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ECOSYSTEM
ECOSYSTEM- A.G.TANSLEY
❖ Functional unit of NATURE
❖ Living organisms interact with
each other
❖ And also with physical
environment
❖
Biotic and Abiotic factors
BIOTIC FACTORS
❏ All the living organisms that affect other organism

❏ Animals & Plants

❏ Microorganism

❏ Dead organisms

❏ Animal waste
Biotic and Abiotic factors
MAJOR ABIOTIC FACTORS

● Temperature
● Water
● Light
● Soil
● Air
ECOSYSTEM
❖ Two basic categories: terrestrial & Aquatic
ECOSYSTEM
Two basic categories

❖ Terrestrial: Forest, ❖ Aquatic: pond, lake,

grassland and wetland, river and
desert estuary
Terrestrial Ecosystem
Aquatic Ecosystem
ECOSYSTEM - structure & Function
❖ Maintenance of an Ecosystem: The
interactions between the various
biotic and abiotic factors
❖ Stratification: vertical distribution
of the different species occupying
the different levels.
❖ Example: trees occur at a higher
level then shrubs.
ECOSYSTEM - structure & Function
❖ Global ecosystem: Biosphere
❖ Biotic & Abiotic factors: act as
Functional unit
ECOSYSTEM - structure & Function

❖ The various aspects taken into

consideration to study the
functioning of ecosystem are:
➢ Productivity
➢ Decomposition
➢ Energy flow
➢ Nutrient cycling
ECOSYSTEM - structure & Function
Ethos of an aquatic ecosystem

❏ Example: POND
❏ Self-sustainable unit
❏ Explain complex
interactions that exist

❏ Shallow water body

ECOSYSTEM - structure & Function
Four basic components

Abiotic components

Climatic conditions

Autotrophic components

Consumers & decomposers

ECOSYSTEM - structure & Function
Pond performs following functions

Conversion: inorganic Solar radiant energy organic

material

Consumption: Autotrophs by heterotrophs

Decomposition: of dead matter

Mineralization: To release them back for reuse by

autotrophs
ECOSYSTEM - structure & Function
Events repeated over and over again

unidirectional movement of energy

towards the higher trophic levels

dissipation and loss as heat to the environment

PRODUCTIVITY
❏ Solar energy is the basic requirement for any ecosystem to function
and sustain
productivity The rate of biomass production.
g-2yr-1(kcal m-2) yr -1

Secondary production
Primary production

Rate of formation of
Gross primary Net primary new organic matter
production production by consumers
PRODUCTIVITY
Primary productivity varies in different ecosystems, because depends on,

Plant species inhabiting a particular area

Environmental factors

Availability of nutrients

Photosynthetic capacity of plants

DECOMPOSITION
Breakdown of complex organic matter into inorganic substances
(CO2,Water & nutrients) by Decomposers

Oxygen requiring process

Detritus - Dead plant remains, dead remains of animals, fecal matter etc

Detrivores (e.g., earthworm)

Animal and Plant decomposition
Process of Decomposition
Steps involved

Fragmentation: Breakdown of detritus

Leaching: enters the soil and Precipitates

Catabolism: Detritus degradation by

enzymes

Humification: Humus (dark amorphous

substance) accumulation

Mineralization: Humus degrades and

release minerals
Decomposition cycle
Factors influencing decomposition

Chemical Climatic factors

composition of (Temperature &
detritus soil moisture)

Warm & moist Low

Quicker if
Slower in environment temperature &
detritus rich in
detritus rich in favors anaerobiosis
Nitrogen &
Lignin & chitin decomposition inhibit
water soluble
decomposition
substance
ENERGY FLOW
ENERGY FLOW
❏ Sun, the only source of energy for all ecosystems on Earth
❏ Incident Solar Radiation: less than 50% is photosynthetically Active
Radiation (PAR)

❏ Sun’s radiant energy-fix-Autotrophs & photo-chemosynthetic

bacteria
❏ Plant capture 2-10% of the PAR

❏ Unidirectional flow of energy- FIRST LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS

❏ Constant supply of energy to synthesise molecule - SECOND LAW OF
THERMODYNAMICS
Producers
❏ Autotrophs

❏ Terrestrial ecosystem:
Herbaceous & woody plants

❏ Aquatic ecosystem:
Phytoplankton, algae & higher
plants

❏ Energy trapped passed on to a

consumer or he organism dies
Consumers
❏ Heterotrophs
❏ Animals depending on
Producers(plants)

❏ Primary consumers: Herbivores - Feed

on plants
❏ Eg. Insects, Birds, Mammals, Molluscs

❏ Secondary consumers: Primary

carnivores - Feed on herbivores
❏ Eg. Friog, fox, man etc

❏ Tertiary consumers: Secondary

carnivores - Feed on primary carnivores
❏ Eg. Tiger, lion etc
CHAIN relationship - FOOD CHAIN
❏ Chain of feeding relationship between
Food Chain
di erent organisms

Grazing food Detritus food

chain(GFC):
Consumers feeds on
living
plants(producers)
E.g., Grass-Goat-Man
chain(DFC):
Primary consumer feeds
on dead organic
matter(detritus).
Death of organism is the
beginning of DFC
Grazing and detritus food chain
❏ Aquatic ecosystem: GFC is major conduit of energy

❏ Terrestrial ecosystem: Energy flow is through DFC than GFC

FOOD WEB
❏ DFC may be connected with
GFC at some levels

❏ Some organisms of DGC are

prey to the GFC animals

❏ Interconnections of food
chain - FOOD WEB
Trophic level
❏ Specific place of an organism in food chain
Dead Biomass
❏ Amount of energy decreases at successive trophic levels

❏ Dead biomass(Detritus)- Dead organism (plants/animals) - Energy

source for decomposers
Energy flow through trophic level
Energy loss as HEAT
 38

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