People and the Earth’s Ecosystem ECOSYSTEM

WEEK 2: Lesson 1 Ecosystem defined

• An ecosystem is a community of plants, animals and

smaller organisms that live, feed, reproduce and interact
Ecology in the same area or environment.
the study of the relationships among living • An ecosystem is a community of living and nonliving
organisms, including humans, and their physical things considered as a unit.
environment.
• Ecosystem is a complex set of relationships among the
living resources, habitats and residents of an area. It
includes plants, trees, animals, fishes, birds, micro-
organisms, air, water, soil and people.
 The energy flow takes place via the food
chain and food web. During the process of energy
flow in the ecosystem, plants being the producers
absorb sunlight with the help of the chloroplasts and
a part of it is transformed into chemical energy in the
process of photosynthesis.
The functions of the ecosystem are as follows:

• It regulates the essential ecological

processes, supports life systems and renders
stability.
• It is also responsible for the cycling of
nutrients between biotic and abiotic
components.
• It maintains a balance among the various
trophic levels in the ecosystem.
• It cycles the minerals through the biosphere.
• The abiotic components help in the synthesis
of organic components that involve the
exchange of energy.
Types of Ecosystems: Functional components that work together in an
ecosystem are:
1.) Natural Ecosystem – Non-man-made
✓ Productivity
a. Terrestrial Ecosystem – Land
✓ Energy Flow
b. Aquatic Ecosystem – Water ✓ Decomposition
✓ Nutrient Cycle
2.) Artificial Ecosystem – man-made

Importance of Ecosystem
Energy flow
• It provides habitat to wild plants and
The chemical energy of food is the main
animals.
source of energy required by all living organisms.
• It promotes various food chains and food
(Sun)
webs.
• It controls essential ecological processes and
promotes lives.
This energy flow is based on two different laws of
• Involved in the recycling of nutrients
thermodynamics:
between biotic and abiotic components.
First Law of thermodynamics, that states that • It helps in maintaining the usual flow of
energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it can energy in an ecosystem including- Carbon
only change from one form to another. Cycle, Energy Cycle, Nitrogen Cycle, Oxygen
Cycle, and Water Cycle.
Second Law of thermodynamics, that states that
as energy is transferred more and more of it is
wasted.
ECOLOGY
• scientific study of the interaction between
organisms and their environment.
• science that seeks to describe and explain
the relationship between living organism
and their environment.

• The word ecology was coined by the German

zoologist Ernst Haeckel.
THE STRUCTURE OF THE ECOSYSTEM IS BASICALLY A
DESCRIPTION OF THE ORGANISMS AND PHYSICAL
• The word comes from the Greek oikos,
FEATURES OF ENVIRONMENT.
meaning “household,” “home,” or “place to
live.”

BASIC COMPONENTS OF ECOSYSTEM FROM

• ECOSYSTEM is the basic functional unit of
STRUCTURE POINT OF VIEW:
ecology.
1. BIOTIC 2. ABIOTIC
COMPONENT COMPONENT
➢ Include all living ➢ Includes basis
organism inorganic
present in the element and
environmental compounds
system. (plants, such as soil,
animals and water, oxygen,
other calcium
organisms) carbonates and
a variety of
organic
ECOSYSTEM compounds.
• IS A GEOGRAPHIC AREA WHERE PLANTS,
ANIMALS AND OTHER ORGANISMS AS WELL
AS WEATHER AND LANDSCAPE WORK
BIOTIC COMPONENT
TOGETHER TO FORM A BUBBLE OF LIFE.
The living organisms or living members in an
A community of different species interacting
ecosystem collectively forms its community.
with one another and with their non-living
environment. EXAMPLES:
PLANTS (producers)
ANIMALS (consumers)
MICROORGANISM (decomposers)
a. PRODUCERS (AUTOTROPHS) b. CONSUMERS(HETEROTROPHS)
Producer synthesis their food themselves Constitute the upper trophic levels. Unlike
through the process of photosynthesis. producers, they cannot make their own food. To get
energy, they eat plants or other animals, while some
eat both.
EXAMPLE:
EXAMPLE:
ALL GREEN PLANTS
PLANT EATING SPECIES
PHOTOSYNTHESIS is a biological process
CLASSIFICATION OF CONSUMER
used by many cellular organisms to convert light
energy into chemical energy, which is stored in • Primary
organic compounds that can later be metabolized • Secondary
through cellular respiration to fuel the organism's • Tertiary
activities.
6CO2 + 6H2O + Light energy → C6H12O6 (sugar) +
6O2

c. DECOMPOSERS
Microorganisms like bacteria and fungi.
Decomposers attack dead bodies of producers and
consumers and decompose them into single
compound. During decomposition organic nutrients
are released.
 ABIOTIC COMPONENT
Non-living components of ecosystem.
Physical component (useful for the growth
and maintenance)
Chemical component (sources of essential
nutrients)

MAJOR TYPES OF ECOSYSTEMS

✓ TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
✓ AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

FROM THE NUTRITION POINT OF VIEW, THE

BIOTIC COMPONENTS CAN BE GROUPED INTO
TWO BASIC COMPONENTS:
1. AUTOTROPHIC 2. HETEROTROPHIC
COMPONENTS COMPONENTS
➢ Include green ➢ Include non-
plants which fix green plants
the radiant and all animals
energy of sun which take food
and from
manufacture autotrophs.
food from
inorganic
substances.
 DESERT ECOSYSTEM
is the driest ecosystem of
the earth and this is the
reason it has less vegetation
and less diversity of life. It is
one of the parts of the
terrestrial ecosystem.
GRASSLANDS
is an area where the
vegetation is dominated by
grasses and other herbaceous
(non-woody) plants.

TAIGA
is a forest of the cold,
subarctic region. The
subarctic is an area of the
Northern Hemisphere that
lies just south of the Arctic Circle.

TROPICAL RAIN FOREST

• occur in areas of tropical
rainforest climate in which
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM there is no dry season – all
The terrestrial ecosystem covers just 29% of months have an average
the globe. Terrestrial ecosystem is further broken precipitation of at least 60
down into six types. mm – and may also be
referred to as lowland equatorial evergreen
• Deciduous forest ecosystem rainforest.
• Desert ecosystem
• Grasslands • the most biologically diverse terrestrial ecosystems
• Taiga in the world.
• Tropical rain forest
• Tundra
TUNDRA
DECIDUOUS FOREST ECOSYSTEM treeless regions found in the
Arctic and on the tops of
is a type of forest
mountains, where the climate
dominated by trees that
is cold and windy, and rainfall
lose their foliage at the end
is scant.
of the growing season.
 Biotic Components
Plants, animals, microorganisms, aquatic plants, and all
other living creatures are the biotic components of the
ecosystem. These biotic components can be classified
into;

Producers: All autotrophs like plants,

phytoplankton, etc. that can produce their food using
sources like sun, water, carbon dioxide, or any other
chemical elements belong to this category.

Consumers: All heterotrophs, primarily

animals, that are dependent on the producers or other
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM
organisms are called consumers. These consumers are
MARINE ECOSYSTEM subdivided into the following groups:

the largest of Earth's Primary consumers: All herbivores that

aquatic ecosystems and directly depend on plants, such as cows, goats, rabbits,
exist in waters that have and sheep, are considered primary consumers.
a high salt content. Secondary consumers: All that depend on
primary consumers for food are considered secondary
These include the open ocean, the deep-sea ocean,
consumers. The secondary consumer can be omnivores
and coastal marine ecosystems, each of which has or carnivores.
different physical and biological characteristics.
Tertiary consumers: All animals that depend
on secondary-level organisms for their food are known as
tertiary consumers.
FRESH WATER ECOSYSTEM
Quaternary consumer: Those animals that
a subset of Earth's
depend on the tertiary level organism for their food and
aquatic ecosystems. They are known as the quaternary consumer. This level is
include lakes, ponds, present in some food chains only.
rivers, streams, springs,
bogs, and wetlands. Decomposers: All microorganisms, such as
bacteria and fungi, that depend on decaying and dead
matter for food fall under this category. It contributes to
environmental cleanup and ecosystem nutrient recycling.
MARINE AND AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM These nutrients support plant development and
MARINE ECOSYSTEM AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM subsequently ecosystem maintenance.
(SALT WATER) (FRESH WATER)
• Salt water cover • Fresh water covers
97%of the planet ‘s 3% of the planet’s
surface surface.
• Largest biome Abiotic Components
category • Fresh water is
It involves all the non-living things present in the
• Difficult to observe essential for all life.
environment. Some of the abiotic components are sun,
and control as salt Aquatic biomes are
soil, water, minerals, climate, rocks, temperature, and
water habitats have extremely important.
humidity. These components’ functioning together
complex chemical
enables the ecosystem’s energy and nutrition cycles. The
composition that vary
sun’s rays are the primary energy source. An ecosystem’s
from coast to coast.
temperature changes have an impact on the types of Nutrient Recycling: Ecosystems have a
plants that may flourish there. The availability of natural process of recycling nutrients between living
nutrients and soil nature determines the type and (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components.
abundance of vegetation in an area. All the abiotic factors Decomposers break down dead organisms and waste
are essential factors that determine the number and type materials, returning nutrients to the soil and water. This
of organisms present in a region. recycling ensures the availability of essential elements
like carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and others for the
growth and survival of plants and animals.
Importance of the Ecosystem:
Maintenance of Energy Flow:
1) Habitat for Plants and Animals Ecosystems maintain the flow of energy through
2) Food Chain & Food Web various cycles such as the Carbon Cycle, Energy Cycle,
3) Promotes Life / Lives Nitrogen Cycle, Oxygen Cycle, and Water Cycle. These
4) Nutrient Recycling cycles ensure that energy is transferred and utilized
5) Maintain Energy Flow efficiently by living organisms, allowing them to carry out
their life functions.

Habitat for Plants and Animals:

Ecosystems provide a home and suitable
environment for a wide variety of plants and animals.
They offer necessary elements such as food, water,
shelter, and space for different species, allowing them to
survive and thrive.

Food Chains and Food Webs:

Ecosystems support the interconnected
relationships between different organisms through food
chains and food webs. Plants, herbivores, carnivores, and
decomposers are all part of these chains. They ensure a
balanced flow of energy and nutrients, as each organism
relies on others for sustenance.

Conservation and Management:

Ecosystems are crucial for the conservation and
management of valuable resources. They contribute to
the conservation of soil by preventing erosion through
vegetation cover. They provide habitats for wildlife,
contributing to their protection and conservation.
Ecosystems like grasslands and forests can also be
managed sustainably to ensure their long-term health
and productivity.

Control of Ecological Processes:

Ecosystems play a crucial role in regulating
essential ecological processes. For example, forests help
control climate by absorbing carbon dioxide and
releasing oxygen through photosynthesis. Wetlands act
as natural filters, purifying water and preventing floods.
These processes are essential for maintaining a stable
and healthy environment.
Week 4: Lesson 2 Why do we need economic sustainability?

Environmental Problems, Causes and Sustainability Economy growth depends on two things

• Availability of credit to keep buying things

• Process of taking resources
What is sustainability?

• meeting the
needs of the present
generation without
compromising the
ability of the future
generation to meet
their own needs.

Why is sustainability important?

Importance of Sustainability
Economic Sustainability
✓ It protects our environment
• Refers to practices that support long-term
✓ It strengthens our economy
✓ It builds social equity economic growth without negatively impacting
✓ It improves our health social, environmental, and cultural aspects of the
community.

Pillars of Sustainability o reducing the worldwide consumption of valuable

resources to ensure they're available to future
generations to create financial stability and
wealth.

o the practice of conserving natural and financial

resources to create long-term financial stability.

Social Sustainability

• Includes aspects such as satisfaction of basic

needs, equal opportunities, human rights, labor
rights and social development

• how the people and the community benefit in

relation to the business or practice.

Why do we need Social Sustainability?

• Starvation and Poverty

o About 800 million people go hungry.
o About 21,000 people die every day of
hunger/hunger-related causes.
 • Child abuse
o 40 million children below the age of 15
suffer from abuse.
• Child labor
o 246 million children, one in every six
children aged 5 to 17, are involved in
child labor.
• Human trafficking
o Approximately 27 million people are
currently enslaved in the human
trafficking trade around the world.
What is the meaning of environmental
Why do we need Environmental Sustainability? issues/problems?

• the ability to maintain an ecological balance in • the harmful effects of any human activity on the
our planet's natural environment and conserve environment. This includes both the biological
natural resources to support the wellbeing of and physical aspects of the environment.
current and future generations.

What is the most environmental issue/ problem today?

Environment Waste Disposal

Air
Pollution

Environmental
Pollution
Water Land
Pollution Pollution
Sustainability Tips Features of Populations

• Go zero waste • Populations are dynamic and exhibit attributes

• Buy only what you need that are not shown by the individuals
• Borrow from and share with friends themselves.
• Recycle • These attributes can be measured or calculated
• Reuse and include:
• Reduce
• Conserve o Population size: the total number of
organisms in the population.

o Population density: the number of

organisms per unit area.
Lesson 3 and 4
o Population distribution: the location of
Population and Urbanization
individuals within a specific area.

Population Dynamics

• The study of changes in the size and composition

of populations, and the factors influencing these
changes, is population dynamics.
• Key factors for study include:

o Population growth rate: the change in

the total population size per unit time.

Populations o Natality (birth rate): the number of

• a group of organisms from the same species individuals born per unit time.
occupying in the same geographical area.
o Mortality (death rate): the number of
individuals dying per unit time.
What is human population?
o Migration: the number moving into or
• The total number of person inhabiting a country,
out of the population.
city or any district or area.

Migration
This area may be difficult to define because:
• Migration is the movement of organisms into
• A population may comprise widely dispersed
(immigration) and out of (emigration) a
individuals which come together only
population. It affects population attributes such
infrequently, e.g. for mating.
as age and sex structure, as well as the dynamics
of a population.
• Populations may fluctuate considerably over
time. a) Populations lose individuals through deaths
and emigration.

b) Populations gain individuals through births

and immigration.
Population Density Condition in the Rural Areas (Push factors)

• The number of individuals per unit area) is • Scarcity of job except in agriculture
termed the population density. • lack of infrastructure
• poor facilities in education, health and security
• At low population densities, individuals are • lack of entertainment and recreational facilities
spaced well apart.

• At high population densities, individuals are This shift in economic activity can be attributed to two
crowded together.
main factors:

Population Growth 1. "Push" factors, driven by

improvements in agricultural productivity that
• Population depends on the number of encourage labor to move into urban jobs.
individuals added to the population from births
and immigration, minus the number lost through
deaths and emigration. 2. "Pull" factors, influenced by
enhanced productivity in non-agricultural
• This can be expressed as a formula: sectors, which attract labor to urban regions.

Problems of Urbanization

• pressure on social services and resources

• higher unemployment rate
• increased crime rate
Urbanization • development of slums due to inadequate
housing which add also to pollution
• refers to the transition of populations from rural
• traffic congestion
areas to cities, involving shifts from agriculture
• noise pollution
to urban activities like trade, industry, and
• high level of stress
management.

• Urbanization has accelerated significantly with

industrialization and increased urban growth, Ways to solve the problem of Urbanization
shaping contemporary life (Hawley, 1978). • Limit the size of the cities
• Put stop on converting agricultural land to non-
Why urbanization occurs? agricultural land
• Develop the rural areas
- mainly because of the concentration of • Create more jobs in rural areas
resources and facilities in the cities.

Attractions to Urban Areas (pull factors)

• Availability of jobs
• Proper infrastructures
• Availability of social services
• Variety of entertainment and night life facilities
Lesson 5 & 6 (Week 8) D.) Stability is about being food secure at all
times. Food insecurity can be transitory with short term
Food Security
shocks the result of a bad season, a change in
Food security is the measure of an individual's ability employment status, conflict or a rise in food prices.
to access food that is nutritious and sufficient in
quantity.
The main threats to food security are:
The core concept of food security carries the access
to healthy food and optimal nutrition for all. • world population growth,
• the increase demand for food,
• food price,
• the disappearance of the variety of agricultural
Characteristics of being Food Secured:
plant species
• Enough food • the increase in the area of scarcity water and the
• Good food limitation of the availability of land; and
• Healthy food • the food losses and food waste.
• Culturally appropriate food

Food Production
Food security has four interrelated elements:
• the process of taking raw ingredients and
a) Availability
converting them into edible food fit for human
b) Access
consumption.
c) Utilisation; and
d) Stability

Primary food production

A.) Availability is about food supply and Primary food production includes:
trade, not just quantity but also the quality and diversity
1. growth and harvesting of crops
of food. Improving availability requires sustainable
productive farming systems, well managed natural 2. rearing and slaughter of livestock animals.
resources, and policies to enhance productivity.

Food production is classified into different categories:

B.) Access covers economic and physical i. cultivation

access to food. Improving access requires better market ii. harvesting,
access for smallholders allowing them to generate more iii. crop management,
income from cash crops, livestock products and other iv. preservation,
enterprises. v. fermentation,
vi. crop production,

C.) Utilisation is about how the body uses the

various nutrients in food. A person’s health, feeding
practices, food preparation, diversity of their diet and
intra-household distribution of food all affect a person’s
nutrition status. Improving utilisation requires improving
nutrition and food safety, increasing diversity in diets,
reducing post-harvest loss and adding value to food.
Problems arises from food production Crop management

Water use and water pollution • the group of agricultural practices used to
improve the growth, development, and yield of
agricultural crops.
Greenhouse gas emission

Environmental contaminants
What is a sustainable method of pest control?

Depletion of natural resources • Sustainable pest management is an eco-friendly

way to get rid of and control pests. It reduces the
need for harmful chemicals. The goal of
sustainable pest control is to target unwanted
insects and rodents without getting rid of insects
Science Focus: Soil Is the Base of Life on Land (1)
that may benefit the ecosystem.
• Layers (horizons) of mature soils
• O horizon: leaf litter
• A horizon: topsoil 4 Eco-Friendly Pest Control Methods
• B horizon: subsoil
• C horizon: parent material, often bedrock

Soil Formation and Generalized Soil Profile

Pesticide
A pesticide is a substance used to kill unwanted plants,
fungi, insects or animals. Pesticides are used in many
different environments, from gardens, houses, shops,
farms etc. and there are thousands of different products
Integrated pest management (IPM)
available.
Integrated pest management (IPM) combines the use of
biological, cultural and chemical practices to control
insect pests in agricultural production. It seeks to use The pros of using pesticides and fertilizers
natural predators or parasites to control pests, using
selective pesticides for backup only when pests are In the majority of cases, pesticide use is the only way to
unable to be controlled by natural means. control organisms that cause diseases. Using pesticides
can actually benefit human health by eliminating
IPM is thus an important outbreaks of disease, due to rodent or insect invasions.
part of Integrated Plant Buildings are protected by pesticide use as they prevent
Production Management the spread of termite infestations. Pesticides are not only
(IPPM) and sustainable used to kill unwanted pests, they can be used to sterilise
crop production drinking and recreational water. They are used as a strong
intensification. By disinfectant, most importantly in hospital operating
enhancing the ecosystem function, by making the rooms, and to sterilise surgical instruments.
agricultural ecosystem healthier, more ecosystem
services are provided: in this case, pest control.
The pesticide industry provides employment for a wide Actions to make food production more sustainable,
range of society, from distribution, dealers, and
➢ Use natural resources efficiently
commercial applicators, pest controllers, all of whom pay
their taxes and contribute to local and state economies.
➢ Protect the quality of natural resources
Using pesticides allows a wider range of food, at
affordable prices, through a broader selection of
➢ Protect marine resources
retailers.

➢ Procure food ingredients from sustainable

sources
The cons of using pesticides and fertilizers

Recent studies show that sustained use of certain ➢ Use environmentally efficient food packaging
pesticides are causing a significant amount of damage to
a ‘wide range of beneficial species. ➢ Reduce food waste

There has always been concern about the use of

neonicotinoids and fipronil, but only now has a full
analysis shown a clear threat to the environment.
Research has shown that neonicotinoids and fipronil
disrupt neural transmissions in the central nervous
system of some organisms.

Sustainable food production

• Sustainable food production is “a method of

production using processes and systems that are
non-polluting, conserve non-renewable energy
and natural resources, are economically efficient,
are safe for workers, communities and
consumers, and do not compromise the needs of
future generations”.