2. ECOSYSTEM
An ecosystem is a biological
environment consisting of all the living organisms
or Biotic component in a particular area and the
nonliving, or Abiotic component such as air, soil,
water and sunlight with which the organisms
interact.
The term ecosystem was coined in 1935 by
the Oxford ecologist Arthur Tansley.
ECOSYSTEM
ECO SYSTEM
Environment Interaction
4. ECOSYSTEM
BIOTIC COMPONENT
DECOMPOSERS
(also known as
reducers or
saprotrophs,
recycle energy)
CONSUMERS
(also known as
Heterotrophs
(consume and
transfer energy)
CLIMATIC FACTORS
E.g. Rain, Light, Wind, Temp
EDAPHIC FACTORS
E.g. Soil, Minerals, Oxygen,
Topography
ABIOTIC COMPONENT
PRODUCERS
also known as
autotrophs, they
produce energy
5. BIOTIC COMPONENTS:
The biotic components include all living organisms present in the
environmental system.
• PRODUCERS:
The producers are the autotrophic elements chiefly green plants. They
use radiant energy of sun in photosynthetic process whereby CO2 is
assimilated and the light energy is converted into chemical energy. The
chemical energy is actually locked up in the energy rich carbon
compounds.
• CONSUMERS:
Those living members of ecosystem which consume the food
synthesized by producers are called consumers. All kinds of animals
that are found in an ecosystem are under this category .
• DECOMPOSER:
Decomposers are the living components of the ecosystem and they are
fungi and bacteria. Decomposers attack the dead remains of producers
and consumers and degrade the complex organic substances into
simpler compounds.
6. ABIOTIC COMPONENTS:
Abiotic component of ecosystem includes basic inorganic elements and
compounds such as soil, water, oxygen, calcium carbonates, phosphates and a
variety of organic compounds.
• CLIMATIC FACTORS:
Climatic factors include the rainfall, temperature and wind patterns that happens
in an ecosystem and is one of the most important abiotic factors.
• EDAPHIC FACTORS:
These are the factors related to the physical or chemical composition of soil found
in a particular area.
7. The components of the ecosystem are seen to function as a unit when we consider the
following aspects:
1. Productivity
2. Decomposition
3. Energy flow
4. Nutrient cycling
8. PRODUCTIVITY:
The rate of biomass production is called productivity.
• Gross primary productivity:
The rate of production of organic matter during photosynthesis is called gross primary
productivity.
• Secondary productivity:
The rate of formation of new organic matter by consumers is called secondary
productivity.
9. DECOMPOSITION:
The breakdown of complex organic matter into inorganic substances like CO2,
H2O and nutrients, the process is called Decomposition.
10. ENERGY FLOW:
The flow of energy is one way direction from producer to consumers and ends in
decomposition process.
However, a part of the energy is lost as heat and agrees with the phenomenon of second
law of Thermodynamics.
11. NUTRIENT CYCLE:
• A nutrient cycle (or ecological recycling) is the moment and exchange
of organic and inorganic matter back into the production of living matter.
• The process is regulated by food web pathway that decompose matter
into mineral nutrients.
• Nutrient cycle occur within ecosystem.