Ecosystem

.@ CONCEPT OF ECOLOGY AND ECOSYSTEM

2.1 .1 Ecology
All living organisn1s. whether plant or ani1nal or human
being is surrounded by the environ1nent. from which it derive
its needs for its survival. Each living component interacts with
non-living components for their basic requirements form
different ecosystem.

Definition
Ecology is the study of interactions among organisms
or group of organisms with their environment. The
environment consists of both biotic components (living
organisms) and abiotic components (11on-living organisms).
(or)
Ecology is the study of ecosystems.

2.1.2 Ecosystem
Ecosystem is the basic funct.ional unit of ecology. Tho
term ecosystem is coined from word · study
of home.
 2
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2. _........................ §l!.'f.!ff!.'.!!I!f:!.'.!t.?L §f!.~r:!9.~.. #.r:!f!...€'!11!.'!.'!.~rJs.
Examples Animals cannot synthesis their food directly hut
depend on the plants either directly or
indirectly.

2.1.3 Biome (Small Ecosystem)

The kind of organisms which can Jive in a particular
ecosystem depends on their physical and metabolic adoptions
to the environment of that place. On earth there are many
sets of ecosystems which are exposed to same climatic
conditions and havillg dominant species with similar life
cycle, climatic adoptions and physical structure. This set of
ecosystem is called a biome.

Thus the biome is a small ecosystem with in an

ecosystem.

~ nPES OF ECOSYSTEM
Ecosystem

Natural
Artificial / Man• :e::n~------
e.g.- croplands d llleered
, allls, etc.,

Fresh water

Lentic (standin
e.g: lake Pond g Wate) l"
' , Pools, et
c.,
 ..1§.9.~r.~!.~'!!. ............................... ·······......... ... ..... .. ....... ............ .. .. . ... .. .... .. .................?.:.~.A
2.2.1 Natural ecosystem
Natural ecosyste1ns operate thcn1selves under natural
conditions. Based on habitat types. it can be further classified
into three types.

I. Terrestrial ecosystem
This ecosystem is related to land and types of vegetation.

Examples Grassland ecosystem, forest ecosystem, user,

ecosystem, etc.,

..... Aquatic ecosystem

'~ This ecosystem is related to water, it is further sub
classified into two types based on salt content.

(i) Fresh water ecosystem.

(a) Runnin g wat e r ecosystems.

Exa111ples Riw"r.,, st, eams .

(b) Standing. ,, ater ecOS) stems.

Pmul, laJ..r.

(JI) •inaa•
•--'ne ecosystem

gpmples Sell , tJnd ~ea shores

2.2.2 Man-made (or) Attlllol

rttfic1al ecosystem II
 ..... g:!.'(.!1:.'?.':!!!:.~'!.!.E!.?..~9!.l:.'1................-...... !!!.~.~~!.'JS
.... ···•· .... ·············
STRUCTURE (01) COMPONENTS OF
Al ECOSYSTEM
The term structure refers to the various components. So .
cture of an ecosystem explains the relationship between ·····
the abiotic (non-living) and the biotic (living) components.
An ecosystem has two major components
1. Abiotic (non-living) components.
2. Biotic (living) components.

~OSYST~

an ecosystems
and th . .
e1r r,.ll
ationship
~ compon
ents
nts (physical
a com _anct. che .
·ty rnunity lllicaJ)
· callect of
abiot·IC
, air• e---
,,,er
8Y. nut,-·
l e tzt s
• ere
 Ecosystem ........ ................................................ .. .. .
. ..... . ts· They include the energy, climate,
l. Ph)SI~al compol_n~n . that the biological comnu1nity
raw matenals and iv1ng space . • ,
needs. They are useful for the growth and mamtcnancc of its
member.

Examples Air, water, soil, sunlight, etc.,

i. Chewical Components: They are the sources of essential

nutrients.

Examples A-r-atu.ro;~i~
(i) Organic substances: · t·1pz·ds, carbohydrates,
p rotezn, ZiY'\ c_,
::zr. -etc.,
(ii). Inorganic substances: All micro (Al
__.!. n, c u ) an
c.oo, E,o.U;-Z c.ud - C ~
macro elements (C, H, 0, P, N, K) and few other
elements. ~"'-~j \, \ G~I~ ~ pe,ti:L½i.t..m
~~~
. . ~~ ,PhoSp\'\DisuJl.
2.3. 2 B 101,c components
~The living organisms (or) living members 1n an
ecosystem collectively form its community called biotic
components (or) biotic community.
The living components are made of many different
species. These ~pecies ar.e distinguished on the basis of their
nutritional (feeding) relauonship. It includes'
hic components· Tile members of(ai11otropllk
1 Autot ro P · .
l
· onents are roducers. which are autotrops
comp ·
(self-nourishing orgamsms). h ey denve
· energy from sun1·1gh t
and make organic compoun s from inorganic substance:)

Examples Green plants, algae, bacteria, etc.,

2. Heterotrophic components: Tlie members of

heterotro Irie com 011e11ts are co11s ,id decom osers,
wh1ch are heterotrophs (dependent on others for food). They
me the autotrophs (producers))The hetcrotrophs are
 ~m•ntll Solina. •nd 8
They are herbivores, omniv

eo111umen): They are deco

,.,
•11po•t1 of •
ldotk COlllponenfl
ICOIJlflffl

members of biotic components of an ecosystem are

into three groups based on how do they get their food.
Producers (Plants).
- • (Animals).
etamposers (Micro-organisms).
'i
I

I
IIIIIN (Alltotrophs): Producers synthc~izc their food '
photo~ynthesis.

AU green plants, tree.~.

'
pigments called chlorophyll, present in the
converts CO2 and H20 in the presence of
ydrates.
Jav
Oalorophyll C 6H I 206 + 6()2 + 6H20
ii called photosynthesis.
,_): Conaumen are .
tlaeir own food and depend :=;:
 2.7
Ecosvstem ..................................................................................................
..... ·······I.-, ...................

Examples

(i) Plant eating species

Insects, rabbit, goat, deer, cow, etc. ,

(ii) Animals eating species

Fish, lions, tiger, etc.,

Types of consumers
Consumers are of the following types.

Pri,nary consumers (Herbivores) (pla,nt eaters)

_ Primary consumers are also calJed herbivores, they
directly depend on the plants for their food. So they are called
plant eaters.

Examples Insects, rat, goat, deer, cow, horse, etc.,

~ ~ r y consumers (primary carnivores) (meat eaters)

dary consumers are primary carnivores, they feed
nsumers. They directly depend on the herbi"¥

Frog, cat, snakes, foxes, etc.. ,

consum.srs (Seconltlry

consumers are secondary C•- -.,.-~

consumers. They directly d
for their food.

Tigers, lions, etc.,

 Env,ronmental Science and Engmeerlng

\Gruel ~ --®- -. [Tiger!

(Pro4ucen) (Primary consumer) (Secondary consumer) (Tertiary consumer)
p:ck,_. (Herbivores) (Primary carnivores) (Secondary carnivores)

3. Decomposers: Dccompo~crs me tho~c organisms \\ hich

f~ on dead 01 gan1~n1~ plants and animab and decon1pose
\hem into sin1p\cr crnnpound~. During tJ1e dcco1nposi1 ion
·c nutrients are reJea~ed. These inorganic nutrients
tridl other organic substances are then utilized by thf!.
for the synthesis of their own food.

•pies Microorganism5 like hru teria and fiazgi.

Ur a3np
(i) Herbi'vores: An.i 1nab that eat only plants are called
llabivores. (vegetarian)
Camivores: Ani1nals that eat other animals are called
·vores. (non-vegetarian)

~ivores: Animals that eat both anin1aJs

an and non-vegetarian) and plant~.

IUIICIIO• 01 AN £COS~STEM
understand clearly the nat
·"'-.. ld be ure of ecosyste .
aauu thoroughly understood T . . ~, Its
. all . he function of
lS to ow flow of energy an d cycling
. of

ystem are of three typea.

 ..~~~.~r.~~~T. ....................................................................................................................~:~..,;J
1. Primary function
(or) primary production: The
primary function of all ecosystems is manufacture of starch
(photosynthesis).
I
f
2. Secondary function (or) secondary production:
secondary function of all ecosystem is distrib uting energy in
The

the form of food to all consumers (or) the energy stored by

the consumer.

3. Tertiary Function: All living systems die at a particular

stage. These dead systems are decomposed to initiate the th ird
function of ecosystems namely "cycling" .
The functioning of an ecosystem may be understood by
studying the following terms.
(a) Energy and material flow.
(b) Food chains.
(c) Food webs.
(d) Food pyramid_:)

@ ENERGY FLOW IN THE ECOSYSTEMS

Energy is the most essential _requirement for alJ living
organisms. Solar _energy is the only source to our planet earth.
Solar energy 1s transformed to chemical energy in
photosynthesis by th~ pla~ts (called as primary producers).
Though a Jot of sunlight tails o_n the. gr~en plants, only 1. %
f it is utilized for photosynthesis. This 1s the most essential
;tep to provide energy for all other living organisms in the
ecosystem.
e amount of chemical energy is used by the plants
Som . . ts
. trans1erre
' d to consomers
. owth and the remammg
for the tr gr .
by the process of eaung.
the energy enters the ecosystem . through
Thus . asses through the different UOJUC levels
photosynthesis and P
(feeding levels).
 Environmental Science and Engin
. .. .. .. ,..... ..................... ······ ·········· ..... ······························•·•••

,.,,,
Energy flow through atmosphere to an

Sun is the ultimate source of energy, its radiations travel

tfiiough the space in the form of waves and reaches the earth's
atmosphere. The atmosphere absorhs 50% of the radiations and
w the remainings to reach the earth surface. Of the solar
ations, reached the earth's surface, some of which is
by organisms (primary producers) to produce organic
~ l•:1;1aa· through photosynthesis.
Photosynthetic equation

CO2 + 2H 2 0 - - - CH2o + 0 2 + H 2o
Cll"°-1 dioxide water sunlight carbohydrc1te oxygen water

The plants (producers) are used by herbivores and

herbivores are used by carnivores as their food. In this way
energy is transfered from one organism to another and so on.
1be conversion of solar energy is governed by law of
tbennudynamics.

1. 1st law of thermodynamics

It 1taus that, "energy ca11 neither be created nor
l#lro1«1, blll ii can ~ converted from one Jonn to another."

...,.,
llaatradoa: F..nergy for an ecosystem comes from the sun. It
eo.1lod by Plant$. whereUJ it is convened into stored cl1C1Uica1

lar energy in convened into chemical energy.

energy ➔ ChemicaJ energy (plants)

........., ••Ila
•'w1a~,,_,"•r •
lhru11•1t
w
be
Ecosystem 211

in the form of heat as it moves from one tropic level to another

tropic level. The loss of energy takes place through respiration,
running.. hunting etc.,

Respiration equation

CH20 + 0 2 ---.-> CO2 + H 20

carbohydrate oxygen carbondioxidc Wala'

The net production of biomass is only about 0.5'1, of

the total incident radiation (3000 k.cal/m2/day) and
energy absorbed and the remaining gets wasted.