MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

SECONDARY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME

GRADE 10
BIOLOGY
Week 3 Lesson 1
Topic: Ecology
Sub-topic: Types of Ecosystems
Objectives: Given pictures of ecosystems students will:
- correctly differentiate between niche and habitat, community and
population, and species and population.
- correctly identify the types of ecosystems
- clearly describe the importance of the various interactions between various
biotic factors.

Content
- Ecology is the branch of biology that studies how organisms interact with
their environment and other organisms.
- An ecosystem consists of all the organisms in an area, the community, and
the abiotic factors that influence that community
- Biotic factors are the living parts of an ecosystem and abiotic factors are
the nonliving aspects of the ecosystem.
- Biotic factors such as soil bacteria, plant life top predators, and polluters
can all profoundly shape which organisms can live in ecosystems and
what survival strategies they use. They both work together to create a
unique ecosystem.
- A community consists of all the populations of different species that live
in a given area whereas a population is a group of organisms of the same
species that live in the same area at the same time.
- A species is a group of individuals of common ancestry that closely
resemble each other and are normally capable of interbreeding to produce
a fertile offspring.
 - Habitat is the place where an organism lives whereas niche is the role of
an organism in the ecosystem

Biotic factors relate to all the living things in the ecosystem. Their presence and their biological
by-products affect the composition of an ecosystem. Biotic factors refer to all living organisms
from animals and humans, to plants, fungi, and bacteria. The interactions between various biotic
factors are necessary for the reproduction of each species and to fulfill essential requirements
like food, etc.

Ecosystem

The ecosystem is the structural and functional unit of ecology where the living organisms
interact with each other and the surrounding environment. An example of an ecosystem is shown
in the picture below.

Functions of Ecosystem
The functions of the ecosystem are as follows:
- It regulates the essential ecological processes, supports life systems and
renders stability.
- It is also responsible for the cycling of nutrients between biotic and abiotic
components.
- It maintains a balance among the various trophic levels in the ecosystem.
 - It cycles the minerals through the biosphere.
- The abiotic components help in the synthesis of organic components that
involves the exchange of energy.

Types of Ecosystem
An ecosystem can be as small as an oasis in a desert, or as big as an ocean, spanning thousands
of miles. There are two types of ecosystem:

1. Terrestrial Ecosystems are mainly land-based ecosystems. There are different types of
terrestrial ecosystems distributed around various geological zones. These include forest,
grassland, tundra and desert.

2. Aquatic Ecosystems are ecosystems present in a body of water. These can be further
divided into two types, namely freshwater ecosystem and marine ecosystem. Freshwater
Ecosystem is an aquatic ecosystem that includes lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and
wetlands. These have no salt content in contrast with the marine ecosystem whereas the
 marine ecosystem includes seas and oceans. These have a more substantial salt content
and greater biodiversity in comparison to the freshwater ecosystem. An example of an
aquatic ecosystem is shown below

A community consists of all the populations of different species that live in a given area. An
example of a community is shown below.
A population is defined as a group of organisms of the same species that live in a particular
area. There can be more than one population living within any given area. An example of a
population is shown below

References

Harris, A. (2108). Types of Environmental Ecosystems. Retrieved from

https://sciencing.com/types-environmental-ecosystems-8640.html

Khan Academy (n.d). Introduction to ecology review. Retrieved from

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology/hs-ecology/hs-introduction-
to-ecology/a/hs-introduction-to-ecology-review

Yavorski, K. (2018). The Definition of Abiotic and Biotic Factors. Retrieved from
https://sciencing.com/definition-abiotic-biotic-factors-8259629.html