ROLL NO: 26-30
1. DHANSHREE DHINDALE
2. ANKITA SHID
3. VAISHNAVI NANEKAR
4. SHEEFA PATHAN
5. KIRTAN PATEL
INTRODUCTION TO
ECOSYSTEM &
BIODIVERSITY.
What is ECOSYSTEM?
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms
(plants, animals and microbes) in a particular area.
The term `eco' refers to a part of the world and
`system' refers to the co-ordinating units. An
ecosystem is a community of organisms and their
physical environment interacting together.
An ecosystem is a 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 interactions
between organisms and their environment.
Structure of ECOSYSTEM?
BIOTIC COMPONENTS:
Biotic:
This components refer to all living components 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.
Decomposers :
It 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.
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:
They are always herbivores as they rely on
producers for food.
Secondary consumers:
It depend on primary consumers for energy. They can either be
carnivores or omnivores.
Tertiary consumers :
The organisms that depend on secondary consumers for food.
Tertiary consumers can also be carnivores or omnivores.
Quaternary consumers
They 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.
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.
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:
A. Terrestrial Ecosystem
B. Aquatic Ecosystem
Terrestrial Ecosystem
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 Ecosystem
2. Grassland Ecosystem
3. Tundra Ecosystem
4. Desert Ecosystem
5. Forest Ecosystem
Forest Ecosystem:
A forest ecosystem consists of several plants, particularly trees,
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.
Grassland Ecosystem:
In a grassland ecosystem, the vegetation is dominated by grasses and
herbs. Temperate grasslands and tropical or savanna grasslands are
examples of grassland ecosystems.
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. Tundra type of ecosystem is found in the Arctic or
mountain tops.
Desert Ecosystem:
Deserts are found throughout the world. These are regions with little
rainfall and scarce vegetation. The days are hot, and the nights are
cold.
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM are ecosystems present in a body
of water. These can be further divided into two types, namely:
1) Freshwater Ecosystem
2) 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.
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.
What is Biodiversity?
Biodiversity describes the richness and variety of life on earth. It is the
most complex and important feature of our planet. Without biodiversity,
life would not sustain.
The term biodiversity was coined in 1985. It is important in natural as
well as artificial ecosystems. It deals with nature’s variety, the
biosphere. It refers to variabilities among plants, animals and
microorganism species.
Biodiversity includes the number of different organisms and their
relative frequencies in an ecosystem. It also reflects the organization of
organisms at different levels.
Biodiversity holds ecological and economic significance. It provides us
with nourishment, housing, fuel, clothing and several other resources. It
also extracts monetary benefits through tourism. Therefore, it is very
important to have a good knowledge of biodiversity for a sustainable
livelihood.
Types of Biodiversity
There are the following three different types of
biodiversity:
1) Genetic Biodiversity
2) Species Biodiversity
3) Ecological Biodiversity
1. Genetic Biodiversity:
It refers to the variations among the genetic resources of the organisms. Every
individual of a particular species differs from each other in their genetic
constitution. That is why every human looks different from each other. Similarly,
there are different varieties in the same species of rice, wheat, maize, barley, etc.
2. Ecological diversity:
An ecosystem is a collection of living and non-living organisms and their
interaction with each other. Ecological biodiversity refers to the variations in the
plant and animal species living together and connected by food chains and food
webs.
It is the diversity observed among the different ecosystems in a region. Diversity
in different ecosystems like deserts, rainforests, mangroves, etc., include
ecological diversity.
3. Species diversity :
Species diversity refers to the variety of different types of species found in a
particular area. It is the biodiversity at the most basic level. It includes all the
species ranging from plants to different microorganisms.
No two individuals of the same species are exactly similar. For example, humans
show a lot of diversity among themselves.
The importance of
biodiversity?
Importance of Biodiversity: Biodiversity has a number of
functions on the Earth. These are as follows:Maintaining
the balance of the ecosystem: Recycling and storage of
nutrients, combating pollution, stabilizing climate,
protecting water resources, forming and protecting soil and
maintaining eco-balance
Provision of biological resources: Provision of medicines
and pharmaceuticals, food for the human population and
animals, ornamental plants, wood products, breeding stock
and diversity of species, ecosystems and genes.
Social benefits: Recreation and tourism, cultural value and
education and research.
