Structural aspects Components that make up the structural as- pects of an ecosystem include: 1) 2) Inorganic aspects — C, N, CO,, H,0. Organic compounds — Protein, Carbo- hydrates, Lipids — link abiotic to biotic aspects. Climatic regimes — Temperature, Mois- ture, Light & Topography. Producers — Plants. Macro consumers — Phagotrophs — Large animals. Micro consumers — Saprotrophs, absorb- ers — fungi. Functional aspects 1) 2) Energy cycles. Food chains. Diversity-interlinkages between organ- isms. Nutrient cycles-biogeochemical cycles. Evolution.Since each ecosystem has a non-living and a liv- ing part that are linked to each other, one needs to look around us and observe this closely. This is an important aspect that is a vital part of our lives. The non-living components of an ecosystem are the amount of water, the various inorganic sub- stances and organic compounds, and climatic conditions such as rainfall and temperature, which depend on geographical conditions and location which is also related to the amount of sunlight. The living organisms in an ecosystem are inseparable from their habitat. The living component of plant life ranges from extremely small bacteria, which live in air, wa- ter and soil, algae which live in fresh and salt water, to the terrestrial plants which range from grasses and herbs that grow after the monsoon every year, to the giant long-lived trees of the forest. The plants convert energy from sunlight into organic matter for their growth. They thus function as producers in the ecosystem. The liv- ing component of the animal world ranges from microscopic animals, to small insects and the larger animals such as fish, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Man is just one of the 1.8 million species of plants and animals that inhabit the earth.wesyu' The Learning / _ Abiotic Factors _ = Consu im ers Vecon ipose ‘Ss Herbivores Primary Secondary Carnivores CarnivoresBiotic Components Biotic components refer to all living components in an ecosystem. Based on nutrition, biotic components can be categorised into autotrophs, heterotrophs and saprotrophs (or decomposers). © Producers include all autotrophs such as plants. They are called autotrophs as they can produce food through the process of photosynthesis. Consequently, all other organisms higher up on the food chain rely on producers for food. * Consumers or heterotrophs are organisms that depend on other organisms for food. Consumers are further classified into primary consumers, secondary consumers and tertiary consumers. © Primary consumers are always herbivores as they rely on producers for food. * Secondary consumers depend on primary consumers for energy. They can either be carnivores or omnivores. * Tertiary consumers are organisms that depend on secondary consumers for food. Tertiary consumers can also be carnivores or omnivores. * Quaternary consumers are present in some food chains. These organisms prey on tertiary consumers for energy. Furthermore, they are usually at the top of a food chain as they have no natural predators. ® Decomposers include saprophytes such as fungi and bacteria. They directly thrive on the dead and decaying organic matter. Decomposers are essential for the ecosystem as they help in recycling nutrients to be reused by plants.Abiotic Components Abiotic components are the non-living component of an ecosystem. It includes air, water, soil, minerals, sunlight, temperature, nutrients, wind, altitude, turbidity, etc. Functions of Ecosystem The functions of the ecosystem are as follows: 1. It regulates the essential ecological processes, supports life systems and renders stability. 2. It is also responsible for the cycling of nutrients between biotic and abiotic components. 3. It maintains a balance among the various trophic levels in the ecosystem. 4. It cycles the minerals through the biosphere. 5. The abiotic components help in the synthesis of organic components that involve the exchange of energy. So the functional units of an ecosystem or functional components that work together in an ecosystem are: Productivity — It refers to the rate of biomass production. Energy flow — It is the sequential process through which energy flows from one trophic level to another. The energy captured from the sun flows from producers to consumers and then to decomposers and finally back to the environment. Decomposition — It is the process of breakdown of dead organic material. The top-soil is the major site for decomposition. Nutrient cycling - In an ecosystem nutrients are consumed and recycled back in various forms for the utilisation by various organisms.Natural cycling of phosphorus The phosphorus cycle is slow compared to other biogeochemical cycles such as the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles.! In nature, phosphorus is found mostly in the form of phosphate ions—PO?-. Phosphate compounds are found in sedimentary rocks, and as the rocks weather—wear down over long time periods—the phosphorus they contain slowly leaches into surface water and soils. Volcanic ash, aerosols, and mineral dust can also be significant phosphate sources, though phosphorus has no real gas phase, unlike other elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. Phosphate compounds in the soil can be taken up by plants and, from there, transferred to animals that eat the plants. When plants and animals excrete wastes or die, phosphates may be taken up by detritivores or returned to the soil. Phosphorus-containing compounds may also be carried in surface runoff to rivers, lakes, and oceans, where they are taken up by aquatic organisms. When phosphorus-containing compounds from the bodies or wastes of marine organisms sink to the floor of the ocean, they form new sedimentary layers. Over long periods of time, phosphorus-containing sedimentary rock may be moved from the ocean to the land by a geological process called uplift. However, this process is very slow, and the average phosphate ion has an oceanic residence time—time in the ocean—of 20,000 to 100,000 years.© chatcPt Sure! The sulfur cycle is how sulfur moves and changes forms in the environment. Here's a simple breakdown: 1. Sulfur in the Atmosphere: Sulfur can enter the atmosphere through volcanic eruptions, burning fossil fuels, and other human activities. 2. Sulfur in the Soil: Rainwater brings sulfur down from the atmosphere into the soil. Once in the soil, sulfur can be taken up by plants through their roots. 3. Sulfur in Living Organisms: Plants use sulfur to grow. Animals then eat those plants, transferring sulfur into their bodies. 4. Decomposition and Recycling: When plants and animals die, bacteria break them down, releasing sulfur back into the soil. This completes the cycle, as the sulfur can be taken up by plants again. 5. Volcanic Activity and Human Impact: Volcanic eruptions and human activities like burning coal or oil can release more sulfur into the atmosphere, affecting the balance of the sulfur cycle.Bacteria play a key role in the nitrogen cycle. Nitrogen enters the living world by way of bacteria and other single-celled prokaryotes, which convert atmospheric nitrogen—N,—into biologically usable forms in a process called nitrogen fixation. Some species of nitrogen-fixing bacteria are free-living in soil or water, while others are beneficial symbionts that live inside of plants. What are some examples of nitrogen-fixing prokaryotes? Nitrogen-fixing microorganisms capture atmospheric nitrogen by converting it to ammonia—NH3—which can be taken up by plants and used to make organic molecules. The nitrogen-containing molecules are passed to animals when the plants are eaten. They may be incorporated into the animal's body or broken down and excreted as waste, such as the urea found in urine. Prokaryotes in the nitrogen cycleProkaryotes in the nitrogen cycle Image credit: modified from Nitrogen cycle by Johann Dréo (CC BY-SA 3.0); the modified image is licensed under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license Nitrogen doesn't remain forever in the bodies of living organisms. Instead, it's converted from organic nitrogen back into N, gas by bacteria. This process often involves several steps in terrestrial—land—ecosystems. Nitrogenous compounds from dead organisms or wastes are converted into ammonia—NH3 —by bacteria, and the ammonia is converted into nitrites and nitrates. In the end, the nitrates are made into N, gas by denitrifying prokaryotes.The Water Cycle Precipitation is a vital component of how water moves through Earth’s water cycle, connecting the ocean, land, and atmosphere. Knowing where it rains, how much it rains and the character of the falling rain, snow or hail allows scientists to better understand precipitation’s impact on and | r. Frequent and detailed measurements help scientists make models of and determine changes in Earth’s water cycle. streams, rivers, surface ru The water cycle describes how water evaporates from the surface of the earth, rises into the atmosphere, cools and condenses into rain or snow in clouds, and falls again to the surface as precipitation. The water falling on land collects in rivers and lakes, soil, and porous layers of rock, and much of it flows back into the oceans, where it will once more evaporate. The cycling of water in and out of the atmosphere is a significant aspect of the weather patterns on Earth.Carbon Cycle Definition Carbon cycle is the process where carbon compounds are interchanged among the biosphere, geosphere, pedosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the earth. Carbon Cycle Steps Following are the major steps involved in the process of the carbon cycle: L. Carbon present in the atmosphere is absorbed by plants for photosynthesis. . These plants are then consumed by animals and carbon gets bioaccumulated into their bodies. . These animals and plants eventually die, and upon decomposing, carbon is released back into the atmosphere. . Some of the carbon that is not released back into the atmosphere eventually become fossil fuels. . These fossil fuels are then used for man-made activities, which pump more carbon back into the atmosphere. Also Read: Biogeochemical CyclesBiotic f\Ioiotic ___L T nore amic aspect (¢, & Zo, , HO) Producers lo | Vian my wn) bso ic onidi Conmbound D ecombosers Tetiovs. (Bebeim, Conboy hee, Lipo) C Limo R mn 24 ( Temp cadre Moisture, i old & To pogratla)) Herbivores Primary Secondary Carnivores Carnivores