Ecosystem, forms and components of the ecosystem, interdependence and imbalances in the ecosystem, various activities that destroy the ecosystem.

1. ECOSYSTEM
UNDERSTANDING THE
CONCEPT OF THE
ECOSYSTEM

2. • Ecology is the
study of the
ecosystem.
• An ecologist is
one who studies
ecosystem
• Eugene Odum is
the father of
ecology.

3. DEFINITION
• Ecosystem refers to the interactions that occur between
biotic and abiotic components of the environment.
Examples are; forest, aquatic and grassland
ecosystems.
• Environment refers to the things we see around us
without basically majoring on the interactions that
exist between them.
• Flora and fauna found in the ecosystem depends on
each other to survive with termed as interdependence.

4. FORMS OF ECOSYSTEMS
NATURAL ECOSYSTEM
• It operates by itself without
human assistance.
• Example 1: Terrestrial
ecosystems like grassland,
forest and desert.
• Example 2: Aquatic
ecosystems like ocean river
and estuary.
ARTIFICIAL ECOSYSTEM
• It is a man made ecosystem
that is artificially
maintained.
• Example 1: Zoos, dams,
orchards and gardens

5. COMPONENTS OF THE ECOSYSTEM
BIOTIC
• The living
component of
the ecosystem
• Example:
Animals and
plants
ABIOTIC
HABITAT
The non-living
component of
the ecosystem.
Example:
Sunlight, water,
soil and climate
HABITAT
The part of the
ecosystem where
living things live or a
geographical place
where species resides

6. ORGANISMS PRESENT IN THE ECOSYSTEM
• There are three main organisms present in the ecosystem
depending on the manner in with they obtain their food.
• Producers, consumers and decomposers
• Producers make and consume their own food through
photosynthesis. Example: plants (therefore, only producers are
autotrophs)
• Consumers are organisms which takes food from producers.
Example: animals (all consumers are hertotrophs)
• Consumers can be classified into, herbivores, carnivores and
omnivores

7. ORGANISMS PRESENT IN THE ECOSYSTEM
•Herbivores are the animals that only feed on plants. Example:
rabbit, dear etc. they are also known as the primary consumers
•Carnivores are the organisms that only feed on animals
•Small carnivores are secondary consumers(dog), whiles large
carnivores are tertiary consumers(lion, tiger).
•Omnivores are the organisms that feed on both plants and
animals. Example: Human beings
•Decomposers break down complex organic substances into
simpler organic substances. They are also heterotrophs
because they use these organic substances for their nutrition.

8. FOOD CHAIN AND FOOD WEB
• Food chain is the flow of energy from the lower trophic level to the
higher. With this, organisms obtain food by depending on those
lower in the order of hierarchy.
• It shows how every organism is dependent on each other for
survival
• Food wed is a network of food chains

9. TROPHIC LEVELS
• Tracing who eats whom, every organism can be classified into a
trophic level. This is the position an organism occupies in the
food chain.

10. FIGURE-I SHOWS THE ENVIRONMENT WITH
SOME ECOSYSTEMS WE CAN FIND IN IT

11. PRACTICALITY OF THE INTERDEPENDENCE
RELATIONSIP IN THE ECOSYSTEM
i) The Family
• All members of the family
depends on each other to
survive and so is the
ecosystem
ii) Seesaw

12. CAUSES OF IMBALANCES IN THE
ECOSYSTEM
1) Illegal mining (galamsay): the deplorable state of this sites
can tell how worse forest ecosystems are performing.
2) Environmental degradation: In bits, with regards to all
contributing factors, undermining the impact of degrading
the environment would even to an extent lead to
endangering certain plants and animals.
3) Climate change: The continual change in our weather
patterns is leading to changes in our ecosystems