An ecosystem refers to a dynamic community of living and non-living things that interact within a defined area. It includes biotic components like producers, consumers, and decomposers as well as abiotic factors like climate and soil. Energy and nutrients cycle through the ecosystem as organisms obtain energy by eating producers or each other and then returning nutrients to the environment through decomposition. Ecosystems strive for balance and resilience to adapt to changes through processes like trophic levels, nutrient cycling, and energy flow. Examples of ecosystem types include terrestrial, aquatic, and artificial human-made systems.

1. ECOSYSTEM
"Thriving together, nature's
symphony."

2. INTRODUCTION
§The German Zeologist E. Haeckel in 1966,
Oekologie to the inter-relationships of living
organisms and their environment.
•The word ecology comes from two Greek words “oikos” meaning
‘household’ or ‘home’ or ‘place to live or habitation’ and
“logos” meaning “discourse” or ‘study’.

3. ECOSYSTEM
An ecosystem refers to a dynamic and
interconnected community of living
organisms, along with their physical
environment, interacting as a functional
unit.

4. CONCEPT OF ECOSYSTEM
❏ The concept of an ecosystem is based on the idea that in
nature, living organisms and their surrounding environment are
deeply intertwined and interdependent.
❏ An ecosystem encompasses both living (biotic) and non-
living (abiotic) components that interact with each other within
a defined area.
❏ These interactions involve the flow of energy, the cycling of
nutrients, and the exchange of matter and information.

5. BIOTIC COMPONENTS:
Producers: These
are typically plants and
other photosynthetic
organisms that capture
energy from sunlight and
convert it into food
through photosynthesis.

6. Consumers:
These are animals that feed on
plants (herbivores) or other
animals (carnivores and
omnivores) to obtain energy
and nutrients.

7. Decomposers:
Organisms like bacteria and
fungi break down dead organic
matter, recycling nutrients back
into the ecosystem.

8. ABIOTIC COMPONENTS:
❏ Physical Environment: This includes factors like
climate, temperature, rainfall, sunlight, soil type, and
topography, which shape the habitat.
❏ Chemical Environment: Elements and compounds
necessary for life, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, water,
and minerals, are part of the ecosystem's chemical makeup.

9. INTERACTIONS & PROCESSES:
❏ Energy Flow: Energy travels through the ecosystem as
organisms eat, are consumed, and are decomposed.
Energy is gradually lost as heat at each trophic level
(producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer,
etc.).

10. INTERACTIONS & PROCESSES:
❏ Nutrient Cycling: Elements like carbon, nitrogen,
and phosphorus cycle through the ecosystem as
they are used by living organisms and returned to
the environment through processes like
decomposition and nutrient uptake by plants.

11. ❏ Trophic Levels:
Organisms are grouped
into trophic levels based
on their position in the
food chain. Producers are
at the bottom, followed by
primary, secondary, and
sometimes higher-level
consumers.

12. ❏ Balance and Resilience: Ecosystems strive to
maintain a balance between populations of
different species and their environmental
conditions. This balance contributes to the
ecosystem's resilience, allowing it to
withstand disturbances and adapt to changes.

13. ❏ Ecological Services: Ecosystems provide a
range of services, including clean air and
water, pollination of plants, regulation of
climate, and soil fertility. These services are
essential for both the ecosystem itself and
human well-being.

14. TYPES OF ECOSYSTEM
1.Permanent and Natural ecosystem.
•These operate under natural conditions without any interference (even
by human beings).
These can be further classified in to:
i.Terrestrial ecosystem
ii.Aquatic ecosystem

15. Terrestrial ecosystems operate on land hence
Forest, Desert and grassland and Agro-ecosystems
included in this type.
Aquatic ecosystem operates in water. It can
be divided in two:
a)Fresh water ecosystem
b)Marine ecosystem

16. 2.Temporary and Natural ecosystems.
oThese are short lived but operate under natural
conditions.
3.Artificial or Anthropogenic ecosystems.
oThese are man-made like fishery tanks dams,
croplands and space ecosystems also.
oFish aquarium is also come under this head.

17. Ecological Succession
1.It is an orderly process of community development that
involves changes in species structure and community
processes with time, it is reasonably directional and
therefore predictable.

20. Food Chains
1.Grazing Food Chain: This type of food chain starts from
green plants and ends to carnivores by passing through herbivores.

21. 2.Detritus Food Chain: The term detritus is given to
organic wastes, exudates and dead matter derived from grazing
food chain.

22. Food Webs
1)Grass ® Grasshopper ® Predatory bird (Hawk)
2)Grass ® Grasshopper ® Lizard ® Hawk
3)Grass ® Rabbit ® Hawk (or vulture or man)
4)Grass ® Mouse/Rat ® Hawk
5)Grass ® Mouse/Rat ® Snake ® Hawk.

24. THANK YOU !