Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants, animals, and micro-organisms in an area functioning together with all the non-living physical factors of the environment. According to British ecologist Arthur Tansley (1935), an ecosystem is a system that arises from the integration of all living and non-living factors of the
environment. 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, ocean,Grasslands, Mountains, etc. are all ecosystems. An ecosystem can be as large as the Sahara Desert, or as small.
ecosystems .
• Consumers: All organisms which get their organic food by feeding upon other organisms.
Herbivores , Carnivores, Omnivores, Detritivores
• Decomposers: They derive their nutrition by breaking down the complex organic molecules to
simpler organic compounds and ultimately into inorganic nutrients. Bacteria and fungi are
decomposers.
average temperature, maximum-minimum temperature, annual rainfall, wind, latitude and altitude,
soil type, water availability, water currents
• Chemical factors: Essential nutrients like carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, hydrogen,
oxygen and sulphur, level of toxic substances, salts causing salinity and various organic
substances present in the soil or water largely influence the functioning of the ecosystem.
• Limiting factors: A limiting factor, which limits the growth, distribution or abundance of
an organism or population within an ecosystem. These can be either physical or biological
factors.
environment. 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, ocean,Grasslands, Mountains, etc. are all ecosystems. An ecosystem can be as large as the Sahara Desert, or as small.
Types of ecosystem
1.Natural ecosystem
Ecosystems which are the gifts of nature are called natural ecosystems. Deserts, forests,oceans, grasslands, etc. are naturalecosystems .
2.Man made ecosystem
Ecosystems which are engineered by man are called Man Made or artificial ecosystems. Examples : Gardens, Man made lakes,agricultural fields, etc.Structure of ecosystem
Living (Biotic) Components
• Producers: Green plants• Consumers: All organisms which get their organic food by feeding upon other organisms.
Herbivores , Carnivores, Omnivores, Detritivores
• Decomposers: They derive their nutrition by breaking down the complex organic molecules to
simpler organic compounds and ultimately into inorganic nutrients. Bacteria and fungi are
decomposers.
Non-living (Abiotic) Components
• Physical factors: The sunlight and shade, intensity of solar flux, duration of sun hours,average temperature, maximum-minimum temperature, annual rainfall, wind, latitude and altitude,
soil type, water availability, water currents
• Chemical factors: Essential nutrients like carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, hydrogen,
oxygen and sulphur, level of toxic substances, salts causing salinity and various organic
substances present in the soil or water largely influence the functioning of the ecosystem.
• Limiting factors: A limiting factor, which limits the growth, distribution or abundance of
an organism or population within an ecosystem. These can be either physical or biological
factors.
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