Ecosystem

It may be defined as a system formed by the Community and the environment. The
Central idea of ecosystem concept is that the living organism of a community not
only interact among themselves but also have Functional relationship with their non
living environment.
This Structural and functional system of communities and their environment is called
on Ecosystem.
Thus, the ecosystem is the basic structural and functional unit of Ecology.

The comprises the interactions of organisms and their environmental factors,

involving the flow of energy and cycling of materials
Sun

Producers Herbiwores Carnivores

Nutrient Decomposers
Pool

Fig. : A Simplified Model of Energy and Mineral Movements

 Types of Ecosystem with Special Reference to India
The ecosystems can be broadly categorized as follows.
I. Natural Ecosystems
These ecosystems are found in natural conditions, without
interference by man. The following types of ecosystem
come under this category.

A. Aquatic (or Water)

(i) Freshwater (ii) Marine (or Sea) (iii) Estuary
(Limnetic)

(a) Lentic (Standing water) 6) Sea 9) Estuary

1) Pond
7) Rocky
2) Lake
3) Swamp 8) Coral Reaf
(b) Lotic (Running water)
4) Spring
5) River
B. Terrestrial (or Land)
10) Tropical Forest
11) Tropical Moist deciduous forest
12) Temperature deciduous forest
13) Coniferous forest (or Taiga)
14) Desert
15) Prairie (or Grass land)

II. Artificial (or man engineered Ecosystem)

1) Crop Land : Rice, Maize, Wheat etc.

2) Garden : Terrestrial
3) Aquarium : Aquatic ecosystem
III. Micro-ecosystem

This is the artificial ecosystem, prepared in the laboratory by man, where

the communities consists mainly of micro-organisms

Ecosystem components

Form trophic system (food) print of view, an ecosystem has two components

a) Autotrophic component (self nourishing) in which i) fixation of light

energy, ii) the use of simple inorganic substance, iii) manufacture of
complex organic materials predominates.
b) Heterotrophic (other nourishing) in which i) utilizes, ii) rearranges,
and iii) decomposes the complex materials synthesized by the
autotrophs. However for the convenience of the study we can divide
an ecosystem in to following structural components 1) producer, 2)
consumers, 3) Decomposer (microorganisms), 4) A biotic
substances or components.
Abiotic Biotic Components

Parasites

Sun

Green Plants Herbivores Carnivores

CO2
(Producers)
Consumers
Nutrients

Decomposers

Fig.: Inter relation of various components of Ecosystem

 SUN
Algae Green Water
Plants, Green
Flagellates etc.
(Autotrophars)

Simple Substance Fish larvae, crustraceans

(Abiotic) small consumers herbivores
(Herterotrophs, Primary
Consumers)

Decomposition of Dead Small fishes

Ptoplasma by Decomposers (Secondary Consumers)
(Bact. Fungi etc.)

Large Consumers, predatory

Death of Autotrophs &
animals (Large fishes)
Heterotrophs
(Heterophophs Tertiary
Consumers)

Fig. : Schematic Representations of Aquatic Ecosystem

Producers : Producers or the Autotrophic organisms are these living
members of the ecosystem that utilze sunlight as their energy source and
simple inorganic materials like water, CO2 and salts to produce there own
food. Thus, producers are largely photosynthetic plants and their kind
varies with kind of ecosystem.

Consumers : Consumers are those living organisms that ingest other

organisms and are therefore called Heterotrophs. They derive their food
directly. On indirectly from producers or the green plants. The vast majority
of the consumers are the animals and the primary consumers is an
ecosystem are herbivores, which feed directly on producers (green plants).
The secondary consumers (carnivores), such as predaceous injects, game
fish in a pond feed on primary consumers. There are some organisms in
every ecosystem that cat other carnivores. These are called the tertiary
consumers. Some ecosystem top carnivores like Lion.
 Green Plants and trees
Radiant (Autotrophers producers)
Energy of
the Sun

Ungulates, Rodents etc.

Heterotrophs
(Abiotic) Substance (Primary Consumers)

Predatory Animals
Decomposition of Dead Lions, Tigers
Ptoplasma by Decomposers (Carnivores Secondary
(Bact. Fungi etc.) Consumers)

Death of Autotrophs &

Heterotrophs

Fig. : Schematic Representation of Forest as a Terrestrial Ecosystem

The consumers animals ingest plant products or other organic materials as

food, break them in their digestion process and produce the new type or
organic materials like the proteins and animal tissues etc. therefore animals
are also busy in the process of organic production. Based on this concept,
the green plants are called Primary producers and the heterotrophic
organisms as the Secondary producers.
Decomposers :
Decomposers or the microorganisms are also called the saprobes or saprophytes. They are
also the livingly components, chiefly the bacteria and fungi, that breakdown the complex
compounds of dead protoplasma of producers and consumers, absorbs some of the
decomposition products and release simple substances usable by producers.
The role of decomposers is very important in an ecosystem, for without their activity the
entire cycle of minerals will get blocked. They are also called as scavengers.
Abiotic Substances or Components :
The abiotic components or the non living environment consists of two things. The Minerals
and the Energy. The Quantity of minerals present at any given time in an ecosystem is
termed as standing state similar to standing crop which refer to quantity of biotic
components. A small portion of these nutrient materials circulate through other living
organisms of the ecosystem and through their death and decay returning to the soil and the
environment. The whole process is called Mineral Circulation or Biogeochemical cycle.
The energy is line heat, light and stored energy in chemical bonds. The energy flows through
the system on a one-way traffic and for a proper maintenance of the ecosystem the energy
must be constantly added and transferred from organisms to organisms.
Thus in an ecosystem, the first three of the four components are composed are composed
of living things, green plants are the predominant producers animals, the consumers, and
fungi, bacteria, the decomposers, while the fourth is aboitic i.e. minerals and energy. The
four components collectively function as a whole system to maintain the stability of an
ecosystem. If the balance is disturbed, the whole system breaks down. Hence there must be
a Continues flow of energy and cycling of minerals among the organisms of the ecosystem.
Functioning of Ecosystem
There are mechanism for continuous absorption of materials by organisms for
producing organic compounds and their released and conversion into organic
from. The whole process is called the cycling of materials. The energy required
or utilized to perform this feat comes from the Sun. However, all living organisms
are not capable of utilizing the solar energy and convert the same into chemical
energy.
The functional aspect of ecosystem includes trapping of energy by green plants
and its passage into herbibvorus and carnivorous animals and other organisms
which are either parasitic or saprophytic. This process is called the flow of
energy.
The amount of energy gained by the system and the mode and the Quantities of
it transferred, affect the structure of the ecosystem such as the density and
diversity of species.
The system is therefore, a dynamic one, wherein the change is always taking
place.
 Form (Structure)

Environment

Function Factors

Fig. : Diagram Showing Components of an Ecosystem

While energy flows through the ecosystem, mineral like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium
etc. are adsorbed from the soil by the plants and then passed on the organisms in the from of
elaborated compounds
The Salt are released after death and decomposition of organisms and reabsorbed by the plant
The use and reuse of the minerals by the organisms keep them circulating within the ecosystem,
although appreciable amounts may be lost to the system by leaching and added by the process of
weathering of minerals
The limitations imposed on the rates and the amounts involved in the circulation by the climatic,
edaphic, and biotic factor and above all the energy economy, react upon the structure of the
ecosystem.
Thus, Structure, function and factors of the environment become the triangular base of interaction of
the ecosystem and indeed for the study of ecology.
In an balanced condition, an ecosystem in Self-sufficient and Self regulating. Thus in all ecosystem
there is a self regulatory mechanisms of Cheeks-balance. Several ecosystem may be interrelated
and often the smaller ones together make a large one
 Energy

Primary Energy Secondary Fuels Supplementary

Sources Sources

Produce net Produce no net Net energy yield is

energy energy zero and they rerulic
highest environment
of energy

Energy Sources and Their Availability

Commercial Non commercial

Fossil fuels, hydrolic paner Wood, animal waste and

nuclear power (Coal, Oil & agricultural wastes.
Natural gas)

It is about 87 of the total

energy used in the would

Non Conventional Energy Sources

Major Sources
1. Fossil fuels that solid fuels (mainly coal) liquid and gaseous fuels including
petroleum and its derivates and natural gas.
2. Water power or energy stored in water.
3. Energy of nuclear fission

Minor Sources
Minor sources includes sun, wind, fides in the sea, geothermal, ocean thermal
electric conversion, fuel cells, themonie, thermoelectric generators etc.

Coal
Since the absent of industrialization coal has been the most common source of
energy.

Oil
40% of the energy needs of world are fed by oil, refining petroleum or crude oil
produces fuel oils. High temperature combustion and flame propagation have been
worked out for improved efficiency.
Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy derives the heat in the centre of the earth and it is stated that
potential to the extent of 3400 MW exists in New Zeland, USA, Japan, and
Iceland. This energy can be used for cooling by using heat for vapour absorption.
Tidel Energy
About 13 Kw pet m height of the wave can be generated. A plant to make 445000
km/--- of energy is being has the greatest potential of all the source of renewable
energy and if only a small amount of this from of energy could be used, it will be
one of the most important supplies of energy. Energy comes to the earth from sun.
this energy keeps the temperature of the earth above that in colder spaces,
causes the water cycle and generate photosynthesis in plants.
Nuclear Power
Atoms represents enormous concentration of bindling energy. The energy
released by the complete fission, of 1 kg of U235 is equal to the heat energy
obtained by burning 4500 tonnes of high grade coal 02 2200 tonnes of oil. Heat
produced by Nuclear fission is utilized in special heat exchangers for the
production of steam which is then used drive turbo generators as in the
conventional power plants. However there are some limitations in the use of
nuclear energy namely high capital cost of nuclear power plants, limited availability
of raw materials, difficulties associated with disposal of radioactive waste.
Fuel Cells
It is an electrochemical device for the continuous conversion of the
portion of the free energy change in a chemical reaction to electrical
energy. Its main components are
i) Fuel electrode ii) An ozident or air electrode iii) An electrolyte
Disadvantages : Low voltage, high initial costs and low service life.

Thermionic Converter & Magneto-hydrodynamics

Generator are other means of converting heat energy into electrical
energy.