The Ecosystem - Structure and Function

Ecology and Ecosystem

The term Ecology was coined by Earnst Haeckel in 1869. Derived from the Greek words Oikos- home logos- study Deals with the study of organisms and interactions with y g their surroundings. The concept of Ecosystem was introduced by Tansley in 1935 The surroundings or environment consists of other living organisms (biotic) and physical (abiotic) components. i (bi i ) d h i l ( bi i )

Definitions:
I. An ecosystem is a group of biotic communities of species interacting with one another and with their non-living environment exchanging energy and matter.

II. An ecosystem is an integrated unit consisting of interacting plants, animals and microorganisms whose survival depends upon the maintenance and regulation of their biotic and abiotic structures and functions.

ECOSYSTEM STRUCTURE & FUNCTION BIOTIC Producers Consumers Decomposers ABIOTIC Physical Chemical FUNCTIONAL Food chains & Webs Energy Flow Cycling f C li of Nutrients Productivity

Light Intensity Temperature T Precipitation Atmosphere/wind Fire

STRUCTURAL FEATURES
I. I Biotic Structure
Includes plants, animals and microorganisms Different nutritional behaviour Status in the ecosystems The biotic components include p (a) Producers: Primarily green plants, also include some kinds of microbes synthesize their food by the process of Photosynthesis (Blue green algae, cyanobacteria) Also called as Photo autotrophs (auto=self; troph=food, photo=light). Some microorganisms produce organic matter through oxidation of chemicals known as chemosynthetic organisms or chemoautotrophs Ex: Sulphur bacteria

Different colors around the edge of the pool come from different types of bacteria living at different temperatures and acidity.

(b) Consumers i. i Get their organic food by feeding upon other organisms ii. Consumers include the following types:
Herbivores (plant eaters): (p )

Feed directly on producers also known as primary consumers. e.g. rabbit, insect, man.
Carnivores (meat eaters)

They feed on other consumers If they feed on herbivores they are called secondary consumers (e.g.frog) If they feed on other carnivores they are known as tertiary carnivores/consumers. i / (snake, big fish etc.)

Omnivores They feed on both plants and animals(Producers and consumers) e.g. humans, rat, fox, many birds. Detritivores (Detritus feeders or Saprotrophs) They feed on dead organisms wastes of living organisms and partially decomposed matter e.g. beetles, termites, ants, crabs, earthworm, etc.

(c) Decomposers
Derive their nutrition by breaking down the complex organic y g p g molecules to simpler molecules organic compounds Various bacteria and fungi are decomposers

Herbivores

Carnivores

Detritivores

ABIOTIC COMPONENTS OF ECOSYSTEM

Light Intensity The radiant energy from the sun is the basic requirement for the gy q existence of life on the earth. This source of energy is of fundamental importance to the photosynthetic production of food by plants Light Intensity is not a lethal ecological factor Illumination or Light intensity is measured in lux The life on earth is related to the following radiations i. ii. Infra-red radiation Visible light

iii. Ultraviolet di ti iii Ult i l t radiation

Temperature
The essential and changeable environmental factor. Penetrates i into every region of the biosphere and influences i f h bi h d i fl all forms of life Heat budget of the planet Causes increasing or decreasing some of the vital activities of organism such as a. b. c. d. behaviour metabolism Reproduction death.

Optimum temperature or the optimum range of temperature. Organisms react to any rise or fall of the optimum temperature range Temperature is a measure of the intensity of heat Expressed as degrees on either the Fahrenheit or Celsius scale

Precipitation.
The moisture falling on an area in liquid, or frozen form Includes all moisture that comes to earth in the form of rain, snow, hail and dew. The hi f Th chief source of soil water f il t Water cycle or Hydrological cycle Depends upon season wind air pressure and temperature season, wind, Result of the cooling and condensation of water vapour at high altitudes. The low temperature at high altitudes cools the air, which gets saturated and p g , g loses its water-holding capacity. As the temperature starts falling, the water vapour condenses and falls as rain due to gravity. Depending on the environmental conditions, precipitation falls as hail, snow or rain

Fire
Fire is an interesting ecofactor ecofactor. More common in drier habitats than the wet. Lightening is the commonest natural cause of fire initiation. g g Our earths surface is hit by lightening every second in one or another part of the globe and many of these are of great magnitude. Falling rocks and dried woods Volcanoes Imp role in mineral and elemental recycling

WIND FACTOR
The strong moving current of air is An important ecological factor of the atmosphere Transpiration Causing C i several types of mechanical damage lt f h i ld Dissemination of pollen, seeds and fruits Moves from a region of high pressure to low pressure The pressure differences are mainly due to differential heating of atmosphere Air generally moves from p g y poles towards equator q Formation of cyclones, tornados, etc