1. An ecosystem is defined as a community of living organisms (biotic factors) interacting with each other and their non-living (abiotic) environment.
2. The key components of an ecosystem include biotic factors like producers, consumers, decomposers and abiotic factors like air, water, soil, and sunlight.
3. Ecosystems function through energy flow, nutrient cycling, and interactions between organisms like predation and symbiosis. Ecosystem processes like photosynthesis and respiration are important for energy and nutrient exchange.
Ecology is defined as the science that studies the interactions between organisms and their environment. The term comes from the Greek words "oikos" meaning house or habitation, and "logos" meaning discourse or study. It deals with how organisms live in their environments and interact with biotic factors like other living things as well as abiotic factors such as climate. Ecosystems form through the complex interactions between biotic and abiotic components, with energy flowing in one direction and biogeochemical cycles regulating chemicals. Ecology has many applications and branches including applied ecology, population ecology, limnology, and human ecology.
The document defines key terms related to ecosystems, including that an ecosystem was first defined by A.G. Tansley as the basic functional unit of organisms interacting with each other and their environment. It provides examples of different ecosystem types, such as grasslands, forests, and oceans. Within ecosystems, biotic components include producers, consumers, and decomposers. Energy flows through ecosystems from producers to higher trophic levels, and nutrients cycle through ecosystems via processes like decomposition. Ecological pyramids illustrate the structure of ecosystems by trophic level.
A population is a group of one species that interbreed in a habitat. The community includes all organisms in an area, including multiple populations. The ecosystem includes the community and its physical environment. A community contains producers, consumers, and decomposers that interact through competition, predation, and symbiosis. Reproductive isolation maintains species boundaries through barriers preventing interbreeding.
This document outlines the syllabus and important concepts for the Ecology & Ecosystems unit. It covers topics like introduction to ecology, ecosystem structure and function, components of ecosystems including producers, consumers, and decomposers. It also discusses biogeochemical cycles like carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, etc. and energy flow within ecosystems. Other topics covered are food chains, ecological pyramids, and different ecosystem types. The document provides definitions and explanations of key terminology used in ecology. It also includes important questions related to the syllabus.
The Gaia Hypothesis & The Earth As A SystemPaul Wozney
The document discusses the Gaia Hypothesis, which proposes that all living things on Earth function together as a single superorganism to regulate conditions for life. The hypothesis views Earth as a closed system with four interacting spheres - the biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and lithosphere. These spheres work together to maintain surface temperature, atmospheric composition, and ocean salinity over time in ways that sustain life. The Earth is seen as a self-regulating system driven by energy from the sun, and disruption to its natural cycles could upset the balance required for life.
Ecology is the scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environments, focusing on energy transfer. Key concepts in ecology include interactions within and among populations, nutrient cycling through ecosystems, and effects of natural and human activities. Ecosystems consist of biotic communities of interacting populations that inhabit a common environment and abiotic factors with which they interact. Energy and matter cycle through ecosystems via producers, consumers, and decomposers in food webs and nutrient cycles. Toxins can biologically magnify and increase in concentration as they move up food chains.
Ecology is defined as the science that studies the interactions between organisms and their environment. The term comes from the Greek words "oikos" meaning house or habitation, and "logos" meaning discourse or study. It deals with how organisms live in their environments and interact with biotic factors like other living things as well as abiotic factors such as climate. Ecosystems form through the complex interactions between biotic and abiotic components, with energy flowing in one direction and biogeochemical cycles regulating chemicals. Ecology has many applications and branches including applied ecology, population ecology, limnology, and human ecology.
The document defines key terms related to ecosystems, including that an ecosystem was first defined by A.G. Tansley as the basic functional unit of organisms interacting with each other and their environment. It provides examples of different ecosystem types, such as grasslands, forests, and oceans. Within ecosystems, biotic components include producers, consumers, and decomposers. Energy flows through ecosystems from producers to higher trophic levels, and nutrients cycle through ecosystems via processes like decomposition. Ecological pyramids illustrate the structure of ecosystems by trophic level.
A population is a group of one species that interbreed in a habitat. The community includes all organisms in an area, including multiple populations. The ecosystem includes the community and its physical environment. A community contains producers, consumers, and decomposers that interact through competition, predation, and symbiosis. Reproductive isolation maintains species boundaries through barriers preventing interbreeding.
This document outlines the syllabus and important concepts for the Ecology & Ecosystems unit. It covers topics like introduction to ecology, ecosystem structure and function, components of ecosystems including producers, consumers, and decomposers. It also discusses biogeochemical cycles like carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, etc. and energy flow within ecosystems. Other topics covered are food chains, ecological pyramids, and different ecosystem types. The document provides definitions and explanations of key terminology used in ecology. It also includes important questions related to the syllabus.
The Gaia Hypothesis & The Earth As A SystemPaul Wozney
The document discusses the Gaia Hypothesis, which proposes that all living things on Earth function together as a single superorganism to regulate conditions for life. The hypothesis views Earth as a closed system with four interacting spheres - the biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and lithosphere. These spheres work together to maintain surface temperature, atmospheric composition, and ocean salinity over time in ways that sustain life. The Earth is seen as a self-regulating system driven by energy from the sun, and disruption to its natural cycles could upset the balance required for life.
Ecology is the scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environments, focusing on energy transfer. Key concepts in ecology include interactions within and among populations, nutrient cycling through ecosystems, and effects of natural and human activities. Ecosystems consist of biotic communities of interacting populations that inhabit a common environment and abiotic factors with which they interact. Energy and matter cycle through ecosystems via producers, consumers, and decomposers in food webs and nutrient cycles. Toxins can biologically magnify and increase in concentration as they move up food chains.
Ecology is the scientific study of the interactions between organisms and their environment. It was coined in 1866 by Ernst Haeckel from the Greek words "oikos" meaning house or environment, and "logos" meaning study. Ecology studies the distribution and abundance of organisms and the interactions between organisms and their physical and biological environment. It examines these relationships at different levels of organization from organisms to ecosystems. Ecology is important for understanding how to maintain a healthy biosphere and sustainable use of natural resources through principles of conservation.
Environment may be consider as our surroundings which includes everything around us, i.e. the non-living (abiotic) and living (biotic) environment.
The abiotic environment consists of air, water and soil, while the biotic environment includes all the living organisms (plants, animals, microorganisms) that we regularly come in contact.
Environment – Basic Concepts:
The environment is composed of four basic components:
i. Atmosphere
ii. Hydrosphere
iii. Lithosphere
iii. Biosphere.
This document defines key population and community ecology concepts. It discusses [1] what a population is, factors that affect population size, density, and distribution. [2] Population growth is influenced by natality, mortality, immigration, emigration, and environmental resistance. Carrying capacity is the maximum population size an environment can sustain. [3] Communities are formed by populations interacting in an area. Relationships like predation, competition, and symbiosis shape community structure. Producers, consumers, and decomposers fill different roles. Habitats provide resources while niches define an organism's function. Energy and nutrients flow through food chains and webs.
This document discusses ecosystems, including biotic and abiotic factors, trophic levels, and examples of food chains. It defines biotic factors as living components like plants and animals, and abiotic as non-living factors such as temperature, water, and soil. There are typically 5 trophic levels: producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers, and apex predators. Producers use photosynthesis, consumers eat other organisms to obtain energy and nutrients, and decomposers break down dead matter and waste. Food chains show the transfer of energy from trophic level to trophic level.
An ecosystem consists of all the living organisms (biotic factors) in an area as well as non-living components (abiotic factors) interacting together. Key abiotic components include climate, soil, sun, water and air. Key biotic components include producers, consumers, and decomposers. Energy enters the ecosystem primarily from the sun and passes through food chains and food webs as organisms consume, and are consumed by, others. Decomposers break down dead organic matter and cycle nutrients back into the soil.
The document defines ecology as the scientific study of the interaction between living organisms and their environment. It discusses key concepts in ecology like ecosystems, biotic and abiotic components, energy flow, nutrient cycling, and trophic structure. Some key types of ecosystems mentioned are forests, grasslands, deserts, aquatic, urban, and agricultural ecosystems.
Ecological Succession is the process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over a period of time.
But, over a long period of time, the climate conditions of an ecosystem is bound to change.
No ecosystem has existed or will remain unchanged over a Geological Time Scale.
This document introduces the key concepts of ecology, including:
1) Ecology is the study of how organisms interact with their environment and each other.
2) Organisms are organized into levels ranging from cells to the biosphere.
3) The environment consists of biotic and abiotic factors that surround organisms.
4) All organisms are interdependent and interact through competition, predation, and nutrient recycling.
The document discusses food chains and food webs within an ecosystem. It defines a food chain as the transfer of energy from producers, like plants, through consumers at different trophic levels, and explains the key levels as producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and decomposers. Food webs are described as interconnected food chains that form a network of feeding relationships between species. Ecological pyramids illustrate the structure of ecosystems by depicting the numbers, biomass, or productivity at each trophic level, with producers at the base and top predators at the apex. Disturbances like bioaccumulation and biomagnification of chemicals can disrupt ecosystem balance.
Environmental factors that affect ecosystems include edaphic or soil-related factors like soil type, pH, water, and mineral content. Climatic factors such as temperature, rainfall, light intensity, wind, and humidity also impact ecosystems. Biotic or living factors include food sources, competition, predation, parasitism, pollination, seed dispersal, and human activity. Fire can impact ecosystems by affecting plants, soils, water, air, and animals through regeneration, increased fertility, erosion, noxious gases, and particulate matter.
Energy Flow in Environment : Ecological EnergeticsKamlesh Patel
What is Energy:
The ability or capacity to do work,
Radiant, Chemical, thermal, mechanical, nuclear, electrical.
What is Energy Flow:
The existence of flora and fauna in ecosystem depends upon the cycle of minerals and flow of energy. Energy is needed for all the biotic activities. The only source of this energy is the sun. The entrance, transformation and diffusion of energy in ecosystem are governed by laws of thermodynamics.
This document summarizes key concepts in ecology. It defines ecology as the study of interactions between organisms and their environment. It describes producers as organisms that use sunlight or chemical energy to produce food, including plants, algae and photosynthetic bacteria. Consumers rely on producers and other organisms for food and include herbivores, carnivores and omnivores. Decomposers break down dead organic matter. Food chains and webs show how energy flows through ecosystems from producers to different trophic levels. Ecological pyramids illustrate the decrease in available energy and biomass at higher trophic levels. The document also discusses ecological interactions like competition, niches, predation, and symbiotic relationships between species.
The Ecosystem - Its Structure and function plays a key role in the sustenance of Life on this Earth. Be it land, air, water .... the ecosystem decides the survival ...
The document discusses energy flow through ecosystems. It begins by explaining that the sun is the primary energy source for ecosystems and that plants convert the sun's radiant energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis. This chemical energy then passes through food chains, with approximately 10% of the energy being transferred to each higher trophic level. Various models and laws are described that illustrate principles like the one-way flow of energy and the inefficiencies of transfers between trophic levels. Overall, the summary emphasizes that sunlight powers ecosystems by being converted to chemical energy by plants and then traveling through food webs in a step-wise, 10%-losing manner.
There are several types of aquatic ecosystems including freshwater ecosystems like lakes, rivers, and wetlands as well as marine ecosystems. Aquatic ecosystems are important as they support biodiversity, provide breeding grounds, act as buffer systems, and are part of the water cycle. They can be altered by both natural processes like succession over time as well as human impacts like water pollution, excessive fertilizer use, industrial waste, and other forms of waste disposal.
The document discusses energy flow through ecosystems. It begins by explaining that solar energy is captured by producers like plants through photosynthesis and is then transferred to consumers and decomposers through food webs. As energy moves between trophic levels, 90% is lost as heat at each level according to the 10% law. Energy is also transformed between forms like chemical and kinetic as it moves between organisms, but the total amount of energy in an ecosystem remains constant according to the first law of thermodynamics. Food chains and pyramids of energy are used to represent these energy transfers and demonstrate how less energy is available at higher trophic levels.
1) Energy from the sun powers photosynthesis in green plants, which convert carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight into glucose.
2) This chemical energy from glucose is transferred through ecosystems as organisms eat each other, forming food chains.
3) Producers like plants capture energy from the sun which is then consumed by primary consumers like herbivores, and passed up through secondary and tertiary consumers in a trophic pyramid, with decomposers recycling nutrients.
An ecosystem is defined as a community of living organisms (biotic) interacting with each other and their non-living (abiotic) environment. It includes producers, consumers, decomposers and their interactions within the physical environment. Producers like plants convert solar energy to food via photosynthesis while consumers feed on producers or other consumers. Decomposers break down dead organic matter and recycle nutrients. Ecosystems function by transferring energy from producers to consumers and recycling matter through decomposition. Habitat destruction like deforestation can threaten organisms by reducing food, shelter and resources, potentially driving some to extinction.
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with each other and their non-living physical environment. The lecture defines ecosystems and describes their key components and functions. Ecosystems have biotic factors like producers, consumers, and decomposers, as well as abiotic factors such as sunlight, water, temperature, oxygen, and soil. Producers convert solar energy to chemical energy through photosynthesis. Consumers feed on other organisms and each other, in a food chain. Decomposers break down dead organic matter and release nutrients. Key functions of ecosystems include energy flow, food chains, nutrient cycling, and the evolution of biodiversity. Students were assigned a group project to create an infographic poster explaining a specific
Ecology is the scientific study of the interactions between organisms and their environment. It was coined in 1866 by Ernst Haeckel from the Greek words "oikos" meaning house or environment, and "logos" meaning study. Ecology studies the distribution and abundance of organisms and the interactions between organisms and their physical and biological environment. It examines these relationships at different levels of organization from organisms to ecosystems. Ecology is important for understanding how to maintain a healthy biosphere and sustainable use of natural resources through principles of conservation.
Environment may be consider as our surroundings which includes everything around us, i.e. the non-living (abiotic) and living (biotic) environment.
The abiotic environment consists of air, water and soil, while the biotic environment includes all the living organisms (plants, animals, microorganisms) that we regularly come in contact.
Environment – Basic Concepts:
The environment is composed of four basic components:
i. Atmosphere
ii. Hydrosphere
iii. Lithosphere
iii. Biosphere.
This document defines key population and community ecology concepts. It discusses [1] what a population is, factors that affect population size, density, and distribution. [2] Population growth is influenced by natality, mortality, immigration, emigration, and environmental resistance. Carrying capacity is the maximum population size an environment can sustain. [3] Communities are formed by populations interacting in an area. Relationships like predation, competition, and symbiosis shape community structure. Producers, consumers, and decomposers fill different roles. Habitats provide resources while niches define an organism's function. Energy and nutrients flow through food chains and webs.
This document discusses ecosystems, including biotic and abiotic factors, trophic levels, and examples of food chains. It defines biotic factors as living components like plants and animals, and abiotic as non-living factors such as temperature, water, and soil. There are typically 5 trophic levels: producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers, and apex predators. Producers use photosynthesis, consumers eat other organisms to obtain energy and nutrients, and decomposers break down dead matter and waste. Food chains show the transfer of energy from trophic level to trophic level.
An ecosystem consists of all the living organisms (biotic factors) in an area as well as non-living components (abiotic factors) interacting together. Key abiotic components include climate, soil, sun, water and air. Key biotic components include producers, consumers, and decomposers. Energy enters the ecosystem primarily from the sun and passes through food chains and food webs as organisms consume, and are consumed by, others. Decomposers break down dead organic matter and cycle nutrients back into the soil.
The document defines ecology as the scientific study of the interaction between living organisms and their environment. It discusses key concepts in ecology like ecosystems, biotic and abiotic components, energy flow, nutrient cycling, and trophic structure. Some key types of ecosystems mentioned are forests, grasslands, deserts, aquatic, urban, and agricultural ecosystems.
Ecological Succession is the process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over a period of time.
But, over a long period of time, the climate conditions of an ecosystem is bound to change.
No ecosystem has existed or will remain unchanged over a Geological Time Scale.
This document introduces the key concepts of ecology, including:
1) Ecology is the study of how organisms interact with their environment and each other.
2) Organisms are organized into levels ranging from cells to the biosphere.
3) The environment consists of biotic and abiotic factors that surround organisms.
4) All organisms are interdependent and interact through competition, predation, and nutrient recycling.
The document discusses food chains and food webs within an ecosystem. It defines a food chain as the transfer of energy from producers, like plants, through consumers at different trophic levels, and explains the key levels as producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and decomposers. Food webs are described as interconnected food chains that form a network of feeding relationships between species. Ecological pyramids illustrate the structure of ecosystems by depicting the numbers, biomass, or productivity at each trophic level, with producers at the base and top predators at the apex. Disturbances like bioaccumulation and biomagnification of chemicals can disrupt ecosystem balance.
Environmental factors that affect ecosystems include edaphic or soil-related factors like soil type, pH, water, and mineral content. Climatic factors such as temperature, rainfall, light intensity, wind, and humidity also impact ecosystems. Biotic or living factors include food sources, competition, predation, parasitism, pollination, seed dispersal, and human activity. Fire can impact ecosystems by affecting plants, soils, water, air, and animals through regeneration, increased fertility, erosion, noxious gases, and particulate matter.
Energy Flow in Environment : Ecological EnergeticsKamlesh Patel
What is Energy:
The ability or capacity to do work,
Radiant, Chemical, thermal, mechanical, nuclear, electrical.
What is Energy Flow:
The existence of flora and fauna in ecosystem depends upon the cycle of minerals and flow of energy. Energy is needed for all the biotic activities. The only source of this energy is the sun. The entrance, transformation and diffusion of energy in ecosystem are governed by laws of thermodynamics.
This document summarizes key concepts in ecology. It defines ecology as the study of interactions between organisms and their environment. It describes producers as organisms that use sunlight or chemical energy to produce food, including plants, algae and photosynthetic bacteria. Consumers rely on producers and other organisms for food and include herbivores, carnivores and omnivores. Decomposers break down dead organic matter. Food chains and webs show how energy flows through ecosystems from producers to different trophic levels. Ecological pyramids illustrate the decrease in available energy and biomass at higher trophic levels. The document also discusses ecological interactions like competition, niches, predation, and symbiotic relationships between species.
The Ecosystem - Its Structure and function plays a key role in the sustenance of Life on this Earth. Be it land, air, water .... the ecosystem decides the survival ...
The document discusses energy flow through ecosystems. It begins by explaining that the sun is the primary energy source for ecosystems and that plants convert the sun's radiant energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis. This chemical energy then passes through food chains, with approximately 10% of the energy being transferred to each higher trophic level. Various models and laws are described that illustrate principles like the one-way flow of energy and the inefficiencies of transfers between trophic levels. Overall, the summary emphasizes that sunlight powers ecosystems by being converted to chemical energy by plants and then traveling through food webs in a step-wise, 10%-losing manner.
There are several types of aquatic ecosystems including freshwater ecosystems like lakes, rivers, and wetlands as well as marine ecosystems. Aquatic ecosystems are important as they support biodiversity, provide breeding grounds, act as buffer systems, and are part of the water cycle. They can be altered by both natural processes like succession over time as well as human impacts like water pollution, excessive fertilizer use, industrial waste, and other forms of waste disposal.
The document discusses energy flow through ecosystems. It begins by explaining that solar energy is captured by producers like plants through photosynthesis and is then transferred to consumers and decomposers through food webs. As energy moves between trophic levels, 90% is lost as heat at each level according to the 10% law. Energy is also transformed between forms like chemical and kinetic as it moves between organisms, but the total amount of energy in an ecosystem remains constant according to the first law of thermodynamics. Food chains and pyramids of energy are used to represent these energy transfers and demonstrate how less energy is available at higher trophic levels.
1) Energy from the sun powers photosynthesis in green plants, which convert carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight into glucose.
2) This chemical energy from glucose is transferred through ecosystems as organisms eat each other, forming food chains.
3) Producers like plants capture energy from the sun which is then consumed by primary consumers like herbivores, and passed up through secondary and tertiary consumers in a trophic pyramid, with decomposers recycling nutrients.
An ecosystem is defined as a community of living organisms (biotic) interacting with each other and their non-living (abiotic) environment. It includes producers, consumers, decomposers and their interactions within the physical environment. Producers like plants convert solar energy to food via photosynthesis while consumers feed on producers or other consumers. Decomposers break down dead organic matter and recycle nutrients. Ecosystems function by transferring energy from producers to consumers and recycling matter through decomposition. Habitat destruction like deforestation can threaten organisms by reducing food, shelter and resources, potentially driving some to extinction.
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with each other and their non-living physical environment. The lecture defines ecosystems and describes their key components and functions. Ecosystems have biotic factors like producers, consumers, and decomposers, as well as abiotic factors such as sunlight, water, temperature, oxygen, and soil. Producers convert solar energy to chemical energy through photosynthesis. Consumers feed on other organisms and each other, in a food chain. Decomposers break down dead organic matter and release nutrients. Key functions of ecosystems include energy flow, food chains, nutrient cycling, and the evolution of biodiversity. Students were assigned a group project to create an infographic poster explaining a specific
This document discusses applied crop ecology and ecosystems. It defines ecology and describes types of ecology like plant and animal ecology. It then discusses the history of ecology from Aristotle to Von Humboldt and their studies of plants and environments. The document outlines components of ecosystems like producers, consumers, and decomposers. It provides examples of ecosystems like ponds and grasslands. It also defines key terms like primary and secondary productivity and adaptations.
The document discusses the components of an ecosystem. It defines an ecosystem as a biological community that occurs in some locale, along with the physical and chemical factors that make up its non-living environment. The key components of an ecosystem discussed are: 1) abiotic substances like carbon dioxide, water, and nutrients that organisms interact with, 2) producers like plants that capture energy, 3) consumers like herbivores and carnivores that eat other organisms, and 4) decomposers like fungi and bacteria that break down dead matter and waste. Together, the interaction of these living and non-living components drive ecosystem processes like nutrient cycling and energy flow.
1) Life on Earth exists as a complex web of interactions between organisms and their environments. Organisms interact with each other through relationships like predation, competition, and mutualism.
2) Ecology studies these relationships at different levels - between organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems, and the biosphere. Ecosystems contain biotic factors like producers, consumers, and decomposers as well as abiotic factors like sunlight, air, and water.
3) Energy and nutrients flow through ecosystems in food chains and food webs as organisms consume each other or decay, with producers like plants beginning the chains and decomposers recycling materials.
The document discusses the key components of an ecosystem. It defines an ecosystem as a biological community that occurs in some locale, along with the physical and chemical factors that make up its non-living environment. The four main components of an ecosystem are identified as: 1) abiotic substances like carbon dioxide and water; 2) producers like plants that capture energy; 3) consumers like herbivores and carnivores that eat other organisms; and 4) decomposers like fungi and bacteria that break down dead matter and waste. An ecosystem is described as a network of interactions between living organisms and their environment, with energy and nutrients cycling between the different components.
Ecology is the scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environment. The biosphere consists of all life on Earth and the areas where life exists. Ecology studies different levels of organization from populations and communities to ecosystems and biomes. Energy flows through ecosystems in food chains from primary producers like plants through various consumer levels. Nutrients are recycled through decomposition and enter the ecosystem again.
Ecology is the scientific study of the relationships between organisms and their environment. Key topics covered in the document include:
- Ecology examines how organisms interact with each other and their physical surroundings.
- Energy from the sun is transferred through food chains and webs, decreasing at each trophic level. Nutrients also cycle through ecosystems via decomposition.
- Ecological pyramids illustrate the transfer of numbers, biomass, and energy between trophic levels, with higher levels generally containing fewer and less biomass/energy.
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with each other and their non-living environment. A food web shows how energy and nutrients flow between organisms in an ecosystem through trophic levels. It consists of interconnected food chains with producers like plants at the bottom providing energy, a variety of consumers at higher trophic levels that eat other organisms, and decomposers that break down waste and dead organisms.
Ecology is the study of interactions between organisms and their environment. There are several layers of ecological organization, including the biosphere, ecosystems, communities, populations, and habitats. An ecosystem consists of all the living and non-living things interacting in a defined area. Energy flows through an ecosystem via primary producers, consumers, and decomposers. Organisms within an ecosystem engage in various interactions such as competition, predation, and symbiosis.
Ecology is the scientific study of the relationships between living organisms and their environment. Key points from the document include:
- Ecology provides the scientific foundations for fields like agriculture and helps predict environmental impacts.
- Ecosystems consist of biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components that interact. Energy from the sun flows through food chains/webs between organisms, while nutrients are recycled through biochemical cycles.
- Pyramids of numbers, biomass, and energy are used to quantify energy and nutrient transfer between trophic levels in an ecosystem. The pyramids typically decrease at higher trophic levels due to inefficiencies in energy transfer between levels.
1. The document discusses different types of ecosystems including forest, grassland, desert, and aquatic ecosystems.
2. It provides details on the key components and functions of ecosystems, including producers, consumers, decomposers, energy flow, food chains, and food webs.
3. The document also defines important ecological terms and concepts such as ecology, habitat, community, population, evolution, and human ecology.
An ecosystem is defined as a natural functional unit comprising living organisms and their non-living environment interacting to form a stable system. The key components of an ecosystem are biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors. Energy from the sun is captured by producers like plants through photosynthesis and transferred through consumers and decomposers in a food chain or food web. Nutrients and matter cycle between biotic and abiotic components. Ecological pyramids illustrate the transfer of energy and matter between trophic levels, with fewer organisms and more biomass at higher levels due to energy losses between levels.
This document discusses biotic and abiotic factors in ecosystems and trophic levels. It defines biotic factors as living components like plants, animals, bacteria and fungi. Abiotic factors are non-living like temperature, water, soil and sunlight. There are trophic levels in a food chain including primary producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers and apex predators. Energy flows through the food chain from producers to consumers at different trophic levels, and decomposers break down waste and make nutrients available again.
An ecosystem is a region with a recognizable landscape such as a forest, grassland, desert, or coastal area. The ecosystem is controlled by climatic conditions like sunlight, temperature, and rainfall. It includes both living organisms that depend on each other and non-living components like soil, air, and water. Resources in an ecosystem like light, nutrients, water, and habitat can be consumed by one organism and become unavailable to others. Key resources for plants include sunlight, nutrients, water, and space to grow, while animals rely on food and water.
The document discusses the concepts of environment, ecology, and ecosystems. It defines environment as the physical and biological factors surrounding an organism, including interactions between air, water, land, living organisms, and materials. Ecology is defined as the study of organisms in their natural environment and interactions. Key points:
- Ecosystems consist of biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components that interact, including plants, animals, microorganisms, climate, soil and other physical factors.
- Food chains and food webs show the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem and how energy and nutrients flow between trophic levels.
- Both biotic and abiotic factors influence ecosystem structure and function
The document discusses environmental studies and components of the natural environment. It defines the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere as domains that make up the natural environment. It then discusses ecosystems, defining them as systems comprising interdependent populations and their physical environment that form a self-sustaining unit. Ecosystems have both biotic and abiotic components and examples of different types of ecosystems are provided, including natural and man-made ecosystems. Food chains and food webs are described as arrangements showing the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem.
The document provides information on different types of wastes, ecosystems, and environmental issues. It discusses:
1) Biodegradable wastes such as food and paper break down naturally, while non-biodegradable wastes like plastics persist and can pollute the environment.
2) An ecosystem includes both biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components that interact, along with food chains connecting producers, consumers, and decomposers.
3) Environmental problems arise from pollution and depletion of resources. The thinning ozone layer allows more UV radiation to reach the Earth's surface, increasing health risks, while waste disposal methods must account for different waste types.
This document discusses ecosystems and food chains. It defines an ecosystem as a community of organisms interacting with each other and their non-living environment. The key components of an ecosystem are producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers. Ecosystems can be terrestrial like forests or grasslands, or aquatic like freshwater or marine ecosystems. Food chains show the transfer of energy between trophic levels as organisms consume other organisms. There are three main types of food chains: grazing, detritivorous, and parasitic.
E-content is a Comprehensive package of teaching material put into hypermedia format. Hypermedia is multimedia with internet deplorability. E-content can not be created by a teaching faculty alone . It needs the role of teacher, Video editor, production assistants, web developers (HTML 5 or Adobe captivate, etc). Analyze the learner needs and goals of the instructional material development, development of a delivery system and content, pilot study of the material developed, implementation, evaluating, refining the materials etc. In designing and development of E-content we have to adopt one of the instructional design models based on our requirements.
Pedagogy is the most commonly understood approach to teaching. It refers to the theory and practice of learning. Pedagogy is often described as the act of teaching. Pedagogy has little variations between traditional teaching and online teaching. Online teaching pedagogy is a method of effective teaching practice specifically developed for teaching via the internet. It has a set of prescribed methods, strategies, and practices for teaching academic subjects in an online (or blended) environment, where students are in a physical location separate from the faculty member.
Technology has changed the possibilities within teaching and learning. Classes, which prior to the digital era were restricted to lectures, talks, and physical objects, no longer have to be designed in that manner. Training in a synchronous virtual classroom can only be successful with the active participation and engagement of the learners. Explore the Virtual Classroom’s features and see how they can support and enhance your tutoring style.
• The monitoring and evaluation of the institutional processes require a carefully structured system of internal and external review. The NAAC expects the Institutions to undertake continuous Academic and Administrative Audits (AAA). This presentation is intended to serve as advisory to all accredited HEIs who volunteer to undertake AAA. The pros and cons of this process are also highlighted. Academic and Administrative Audit is the process of evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of the administrative procedure. It includes assessment of policies, strategies & functions of the various administrative departments, control of the overall administrative system, etc. This checklist gives an overview what the audit committee members may look into while visiting an institution for this purpose. It invariably follows the Quality Indicators Framework prescribed by Accreditation Council in India.
• The monitoring and evaluation of the institutional processes require a carefully structured system of internal and external review. The NAAC expects the Institutions to undertake continuous Academic and Administrative Audits (AAA). This presentation is intended to serve as advisory to all accredited HEIs who volunteer to undertake AAA.
Chemical analysis data of water samples can not be used directly for understanding. They are to be used for various calculations in order to determine the quality parameters that have a lot of significances. A. Balasubramanian and D. Nagaraju, of the Department of Studies in Earth Science, Centre for Advanced Studies, University of Mysore, Mysore-570006, Karnataka, India have recently brought out a software and its application manual as a good book for reference and execution. The Name of the software is WATCHIT meaning Water Chemistry Interpretation Techniques. This software computes more than 100 parameters pertaining to water quality interpretations. The software follows its own method of approach to determine the required results. Systems International Units are used. Limited input parameters are required. This is suitable for all scientific research, government water quality data interpretations and for understanding the quality of water before using it.
Water conservation refers to reducing the usage of water and recycling of waste water for different purposes like domestic usage, industries, agriculture etc. This technical article highlights most of the popular methods of water conservation. A special note on rainwater harvesting is also provided.
This module gives an overview of general applications of current hydrogeological aspects. It is for the basic understanding of students and research scholars.
Climate Extreme (extreme weather or climate event) refers to the occurrence of a value of a weather or climate variable above (or below) a threshold value near the upper (or lower) ends of the range of observed values of the variable. Extreme weather and climate events, interacting with exposed and vulnerable human and natural systems, can lead to disasters.
WATER RESOURCES PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT POSSIBILITIES IN CHAMARAJANAGAR TALUK...Prof. A.Balasubramanian
Any unplanned development and utilization of water resources with result in water scarcity. In many parts of the developing world. Such a situation exists. In order to do proper planning and
management of water resources, it is necessary to conduct detailed analyses of the factors, which influence the water availability and its uses. In the present study, a comprehensive analysis have been undertaken for proper utilization of water resources in Chamarajanagar Taluk, which has been identified as one of the drought hit districts of Karnataka, in India. The factors analysed in this work are, surface and groundwater availability, land use, cropping pattern, recharge potential of soils and the rainfall pattern in typical areas of Taluk. It is observed that the problem of water scarcity is mainly due to the lack of irrigation planning and management. Hence, a
modified cropping pattern is suggested by taking into consideration of all available water resources and other conditions.
In broad terms, cultural geography examines the cultural values, practices, discursive and material expressions and artefacts of people, the cultural diversity and plurality of society.
It also emphasizes on how cultures are distributed over space, how places and identities are produced, how people make sense of places and build senses of place, and how people produce and communicate knowledge and meaning.
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The document discusses the growth of information technology and its applications in various fields such as education, health, employment, and governance. It outlines how ICT has been applied in multimedia, mobile phones, offices, homes, and public places. It describes how educational technology has evolved and led to lifelong learning opportunities anywhere and anytime through e-learning and m-learning. The document also discusses the roles of technologies like virtual reality, virtual learning environments, and online learning platforms in transforming education.
Soils are complex mixers forming the skin of the earth's surface. Soil is a dynamic layer in which many complex chemical, physical and biological activities are going on constantly. Soils become adjusted to conditions of climate, landform and vegetation, and will change internally when those controlling conditions change. Soils are products of weathering. Soils play a dominant role in earth's geomorphic processes in a cyclic manner. The characteristics of soils are very essential for several reasons. This module highlights these characteristics.
GIS TECHNIQUES IN WATER RESOURCES PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT IN CHAMARAJANAGAR ...Prof. A.Balasubramanian
The over-exploitation and contamination of groundwater continue to threaten the long-term sustainability of our precious water resources, in spite of the best efforts made by various agencies.
This has many serious implications to the economic development of a country like India. Lack of
judicious planning and integration of environmental consideration to ground water development
projects are primarily responsible for such a state of affair in the ground water sector. Geographical Information Systems could be of immense help in planning sustainable ground water management strategies, especially in hard rock areas with limited ground water potential. Data collected from
Satellite Imagery and through field investigations have been integrated, on a GIS platform, for demarcation and prioritization of areas suitable for ground water development and ground water augmentation. An attempt has also been made to assess the vulnerability of the area to ground water
contamination. This paper demonstrates the utility of GIS in planning judicious management of ground water resources in a typical hard rock area of Chamarajanagar Taluk, Karnataka, state India.
Nanobiomaterials are very effective components for several biomedical and pharmaceutical studies. Among the metallic, organic, ceramic and polymeric nanomaterials, metallic nanomaterials have shown certain prominent biomedical applications. Enormous works have been done to synthesize, analyse and administer the metallic nanoparticles for various kinds of medical and therapeutic applications, during the last forty years. In these analyses, the prominent biomedical applications of ten metallic nanobiomaterials have been reviewed from various sources and works. It has been found that almost nine of them are used in a very wide spectrum of medical and theranostic applications.
A variety of Nano-biomaterials are synthesised, characterised and tested to find out their potentialities by global scientific communities, during the last three decades. Among those, nanostructured ceramics, cements and coatings are being considered for major use in orthopaedic, dental and other medical applications. The development of novel biocompatible ceramic materials with improved biomedical functions is at the forefront of health-related applications, all over the world. Understanding of the potential biomedical applications of ceramic nanomaterials will provide a major insight into the future developments. This study reviews and enlists the prominent potential biomedical applications of ceramic nanomaterials, like Calcium Phosphate (CaP), Tri-Calcium Phosphate (TCP), Hydroxy-Apatite(HAP), TCP+HAP, Si substituted HAP, Calcium Sulphate and Carbonate, Bioactive Glasses, Bioactive Glass Ceramics, Titania-Based Ceramics, Zirconia Ceramics, Alumina Ceramcis and Ceramic Polymer Composites.
The present forest and tree cover of the country is 78.37 million ha in 2007 which is 23.84% of the geographical areas and it includes 2.82% tree cover. This becomes 25.25%, if the areas above tree line i.e., 4000m are excluded from the total geographical area. The forest cover is classified into 3 canopy density classes.
1. Very Dense Forest (VDF) with canopy density more than 70%
2. Moderately Dense Forest (MDF) with Canopy density between 40-70% and
3. Open Forest (OF) with Canopy density between 10-40%
Improving the viability of probiotics by encapsulation methods for developmen...Open Access Research Paper
The popularity of functional foods among scientists and common people has been increasing day by day. Awareness and modernization make the consumer think better regarding food and nutrition. Now a day’s individual knows very well about the relation between food consumption and disease prevalence. Humans have a diversity of microbes in the gut that together form the gut microflora. Probiotics are the health-promoting live microbial cells improve host health through gut and brain connection and fighting against harmful bacteria. Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus are the two bacterial genera which are considered to be probiotic. These good bacteria are facing challenges of viability. There are so many factors such as sensitivity to heat, pH, acidity, osmotic effect, mechanical shear, chemical components, freezing and storage time as well which affects the viability of probiotics in the dairy food matrix as well as in the gut. Multiple efforts have been done in the past and ongoing in present for these beneficial microbial population stability until their destination in the gut. One of a useful technique known as microencapsulation makes the probiotic effective in the diversified conditions and maintain these microbe’s community to the optimum level for achieving targeted benefits. Dairy products are found to be an ideal vehicle for probiotic incorporation. It has been seen that the encapsulated microbial cells show higher viability than the free cells in different processing and storage conditions as well as against bile salts in the gut. They make the food functional when incorporated, without affecting the product sensory characteristics.
Evolving Lifecycles with High Resolution Site Characterization (HRSC) and 3-D...Joshua Orris
The incorporation of a 3DCSM and completion of HRSC provided a tool for enhanced, data-driven, decisions to support a change in remediation closure strategies. Currently, an approved pilot study has been obtained to shut-down the remediation systems (ISCO, P&T) and conduct a hydraulic study under non-pumping conditions. A separate micro-biological bench scale treatability study was competed that yielded positive results for an emerging innovative technology. As a result, a field pilot study has commenced with results expected in nine-twelve months. With the results of the hydraulic study, field pilot studies and an updated risk assessment leading site monitoring optimization cost lifecycle savings upwards of $15MM towards an alternatively evolved best available technology remediation closure strategy.
Microbial characterisation and identification, and potability of River Kuywa ...Open Access Research Paper
Water contamination is one of the major causes of water borne diseases worldwide. In Kenya, approximately 43% of people lack access to potable water due to human contamination. River Kuywa water is currently experiencing contamination due to human activities. Its water is widely used for domestic, agricultural, industrial and recreational purposes. This study aimed at characterizing bacteria and fungi in river Kuywa water. Water samples were randomly collected from four sites of the river: site A (Matisi), site B (Ngwelo), site C (Nzoia water pump) and site D (Chalicha), during the dry season (January-March 2018) and wet season (April-July 2018) and were transported to Maseno University Microbiology and plant pathology laboratory for analysis. The characterization and identification of bacteria and fungi were carried out using standard microbiological techniques. Nine bacterial genera and three fungi were identified from Kuywa river water. Clostridium spp., Staphylococcus spp., Enterobacter spp., Streptococcus spp., E. coli, Klebsiella spp., Shigella spp., Proteus spp. and Salmonella spp. Fungi were Fusarium oxysporum, Aspergillus flavus complex and Penicillium species. Wet season recorded highest bacterial and fungal counts (6.61-7.66 and 3.83-6.75cfu/ml) respectively. The results indicated that the river Kuywa water is polluted and therefore unsafe for human consumption before treatment. It is therefore recommended that the communities to ensure that they boil water especially for drinking.
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Accessible source areas were subsequently removed (2011) by soil excavation and treated with the placement of Emulsified Vegetable Oil EVO and zero-valent iron ZVI to accelerate treatment of impacted groundwater in overburden and weathered fractured bedrock. Post pilot test and post remediation groundwater monitoring has included analyses of CVOCs, organic fatty acids, dissolved gases and QuantArray® -Chlor to quantify key microorganisms (e.g., Dehalococcoides, Dehalobacter, etc.) and functional genes (e.g., vinyl chloride reductase, methane monooxygenase, etc.) to assess potential for reductive dechlorination and aerobic cometabolism of CVOCs.
In 2022, the first commercial application of MetaArray™ was performed at the site. MetaArray™ utilizes statistical analysis, such as principal component analysis and multivariate analysis to provide evidence that reductive dechlorination is active or even that it is slowing. This creates actionable data allowing users to save money by making important site management decisions earlier.
The results of the MetaArray™ analysis’ support vector machine (SVM) identified groundwater monitoring wells with a 80% confidence that were characterized as either Limited for Reductive Decholorination or had a High Reductive Reduction Dechlorination potential. The results of MetaArray™ will be used to further optimize the site’s post remediation monitoring program for monitored natural attenuation.
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Kinetic studies on malachite green dye adsorption from aqueous solutions by A...Open Access Research Paper
Water polluted by dyestuffs compounds is a global threat to health and the environment; accordingly, we prepared a green novel sorbent chemical and Physical system from an algae, chitosan and chitosan nanoparticle and impregnated with algae with chitosan nanocomposite for the sorption of Malachite green dye from water. The algae with chitosan nanocomposite by a simple method and used as a recyclable and effective adsorbent for the removal of malachite green dye from aqueous solutions. Algae, chitosan, chitosan nanoparticle and algae with chitosan nanocomposite were characterized using different physicochemical methods. The functional groups and chemical compounds found in algae, chitosan, chitosan algae, chitosan nanoparticle, and chitosan nanoparticle with algae were identified using FTIR, SEM, and TGADTA/DTG techniques. The optimal adsorption conditions, different dosages, pH and Temperature the amount of algae with chitosan nanocomposite were determined. At optimized conditions and the batch equilibrium studies more than 99% of the dye was removed. The adsorption process data matched well kinetics showed that the reaction order for dye varied with pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order. Furthermore, the maximum adsorption capacity of the algae with chitosan nanocomposite toward malachite green dye reached as high as 15.5mg/g, respectively. Finally, multiple times reusing of algae with chitosan nanocomposite and removing dye from a real wastewater has made it a promising and attractive option for further practical applications.
Epcon is One of the World's leading Manufacturing Companies.EpconLP
Epcon is One of the World's leading Manufacturing Companies. With over 4000 installations worldwide, EPCON has been pioneering new techniques since 1977 that have become industry standards now. Founded in 1977, Epcon has grown from a one-man operation to a global leader in developing and manufacturing innovative air pollution control technology and industrial heating equipment.
1. 1
ECOSYSTEM AND ITS COMPONENTS
By
Prof. A. Balasubramanian
Centre for Advanced Studies in Earth Science,
University of Mysore
Mysore
2. 2
Introduction:
Environment involves both living organisms and
the non-living physical conditions.
These two are inseparable but inter-related.
For food, shelter, growth and development, all
life systems interact with the environment.
Environment is a life supporting system.
In the subject of ecology, the term ecosystem
refers to the environment of life.
It is a self-sustaining, structural and functional
unit of biosphere.
3. 3
An ecosystem may be natural or artificial, land-
based or water-based. Artificial systems may
include a cropland, a garden, a park or an
aquarium.
In this episode, we are going to learn the
following aspects:
1. Definition of an Ecosystem
2. Biotic Components
3. Abiotic Components
4. Functions of an ecosystem
5. Processes of ecosystems
4. 4
1. DEFINITION OF AN ECOSYSTEM
The term `eco' refers to a part of the world and
`system' refers to the co-ordinating units.
The living organisms of a habitat and their
surrounding environment function together as a
single unit. This ecological unit is called as an
`ecosystem'.
An Ecosystem is a naturally occurring assemblage
of life and the environment.
5. 5
The life is referred to the biotic community
including the plants, animals and other living
organisms. This is denoted as biocoenosis, The
environment is the biotope encompassing the
physical region of life.
The term ecosystem first appeared in a publication
by the British ecologist Arthur Tansley, during
1935. An ecosystem may be of very different
size. It may be a whole forest, as well as a small
pond.
6. 6
Different ecosystems are often separated by
geographical barriers, like deserts, mountains or
oceans, or are isolated otherwise, like lakes or
rivers.
As these borders are never rigid, ecosystems tend
to blend into each other.
As a result, the whole earth can be seen as a single
ecosystem, or a lake can be divided into several
ecosystems, depending on the used scale.
7. 7
The ecosystem is an open system. It receives
energy from an outside source (the sun), as input,
fixes and utilities the energy and ultimately
dissipates the heat into space as output.
An ecosystem has a physical environment, or
factors, biological components and interactions
between them.
8. 8
Any ecosystem is characterized by a set of abiotic
and biotic factors, and functions.
The organisms in an ecosystem are usually well
balanced with each other and with their
environment.
Introduction of new environmental factors or new
species can have disastrous results, eventually
leading to the collapse of an ecosystem and the
death of many of its native species.
9. 9
The abstract notion of ecological health attempts
to measure the robustness and capacity for
recovery of a natural ecosystem.
Within an ecosystem, all living things have a
habitat or the physical area in which they live.
The habitat of an organism may include many
different areas. For Example, a mouse can be seen
in a field, garden or even in a house.
10. 10
Animals that migrate will have different habitats
during different seasons. Some birds that live in a
place during summer spend the winter in some
other place.
Macro and Micro-ecosystems:
The dimension and spread of an ecosystem may
vary. Depending upon their existance and
dimension, ecosystems are classified as
Macroecosystems and Microecosystems.
Dimensionally larger systems such as a forest or a
lake are called as macroecosystems.
11. 11
Life scientists and environmental biologists who
are interested to evaluate the functional
mechanisms of an ecosystem, may create an
experimental setup in the field or in the
laboratory. Such setup are considered to be
microecosystems.
Depending upon their matrix of research, it may
be a terrestrial microecosystem, or an aquatic
microecosystem.
12. 12
1. BIOTIC COMPONENTS
Biotic components - include all living organisms
and their products.
This group includes all animals, plants, bacteria,
fungi and their waste products like fallen leaves or
branches or excreta.
Based on their activity, biotic components are
classified into four categories as
a) producers
b) consumers
c) transformers and d) decomposers.
13. 13
Let us see these categories.
* Producers or autotrophs make their own food.
Producers, such as plants, make food through a
process called photosynthesis. This food is used
by the plant for its own energy or may be eaten by
consumers.
* Consumers or heterotrophs need to eat food that
autotrophs have produced. There are different
types of consumers. Herbivores eat plants.
Carnivores eat animals. Omnivores eat both plants
and animals.
14. 14
* Decomposers are heterotrophs that break down
the dead tissue and waste products. They play a
very important role in the ecosystem because they
recycle the nutrients. Bacteria and fungi are the
main decomposers.
PRODUCERS:
Producers are called energy transducers. They
convert solar energy into chemical energy, with
the help of organic and inorganic substances.
15. 15
The producers are called as autotrophic ( auto =
self; troph = nourishing) organisms.
They are capable of synthesizing food from non-
living inorganic compounds.
They are largely represented by green plants on
land (trees, grasses, crops) and phytoplanktons on
water.
CONSUMERS :
Consumers are the organisms, whose food
requirement are met by feeding on other
organisms. They consume the food materials
prepared by the producers (autotrophs).
16. 16
Hence, consumers are called as heterotrophic
organisms. Animals belong to this category.
Depending upon their food habits, consumers are
classified into primary, secondary and tertiary
consumers.
The PRIMARY CONSUMERS are solely feed
on plants. Herbivores are plant eaters -
grasshopper, rabbit, goat, sheep are primary
consumers.
17. 17
The SECONDARY CONSUMERS feed on some
primary consumers.
Carnivores-are flesh eaters. Eg. - Hawks ,Tiger
and Lion.
Omnivores (Biophages ) - eat both vegetables and
flesh( cockroaches, fox, humans).
18. 18
Secondary consumers are those which predate on
primary consumers. Eg. several species of insects
and fishes.
TERTIARY CONSUMERS are the predators of
predators. They are mostly larger animals.
TRANSFORMERS :
Transformers are certain types of bacteria . They
attack on materials excreted by other living
organisms (even dead plants and animals ).
19. 19
They transform the above into either organic or
inorganic substances. These substances are
suitable for the nutrition of green plants.
Transformers help in recycling the nutrients
which came as waste already.
DECOMPOSERS :
They are also called as microconsumers. They
depend on dead organic matter for their food .
They are chiefly micro organisms like bacteria
and fungi.
20. 20
They break the complex organic matter found in
plant and animal bodies, and release simple
substances . These substances will be used by
autotrophs once again.
Some invertebrate animals like protozoa and
earthworms use these dead organic matter for
their food. They are called as secondary
decomposers.
3. ABIOTIC COMPONENTS
The abiotic components are the non-living
components of the ecosystem.
They are of three categories
21. 21
1. Climatic and physical factors -air, water, soil
and sunlight; rainfall, temperature, humidity, soil
texture and geomorphic conditions.
2. Inorganic substances- There are various
nutrient elements and compounds, such as carbon,
nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorous, carbon-di-oxide,
water, etc. These are involve din the cycling of
materials in the ecosystems.
3. Organic compounds- These are proteins,
carbohydrates, lipids, humic substances, etc.
22. 22
They largely form the living body and link the
abiotic compounds with the biotic factors.
The abiotic factors determine the type of
organisms that can successfully live in a particular
area.
Some of the major non-living factors of an
ecosystem are:
Sunlight,Water, Temperature, Oxygen, Soil, Air.
23. 23
* Sunlight is necessary for photosynthesis; it
influences organisms and their environment; it has
a profound effect on the growth and development
of life.
* Water is the elixir of life; all living things
require water for their survival, but some can live
with lesser amounts
* Temperature -- all living things have a range of
temperatures in which they can survive; beyond
those limits it will be difficult for them to live.
24. 24
* Oxygen -- many living things require oxygen; it
is necessary for cellular respiration, a process
used to obtain energy from food; others are
actually killed by the presence of oxygen (certain
bacteria)
* Soil -- the type of soil, pH, amount of water it
holds, available nutrients, etc determine what type
of organism can successfully live in or on the soil;
for example, cacti live in sand, cattails in soil
saturated with water.
25. 25
The inorganic substances like nitrates, carbonates
and phosphates occur either freely or in the form
of compounds dissolved in water and soil.
Some of them are recycled by micro-organisms on
the dead bodies of plants and animals.
4. FUNCTIONS OF AN ECOSYSTEM:
A system is an organization that functions in a
particular method. The functions of an ecosystem
include
26. 26
1) Flow of energy through the medium of living
organisms and their activities
2) Food chains
3) Biodiversity and biomass
4) Circulation and transformation of elements and
nutrients
5) Development and evolution and 6) Control.
27. 27
Energy is also consumed by the autotrophs at
cellular level for the reactions related to
1. growth
2. development
3. maintenance and
4. reproduction.
The specific functional processes of an ecosystem
include
a) photosynthesis,
b) decomposition,
28. 28
c) predator - prey relations (herbivory, carnivory,
parasitism and d) symbiois.
Directly or indirectly the ecosystem's functional
concept is useful in the management of renewable
resources such as forests, watersheds, fisheries,
wildlife and agricultural crops and stock.
29. 29
5. THE INTERNAL PROCESS
Photosynthesis (Ps) and respiration (Rp) are the
two major processes involved in the production
and transformation of energy.
The rate of photosynthesis increases by an
increase of temperature.
Many other factors influence the process of
photosynthesis.
30. 30
However, it is involved
1) in the intake of radiant energy and C02 and
2) release of oxygen. Respiration is involved in
the uptake of oxygen and release of CO2 and
energy.
In the absence of light, Ps is arrested but Rp
continues. In the presence of light Ps and Rp work
together.
The total synthesis of organic matter resulting
from the exposure of light can give the Gross
Primary Production.
31. 31
The amount of organic matter stored after
expenditure (in terms of respiration) is called as
the Net Primary Production. Hence, Primary
Production is the amount of organic carbon and
Primary Productivity is the rate of production.
The net primary productivity is also called as
apparent photosynthesis or net assimilation. The
grain, straw, stalks, roots, etc harvested from a
paddy field ( after a growing. season) comprise
the net primary production.
32. 32
It is well known that animals are not capable of
synthesizing their food. So, they have to rely upon
other plants and animals for their food. There are
two biological processes involved in animal life.
They are 1. Metabolism and 2. Growth.
They require energy which is obtained from the
ingestion of food. The food, which is in excess of
the metabolic needs, is used to produce animal
tissue. This process is known as secondary
production.
33. 33
It is estimated by measuring the increase in
weight or size of the animals over a period of
time.
So, secondary productivity is the amount of new
organic matter stored by the consumers or the
heterotrophs. It is a function of the amount of
primary production in an ecosystem.
34. 34
The total quantity of organic matter present at any
given time in an ecosystem, is called as the
biomass.
Life in Ecosystems need a continuous supply of
energy for survival. Almost all the energy
available to us on earth comes from the sun. The
radiation gives heat and light. The uneven heat
develops the wind to blow. The radiation
evaporates water into the air and the evaporated
molecules arc returned back as rain.
35. 35
Plants are fundamental to all life on earth.
Because, plants have the ability to trap solar
energy falling over them and use this energy to
build living tissues. This process is called
photosynthesis.
During this process, the inorganic energy - poor
molecules (C02 and water) are converted into
organic -rich food molecules (sugars). In this way,
plants do not need to depend on other organisms.
Hence, they are treated as self nourishers or
autotrophs.
36. 36
Animals can not use the sun in this way. So, they
are dependent, directly (or) indirectly, on plants
for food. Hence, animals are treated as other
nourishers or heterotrophs.
The energy used during photosynthesis by plants
is not lost. Sugar is a product of photosynthesis.
This sugar contains stored chemical energy and
can be burnt to produce heat. Now, in this
process, C02 and water are released as by-
products.
37. 37
Sugar combines with oxygen inside the living
cells and produce some output, under a slow rate.
This process is called as respiration. It releases the
'energy in the form of complex molecules for use
in maintaining the cell functions.
Plants are engaged in both photosynthesis and
respiration. Animals can not make their own food.
They must eat other organisms to obtain the
energy rich molecules for survival. Therefore,
they are the major consumers.
38. 38
Animals are technically called as heterotrophs (
other - nourishing ).
Habitat destruction:
A forest is a living world for organisms and
plants.
Due to some events, a change in the setup may
occur which will ultimately affect the ecosystem.
39. 39
For example, cutting the trees in a forest is
considered to be a habitat destruction:
This activity
a) destroys the homes of some animals,
b) increases the amount of light that reaches the
forest floor,
c) reduces the amount of food for organisms that
depend on those trees,
d) reduces the amount of carbon dioxide taken
from the air and oxygen released into it.
40. 40
As a result of this habitat destruction, some
organisms may become threatened, endangered
and eventually extinct.
Hence, it is necessary to protect and preserve the
ecosystems.