This document defines an ecosystem as a community of living organisms interacting with each other and their non-living environment. It describes the key components of an ecosystem, including producers, consumers, and decomposers, and how energy flows through the system. Examples are provided of different types of ecosystems like terrestrial, aquatic, and artificial ecosystems.

1. ACADEMIC WRITING
SUBJECTIVE ASSIGNMENT II
NAME: SIVARANJANI R
TOPIC: ECOSYSTEM
APPLICATION NO.: 9f4aeca1e79011e9803abd5fd00aa9e7
AFFILIATION: SASTRA UNIVERSITY (DEEMED)

3. DEFINITION
 An ecosystem is a community of living organisms in
conjunction with the nonliving components of their
environment, interacting as a
system.These biotic and abiotic components are linked
together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy
enters the system through photosynthesis and is
incorporated into plant tissue. By feeding on plants and on
one-another, animals play an important role in the
movement of matter and energy through the system.They
also influence the quantity of plant
and microbial biomass present. By breaking down dead
organic matter, decomposers release carbon back to the
atmosphere and facilitate nutrient cycling by converting
nutrients stored in dead biomass back to a form that can be
readily used by plants and other microbes.

4. ECOSYSTEM
 ECO means 'environment' and SYSTEM
means 'an interacting community'.
 An ecosystem is defined as a community of
living and non living organisms integrated
with each other.
 The study of the relationship and the biotic
factors and with the non living environment
in an ecosystem is defined as ecology.

5. TYPES OF ECOSYSTEM
 TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM
 AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM
 ARTIFICIAL / MAN MADE ECOSYSTEM

6. COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM
 The major components of an ecosystem are :
BIOTIC COMPONENT
 The living components of an ecosystem is
defined as the biotic components.
Example : plant
ABIOTIC COMPONENT
 The non living components are the abiotic
components.
Examples : water

7. BIOTIC COMPONENTS
 The biotic components are categorized as PRODUCERS
 CONSUMERS AND DECOMPOSERS.
 PRODUCERS
 Producers are the organisms that can produce its own food.
 Example : Plants
 CONSUMERS
 Consumers are the organisms that depend on the producers
 directly or indirectly.
 Example : Cow , Lion
 DECOMPOSERS
 Decomposers are the organisms that depend on the dead and
 decaying organisms.
 Example : Micro organisms and Fungi.

8. CONSUMERS
 Consumers are of four types.
 Primary Consumers
 Secondary Consumers
 Tertiary Consumers
 Quaternary Consumers
 Primary consumers directly feed on the producers.
 Example : Cow , Giraffe
 SecondaryTertiary and Quaternary consumers will
indirectly
 depend on the lower level organisms.
 Example : Lion , Deer

9. ABIOTIC COMPONENTS
 The non living components of an ecosystem
are the abiotic components.
 Example :Water , Air , Soil
 These are the physical components.
 Example : Phosphorous , Calcium , Potassium
 These are chemical components.

10. FUNCTIONS OF AN ECOSYSTEM
 The functions of an ecosystem are determined
by the energy flow and the cycling of materials
through the structures of the system.
 Energy flow is the one way flow of energy from
the producers to the consumers with some loss
of energy.
 The sub processes involved are Productivity ,
Consumption, Decomposition.
 The decomposed organic and inorganic wastes
are used again for the production of living matter
is known as Nutrient cycle.

11. PROCESS
 The energy obtained from the sun by the
plants(producer).
 It is converted into chemical energy by the
process of photosynthesis by the plants.
 The part of the energy is used by the plants
for its growth and the rest is passed to the
next level of organisms.
 Thus it follows the laws of thermodynamics.
 Thus the environmental stability is attained.

12. EXAMPLES
 Tropical Rainforest Ecosystems
 Temperate Forest Ecosystems
 Taiga Ecosystems
 Grassland Ecosystems
 Desert Ecosystems
 Tundra Ecosystems
 Stillwater Ecosystems
 River and Stream Ecosystems
 Littoral Zones
 Coral Reefs

13. LINKS FOR FURTHER READING
 https://sciencing.com/10-examples-natural-
ecosystem-7836.html
 https://www.toppr.com/guides/biology/our-
environment/ecosystem/
 https://biologydictionary.net/ecosystem/
 https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/e
cology/intro-to-ecosystems/a/what-is-an-
ecosystem
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecosystem
 https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encycloped
ia/ecosystem/

14. THANK YOU!