THE ECOSYSTEM

• The ecosystem is the structural and functional unit of ecology where

the living organisms interact with each other and the surrounding
environment.
• In other words, an ecosystem is a chain of interaction between
organisms and their environment.
TYPES OF ECOSYSTEM
An ecosystem can be as small as an oasis in a desert, or as big as an
ocean, spanning thousands of miles. There are two types of ecosystem:
• Terrestrial Ecosystem
• Aquatic Ecosystem
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS

FORESTS
TYPES OF TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
Terrestrial ecosystems are exclusively land-based ecosystems. There are
different types of terrestrial ecosystems distributed around various
geological zones. They are as follows:
1. Forest Ecosystems
2. Grassland Ecosystems
3. Tundra Ecosystems
4. Desert Ecosystem
 FOREST ECOSYSTEM
A forest ecosystem consists of several plants, animals and
microorganisms that live in coordination with the abiotic factors of the
environment. Forests help in maintaining the temperature of the earth
and are the major carbon sink.
FOREST ECOSYSTEM
GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEM
In a grassland ecosystem, the vegetation is dominated by grasses and
herbs. Temperate grasslands, savanna grasslands are some of the
examples of grassland ecosystems.
GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEM
 TUNDRA ECOSYSTEM
Tundra ecosystems are devoid of trees and are found in cold climates or
where rainfall is scarce. These are covered with snow for most of the
year. The ecosystem in the Arctic or mountain tops is tundra type.
TUNDRA ECOSYSTEM
DESERT ECOSYSTEM
Deserts are found throughout the world. These are regions with very
little rainfall. The days are hot and the nights are cold.
DESERT ECOSYSTEM
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
TYPES OF AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
Aquatic ecosystems are ecosystems present in a body of water. These
can be further divided into two types, namely:
• Freshwater Ecosystem
• Marine Ecosystem
FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEM
The freshwater ecosystem is an aquatic ecosystem that includes lakes,
ponds, rivers, streams and wetlands. These have no salt content in
contrast with the marine ecosystem.
FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEM
MARINE ECOSYSTEM
The marine ecosystem includes seas and oceans. These have a more
substantial salt content and greater biodiversity in comparison to the
freshwater ecosystem.
MARINE ECOSYSTEM
STRUCTURE OF THE ECOSYSTEM
The structure of an ecosystem is characterised by the organisation of
both biotic and abiotic components. This includes the distribution of
energy in our environment. It also includes the climatic conditions
prevailing in that particular environment.
The structure of an ecosystem can be split into two main components,
namely:
• Biotic Components
• Abiotic Components
STRUCTURE OF THE ECOSYSTEM
 BIOTIC COMPONENTS
Biotic components refer to all life in an ecosystem. Based on nutrition, biotic components can be categorised into
autotrophs, heterotrophs and saprotrophs (or decomposers).
• Producers include all autotrophs such as plants. They are called autotrophs as they can produce food through the
process of photosynthesis. Consequently, all other organisms higher up on the food chain rely on producers for food.
• Consumers or heterotrophs are organisms that depend on other organisms for food. Consumers are further
classified into primary consumers, secondary consumers and tertiary consumers.
• Primary consumers are always herbivores that they rely on producers for food.
• Secondary consumers depend on primary consumers for energy. They can either be a carnivore or an omnivore.
• Tertiary consumers are organisms that depend on secondary consumers for food. Tertiary consumers can also be an
omnivore.
• Quaternary consumers are present in some food chains. These organisms prey on tertiary consumers for energy.
Furthermore, they are usually at the top of a food chain as they have no natural predators.
• Decomposers include saprophytes such as fungi and bacteria. They directly thrive on the dead and decaying
organic matter. Decomposers are essential for the ecosystem as they help in recycling nutrients to be reused by
plants.
ABIOTIC COMPONENTS
Abiotic components are the non-living component of an ecosystem. It
includes air, water, soil, minerals, sunlight, temperature, nutrients, wind,
altitude, turbidity, etc.
 FUNCTIONS OF
ECOSYSTEM
1. It regulates the essential ecological processes, supports life systems and
renders stability.
2. It is also responsible for the cycling of nutrients between biotic and
abiotic components.
3. It maintains a balance among the various trophic levels in the ecosystem.
4. It cycles the minerals through the biosphere.
5. The abiotic components help in the synthesis of organic components that
involves the exchange of energy.
FOOD CHAIN
• The sun is the ultimate source of energy on earth. It provides the energy required for
all plant life. The plants utilize this energy for the process of photosynthesis, which is
used to synthesize their food.
• During this biological process, light energy is converted into chemical energy and is
passed on through successive levels. The flow of energy from a producer, to a
consumer and eventually, to an apex predator or a detritivore is called the food chain.
• Dead and decaying matter, along with organic debris, is broken down into its
constituents by scavengers. The reducers then absorb these constituents. After
gaining the energy, the reducers liberate molecules to the environment, which can be
utilized again by the producers.
FOOD CHAIN
FOOD WEB
• A food web is the natural interconnection of food chains and a
graphical representation of what-eats-what in an ecological community.
ECOLOGICAL PYRAMIDS
• An ecological pyramid is a graphical representation of the relationship
between different organisms in an ecosystem. Each of the bars that
make up the pyramid represents a different trophic level, and their
order, which is based on who eats whom, represents the flow of energy.
• Energy moves up the pyramid, starting with the primary producers, or
autotrophs, such as plants and algae at the very bottom, followed by
the primary consumers, which feed on these plants, then secondary
consumers, which feed on the primary consumers, and so on.
TYPES OF INTERSPECIFIC INTERACTIONS

• Mutualism: both species benefit from interaction, such as bacteria in the gut
that speed digestion (+/+).
• Commensalism: one species benefits without affecting the other, such as a
spider spinning a web on a plant (+/0).
• Parasitism: one species benefits, but the other is harmed, such as pathogenic
microbes (+/-).
• Predation: one species preys on the other for survival (+/-).
• Competition: two species fight over limited resources (-/-).
MUTUALISM
COMMENSALISM
PARASITISM
PREDATION
COMPETITION
ECOLOGICAL NICHE

• In ecology, a niche is the role or job of a species in a habitat. The word niche comes
from the French word nicher, which means “to nest.” An ecological niche describes
how a species interacts with, and lives in, its habitat.
• Ecological niches have specific characteristics, such as availability of nutrients,
temperature, terrain, sunlight and predators, which dictate how, and how well, a
species survives and reproduces.
• A species carves out a niche for itself in a habitat by being able to adapt and diverge
from other species. Modern-day ecologists study ecological niches in terms of the
impact the species has on its environment, as well as the species’ requirements.
WHAT IS ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION?
• Ecological succession is the steady and gradual change in a species of
a given area with respect to the changing environment. It is a
predictable change and is an inevitable process of nature as all the
biotic components have to keep up with the changes in our
environment.
• The ultimate aim of this process is to reach equilibrium in the
ecosystem. The community that achieves this aim is called a climax
community. In an attempt to reach this equilibrium, some species
increase in number while some other decrease.
TYPES OF ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION
Primary Succession
• Primary succession is the succession that starts in lifeless areas such as
the regions devoid of soil or the areas where the soil is unable to sustain
life.
• When the planet was first formed there was no soil on earth. The earth
was only made up of rocks. These rocks were broken down by
microorganisms and eroded to form soil. The soil then becomes the
foundation of plant life. These plants help in the survival of different
animals and progress from primary succession to the climax community.
TYPES OF ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION
Secondary Succession
• Secondary succession occurs when the primary ecosystem gets
destroyed. For eg., a climax community gets destroyed by fire. It gets
recolonized after the destruction. This is known as secondary ecological
succession. Small plants emerge first, followed by larger plants. The tall
trees block the sunlight and change the structure of the organisms
below the canopy. Finally, the climax community arrives.
TYPES OF ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION
Cyclic Succession
• This is only the change in the structure of an ecosystem on a cyclic
basis. Some plants remain dormant for the rest of the year and emerge
all at once. This drastically changes the structure of an ecosystem.