Ecosystem – Meaning & Structure

By:
Dr. Parveen Kumar
Asst. Professor – Environmental Science,
School of Basic & Applied Sciences, G D Goenka University
 Contents
• Introduction to ‘Ecosystem’
• From Atoms to Biosphere
• Types of Ecosystems
• Ecosystem structure
• Food Chain and Food Web
• Revision Questions
• Further Readings
 Introduction
 A. G. Tansley (1935) – Ist used term “Ecosystem”.
“System resulting from the integration of all the living (grass, tiger,
bacteria etc.) and non-living (light, nutrients, water etc.) factors of the
environment”.

Eco – Environment
System – Interacting and interdependent complex

 Basic functional unit in “Ecology” – “Study of organisms at home” or

“Study of structure and functions of ecosystems”.

 Micro-ecosystem (pond water droplet) or Mega-ecosystem (Oceans).

 Biosphere – Largest ecosystem on “Earth”

o Forest
o Grassland
o River
o Marine etc.
From Atoms to Biosphere
 Types of
Ecosystems

Natural Artificial

Terrestr
Aquatic
ial

Fresh
Marine
Water

Lotic Lentic
 Ecosystem
Structure
Biotic Abiotic
Component Componen
s ts

Autotrop Heterotroph
hs s

Macro- Micro-
consumers consumers

• Biophages
• Herbivores
• Saprophag
• Carnivores
• Omnivores es
Can you think of a situation where an organism
could be both a primary and secondary
consumer? (not shown on this food web)

1. What are the producers? primary consumers? secondary consumers? tertiary consumer?
2. What organisms are competing for the same abiotic and biotic resources?
3. If removed from the food web, which organism would have the greatest impact on the overall
food web? Explain.
 Revision Questions
• What is largest ecosystem on Earth?
• How anthropogenic activities are disturbing
natural ecosystems? Discuss.
• Write about importance of aquatic
ecosystem?
• Write short notes:
a) Food web significance
b) Detrivores

• Explore ecosystems present around in or

around university and answer following:
a) Identify any one ecosystem
b) List living components
c) Identify any food chain
d) Regional significance of that ecosystem
e) Human disturbance
 Further Readings

1. What is an Ecosystem? https://www.google.com/search?

q=ecosystems+ppt&oq=
ecosystems+ppt&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l7.4258j1j7&sourc
eid=chrome&ie=UTF-8.
2. Ecosystem, Online at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecosystem.
3. Ecosystem Ecology, Online at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhaldPmkoNE.
4. Ecosystem: Structure and Function, Questions and
Answers, Online at: https://qforquestions.com/ecosystem-
structure-function-questions-answers/
Save Ecosystems to Save
Earth
Thank You