food chain.