Chapter 3

ECOSYSTEMS

What is an ecosystem?
An ecosystem is a self-sustained community of plants and
animals existing in its own environment.
The term ecosystem may be defined as a system resulting
from the integration of all the living and non living factors of
the

environment.

Desert,

Forest,

Mountains, etc. are all ecosystems.

Ocean,

Grasslands,

Biome and Biosphere

A

Biome

is

ecosystems.

The

collection
sum

total

of

related

of

all

the

ecosystems on planet earth is called the

biosphere, which includes all the earths
living

organisms

physical

interacting

environment

as

with
whole

maintain a steady state ecosystem.

the
to

Ecology and Ecosystem

The two terms are commonly used together but
there is a difference between them.
Ecosystem is the basic and functional unit of
ecology.
Ecology is the branch of science that studies the
interrelationships between the living organisms
with their environment.

Classification of Ecosystems

Natural Ecosystems
Ecosystems

and Man Made/Artificial

Natural Ecosystems
Ecosystems which are the gifts of nature
are called natural
forests,

oceans,

ecosystems. Deserts,
grasslands,

natural ecosystems .

etc.

are

Man Made/Artificial Ecosystems

Ecosystems which are engineered by man
are called Man Made or artificial ecosystems.
Examples

Gardens,

agricultural fields, etc.

Man

made

lakes,

Natural Vs Artificial Ecosystems

(i)

Natural Ecosystem
Plants of one species are often scattered

(i)

Artificial Ecosystem
Plants of the small species grow
in close proximity

(ii)

Natural ecosystems usually have alternate

sources of food available if one fails.

(ii)

Artificial ecosystems usually

contain less food choices.

(iii)

Natural ecosystem is developed under

natural conditions.

(iii)

Artificial ecosystem is created

and manipulated by human
activities.

(iv)

In a natural ecosystem the inorganic

nutrients are returned to the soil from
which they were taken.

(iv)

In artificial ecosystems, the

inorganic nutrients do not return
to the soil but are carried away
at some other places.

(v)

Natural ecosystems have no distinct

boundaries.

(v)

Artificial ecosystems have

distinct boundaries.

Structure of Ecosystems
All ecosystems whether natural
or man made consist of the
following two components
Abiotic Components (Non living
Components )
Biotic Components (Living
Components)

A comparative account of different ec

Type of ecosystem

Abiotic Factors

Biotic Factors

Grassland Ecosystem

Inorganic elements like C,

H, N along with climatic
components like
temperature, rainfall, light,
etc

Main producers are grasses

along with the presence of
different levels of
consumers

Desert Ecosystem

Low rainfall, high

temperature and sandy
soil are the main features

Cactus, Opuntia, etc thorny

plants are present.
Consumers include insects,
reptiles, snakes, rodents,
etc.

Forest Ecosystem

Inorganic and organic

substances found in soil
and the climatic factors
like rainfall, temperature,
wind, etc.

Producers comprise of
different kinds of trees,
shrubs, etc. Consumers
have a wide range with
representations from
primary secondary and
tertiary consumers like
deer, elephant, tiger,etc.

Pond Ecosystem

Atmospheric gases are

dissolved in water,
minerals are also found in
dissolved state

Submerged, emergent
aquatic plants are present.
Small fishes, beetles,
mollusca, are also found

Functions of Ecosystems
The key functional aspects of the ecosystem
are:
(1)Food Chain and Food Web
(2)Energy Flow
(3)Nutrient cycling
(4) Development and stabilization

Food Chain

The process of eating and being eaten

Grazing and Detritus Food Chain

Grazing Food Chain

Detritus Food Chain

Food web
Intermixing of food chains

Energy Flow in Ecosystems

First Law of Thermodynamics energy can neither be created nor
destroyed but only is transformed from one form to another.
Second

Law

of

Thermodynamics-The

second

law

of

thermodynamics states that no energy transformations are 100%

efficient.
10 Percent Rule of Energy
As a rule of thumb, 90 percent of the energy involved is degraded at
each trophic transfer and only 10 percent of the energy is conserved
in the organism's tissue.

Nutrient cycling
The movement, and exchange of organic and
inorganic matter back into the production of
living matter.

Carbon Cycle

Carbon is absorbed through three major links

in nature: the oceans, the atmosphere and the
terrestrial system

Nitrogen
Cycle
Nitrogen
Fixation
Assimilation
Ammonificatio
n
Nitrification
Denitrification

Phosphorus cycle
The phosphorus cycle is a sedimentary cycle and , the atmosphere
is not a reservoir for phosphorous nor do microorganisms fix
phosphorus as they do nitrogen !!

Ecological Succession

Environment is always kept on changing over a period of

time due to
(i)variations in climatic and physiographic factors, and
(ii) the activities of the species of the communities
themselves.

Ecological Succession is an orderly sequence of different

communities over a period of time.

Types of ecological succession

Primary Succession
Succession

Secondary

Primary succession is the process by which an

area first changes from bare rock into a
functioning ecosystem. Secondary succession is
the process by which an ecosystem that has
been destroyed gradually returns to its previous

Process / Stages of Ecological

Succession
Nudation
Invasion
Competition
Stabilization

Homeostasis in ecosystem

Homeostasis is referred to as balance of nature.

An ecosystem maintains a biological equilibrium
between the different components and this
property is referred to as homeostasis.

The ability of a community to establish itself in a

different habitat or area is also a form of

Ecosystems
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