Terrestrial, Aquatic, Marine

Ecology and Communities

What is Ecosystem

Ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the living

organisms or Biotic Component, in a particular area, and the non-living, or
Abiotic Component such as air, soil, water and sunlight with which the
organism interact.
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM

A terrestrial ecosystem is a type of ecosystem found only

on biomes also known as beds.
A biome is a community of plants and animals that have
common characteristics for the environment they exist in.
They can be found over a range of continents.
Four primary terrestrial ecosystems exist:
Forest Ecosystems Desert Ecosystem
Grasslands Ecosystem Tundra Ecosystem.
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM

India is also rich in its fauna. India has approximately

90,000 animal species, 2,000 species of birds, they constitute
13% of world’s total.

It has 2500 species of fish, which is nearly 12% of world

stock. It also shares 5% - 8% of the world’s amphibians,
reptiles & mammals.
1) FOREST ECOSYSTEM

A) Tropical Evergreen Forests

The tropical evergreen forests usually occur in areas
receiving more than 200cm of rainfall.
Having a temp. of 15- 30’ Celsius. They occupy 7% of the
earth’s land surface.
These trees have great height up to 60 m.
Trees found in these areas are Ebony, Mahogany,
Rosewood, Rubber & Cinchona.
1) FOREST ECOSYSTEM

B) Tropical Deciduous
These are the most widespread forest in India.

These are also called monsoon forests.

They receiving rainfall between 200cm to 70cm.

Teak is the most dominant species in this forest.

1) FOREST ECOSYSTEM

C) Tropical Thorn Forest

In regions with less than 70cm rainfall.
This vegetation covers a large part of south- Western north
America , Africa , south America & Australia.
Acacias, palms, euphorbias and cacti are the main plant
species.
Trees are scattered and have long roots penetrating deep
into the soil to get moisture.
Leaves are mostly thick & small to minimize evaporation.
1) FOREST ECOSYSTEM

D) Boreal Forest
Taiga, also known as boreal forests or snow forests, is a biome
characterized by conferious forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces
and larches.
The taiga is the world’s largest biome apart from the oceans.
Countries with boreal forests include Russia, Alaska, Sweden, Finland,
Norway and small regions of Scotland.
The boreal region in Canada almost 60% of the Country’s land area.
It shelters more than 85 species of mammals, including Wood bison,
moose, grizzly, beavers & wolves.
1) FOREST ECOSYSTEM
E) Mangrove Forest
A mangrove is a shrub or small tree that grows in coastal saline or
brackish water.
These forest found in the areas of coast influenced by tides.
The total mangrove forest area of the world in 2000 was 137,800
square kilometers (53,200 sq mi), spanning 118 countries and territories.
Herons, kingfishers, cormorants, snakes, lizards, spiders, insects,
snails and mangrove crabs thrive on mangrove plants.
In India, its found in deltas of ganga, Mahanadi, Krishna, Godavari &
Kaveri.
In India, Royal Bengal tiger, turtles, crocodiles, gharials, snake are
also found in these forests.
2) DESERTS ECOSYSTEM

A desert ecosystem is defined by interactions between living

organism the climate in which they live, and any other non-living
influences on the habitat.
Deserts are arid regions which are generally associated with warm
temperatures, however cold deserts also exist.
Deserts can be found on every continent, with the largest being
located in Antarctica the Arctic, Northern Africa and the Middle East.
There are 4 types of desert ecosystem:
Sand desert Plateau desert
Mountain desert Cold desert
2) DESERTS ECOSYSTEM
A) Sand Desert
An erg (sand sheet if it lacks dunes) is a broad, flat area of desert
covered with wind-swept sand with little or no vegetative cover. The term
takes its name from the Arabic word ʿarq’ (meaning “dune field”).
The Rub' al Khali desert is the largest contiguous sand desert in the
world. The desert covers some 650,000 km2.
Approximately 85% of all the Earth's mobile sand is found in ergs that
are greater than 32,000 km2.
Ergs are also found on other celestial bodies, such as Venus, Mars,
and Saturn's moon Titan.
The largest hot desert in the world, the Sahara, covers 9 million
square kilometers
2) DESERTS ECOSYSTEM

 B) Plateau Desert

Plateau is also called high Plain or a tableland.
It is usually consisting of relatively flat terrain that is raised
significantly Above the surrounding area, often one or more
slides with steep slopes.
Some desert plateau are Tibetan plateau, Pajarito
plateau, Hardanger Vidda in Europe
2) DESERTS ECOSYSTEM

C) Mountain Deserts
A large, dry, barren region, usually having sandy or rocky soil and
little or no vegetation. Water lost to evaporation and transpiration in a
desert exceeds the amount of precipitation; most deserts average less
than 25 cm (9.75 inches) of precipitation each year, concentrated in short
local bursts.
The Desert Mountains are a mountain range located in west-central
Nevada south of the Lahontan Reservoir and north of the town of
Yerington. The range is located in Lyon and Churchill counties. The
range includes Cleaver Peak, at 6,711 feet (2,046 m) above sea level in
the western part of the range and Desert Peak, at 6,404 feet (1,952 m) in
elevation, in the eastern part of the chain.
2) DESERTS ECOSYSTEM
D) Cold Desert
Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve is a biosphere reserve located in the
western Himalayas region, within Himachal Pradesh state in North India.
Biosphere reserves are the areas of coastal ecosystems which promote the
conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use.
There are over 669 biosphere reserves around the world in over 120
countries.
Cold deserts are found in the Antarctic, Greenland, Iran, Turkestan,
Northern and Western China.
Some famous cold deserts are: Atacama, Gobi, Great Basin, Namib, Iranian,
Takla Makan, and Turkestan.
Antarctica is the largest cold desert of the earth.
 3) TUNDRA ECOSYSTEM

Tundra ecosystems are treeless regions found in the Arctic and on the
tops of mountains, where the climate is cold and windy and rainfall is
scant.
Tundra lands are snow-covered for much of the year, until summer
brings a burst of wildflowers.
Tundra consists of predators such as owls, foxes, wolves, and polar
bears at the top of the chain. Predators hunt herbivores, plant eating
animals, such as caribou, lemmings, and hares.
Bearberry, Labrador Tea, Diamond Leaf, Arctic Moss, Arctic Willow,
Caribou Moss, Tufted Saxifrage, Pasque Flower
4) GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEM

Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses however,

sedge and rush families can also be found along with variable proportions of
legumes, like clover, and other herbs.
Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica.
Grasslands are found in most ecoregions of the Earth.
For example, there are five terrestrial ecoregion classifications (subdivisions) of the
temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome which is one of eight
terrestrial ecozones of the Earth's surface.
Grassland ecosystem are further divided into
Tropical & Sub Tropical Grasslands
Temperate Grasslands
4) GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEM

A) Tropical and Subtropical

These grasslands are classified with tropical and subtropical Savannas
and shrublands.
They are widespread in Africa, and are also found all throughout South
Asia, Llanos of South America and Australia, and the Southern United
States.
African savannas occur between forest or woodland regions and
grassland regions.
The average temperature of 27 °C with peaks of 30 °C in April and
October, and between 300 and 1500 mm of rain per year.
Flora found in this region are: Acacia ( tree), Baobab (Tree), Grass,
Low shrubs & Thorns.
4) GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEM

B) Temperate Grasslands
Temperate grasslands have hot summers and cold winters.
Summer temperatures can be well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, while
winter temperatures can be as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit.
They typically have between 10 and 35 inches of precipitation a year,
much of it occurring in the late spring and early summer.
Other animals of this region include: deer, mice, jack rabbits, snakes, fox,
owls, blackbirds meadowlarks, sparrows, quails, hawks and hyenas.
Grasslands go by many names. In the U.S. Midwest, they're known as
prairies. In South America, they're called pampas. Central Eurasian
grasslands are referred to as steppes, while in Africa they're named savannas.
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM

An Aquatic Ecosystem is an ecosystem in a body of water.

Communities of organisms that are dependent on each other and on their
environment live in aquatic ecosystems.

The two main types of aquatic ecosystems are:

1) Marine ecosystems
2) Freshwater ecosystems
MARINE ECOSYSTEM
Marine ecosystems are among the largest of Earth’s aquatic ecosystems.
Examples include Estuaries, Lagoons, coral reefs, the deep sea, and the sea
floor.
Marine waters cover two-thirds of the surface of the Earth.
Such places are considered ecosystems because the plant life supports the
animal life and vice versa.
According to the World Resource Center, coastal habitats account for about
one-third of marine biological productivity.
MARINE ECOSYSTEM

Estuaries occur where there is a noticeable change in salinity between

saltwater and freshwater source.
The National Geographic Society defines lagoons as a “shallow body of
water protected from a larger body of water by sandbars, barrier islands, or coral
reefs”.
Coral reefs are one of the most well-known marine ecosystems within the
world. The largest being that of the Great Barrier Reef. These reefs are composed
of large coral colonies of a variety of species living together.
The deep sea conquers up to 95% of the space occupied by living
organisms. Combined with the sea floor, these two areas have yet to be fully
explored and have their organisms documented making these ecosystems some
of the hardest to understand by scientists.
FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEM

Freshwater ecosystems are a subset of Earth's aquatic

ecosystems. They include lakes and ponds, rivers, streams,
springs, and wetlands.
Freshwater habitats can be classified by different factors,
including temperature, light penetration and vegetation.
Freshwater ecosystems can be divided into lentic ecosystems
(still water) and lotic ecosystems (flowing water).
Limnology is a study about freshwater ecosystems. It is a part
of hydrobiology.
FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEM

A lake ecosystem includes biotic (living) plants, animals and micro-

organisms, as well as abiotic (nonliving) physical and chemical
interactions. Lake ecosystems are a prime example of lentic ecosystems.
River ecosystems are prime examples of lotic ecosystems.
A pond ecosystem refers to the freshwater ecosystem where there
are communities of organism dependent on each other with the prevailing
water environment for their nutrients and survival.
Thank You!!!