NCERT Based KT’s PowerNotes NEET 2022
ECOSYSTEM
Ecosystem : Structure
An ecosystem is a self-sustainable functional unit of nature,
where living organisms interact among themselves and also
with the surrounding physical environment
Stratification
Vertical distribution of different species
occupying different levels is called
stratification.
Components of Ecosystem
1) Productivity 2) Decomposition
3) Energy Flow 4) Nutrient cycling
Productivity
Primary production
• It is defined as the amount of biomass or organic matter
produced per unit area by plants during photosynthesis
• It is expressed as weight (g / m2 ) or energy (kcal / m2 )
Productivity
• The rate of biomass production is called productivity.
• It is expressed as (g / m2 /year) or energy (kcal / m2/yr )
Gross primary productivity
GPP of an ecosystem is the rate of production of organic
matter during photosynthesis.
Net primary productivity (NPP)
A considerable amount of GPP is utilised by plants in
respiration GPP – R = NPP
Secondary productivity
It is rate of formation of new organic matter by consumers
Decomposition
• Break down complex organic matter into inorganic
substances like carbon dioxide, water and nutrients is
called decomposition
• Raw material for decomposition : Detritus
• Dead plant remains such as leaves, bark, flowers and dead
remains of animals, fecal matter, constitute detritus
1) Fragmentation
Detritivores (e.g., earthworm) break down detritus into
smaller particles k/a fragmentation
2) Leaching
Water soluble inorganic nutrients go down into the soil
horizon and get precipitated as unavailable salts
3) Catabolism
Bacterial and fungal enzymes degrade detritus into simpler
inorganic substances k/a catabolism
4) Humification
Accumulation of a dark coloured amorphous substance;
humus is called Humification
Biology BOMB
Humus contain lignin, resin etc , hence highly resistant to
microbial action and undergoes decomposition at an
extremely slow rate
5) Mineralization
Release of inorganic nutrients from humus by some
microbes is called Mineralisation
Factors affecting decomposition:
• Detritus rich in lignin and chitin : decomposition rate 
• Detritus rich in sugar and nitrogen : decomposition rate 
• Warm and moist environment : decomposition rate 
• low temperature and anaerobiosis : decomposition rate 
Energy flow
Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR).
• It is the light available for photosynthesis (400 to 700 nm)
• Of the incident solar radiation less than 50 % is PAR
• Plants capture only 2-10 per cent of the PAR
Grazing food chain (GFC)
Detritus food chain (DFC)
• Begins with dead organic matter
• It is made up of decomposers (fungi and bacteria)
• Decomposers are also known as saprotrophs
• In Aquatic ecosystem, GFC is major conduit for energy flow.
• In terrestrial ecosystem, DFC is major conduit for energy flow.
Standing crop
Biomass at a particular trophic level is k/a Standing Crop
10 per cent law
Only 10 per cent of the energy is
transferred to each trophic level
from the lower trophic level
Laws followed by Ecosystem
1) First law of thermodynamics
• One form of energy is converted to another
• Plants convert light energy to chemical energy
2) Second Law of thermodynamics
• In food chain energy is lost in respiration, to counter
this, continuous input of energy from sun takes place
Ecological pyramids
• In most ecosystems, all the pyramids, of number, of energy
and biomass are upright, except
✓ Pyramid of number in forest ecosystem is inverted
✓ Pyramid of biomass in aquatic ecosystem is inverted
 NCERT Based KT’s PowerNotes NEET 2022

Nutrient cycling
• The amount of nutrients, such as carbon, nitrogen,
phosphorus, calcium, etc., present in the soil at any given
time, is referred to as the standing state.
• The movement of nutrient elements through the various
components of an ecosystem is called nutrient cycling /
biogeochemical cycles
• Nutrient cycles are of two types:
Pyramid of energy in all ecosystem is (a) Gaseous cycle (e.g., nitrogen, carbon cycle)
always upright (b) Sedimentary cycle (e.g., sulphur and phosphorus cycle)

Limitations of ecological pyramids: Phosphorous cycle

• It does not take into account the same species belonging to
two or more trophic level
• It assumes a simple food chain, no place for food web
• Saprophytes are not given any place

Ecological succession Carbon cycle

• The gradual and fairly predictable change in the species

composition of a given area is called ecological succession
• These changes lead finally to a community that is in near
equilibrium with the environment and that is called a
climax community
• Very first species that invade a bare area are k/a pioneer
species
• The entire sequence of communities that successively
change in a given area are called sere(s).
• The individual transitional communities are termed seral
stages or seral communities

Primary succession Secondary succession

Succession in areas Succession in areas which lost
where no living all the living organisms that
organisms ever existed, existed there e.g. due forest 71 per cent carbon is found dissolved in oceans
say bare rock is called fire is called secondary This oceanic reservoir regulates the amount of carbon
primary succession succession dioxide in the atmosphere
begins in newly cooled begins in abandoned farm
lava, bare rock, newly lands, burned or cut forests, Difference between Carbon and Phosphorous cycle
created pond etc. lands that have been flooded
Slower process faster than primary succession • Atmospheric inputs of phosphorus through rainfall are
much smaller than carbon inputs
• Gaseous exchanges of phosphorus between organism and
Xerarch succession Hydrarch succession environment are negligible.
takes place in dry areas takes place in wet area
Pioneer species - Pioneer species - Ecosystem services
Lichen Phytoplankton • Ecosystem services include cycle nutrients, generation of
Lichen secreted acid to Phytoplankton - rooted- fertile soils, providing wildlife habitat etc.
dissolve rock - soil submerged plants - free- • Robert Constanza put price tags on ecosystem services
formation – bryophytes floating plants, - reed swamp - • He put an average price tag of US $ 33 trillion a year
- grass—forest (mesic marsh-meadow, scrub and • Soil formation accounts for about 50 per cent of the cost
condition) forest (mesic condition)
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All succession whether taking place in water or on land,
proceeds to a similar climax community – the mesic.

Biology BOMB