UNIT 3 ECOSYSTEM

Definition and Components of an Ecosystem

• An ecosystem refers to a community of living organisms (biotic factors) interacting with their physical
environment (abiotic factors) as a functional unit.
• Biotic factors include all living organisms, such as plants, animals, microorganisms, and their interactions
within the ecosystem.
• Abiotic factors include non-living components, such as air, water, sunlight, soil, temperature, and nutrients.

Ecological Relationships and Interactions

• Predation: The interaction between a predator and its prey, where one organism hunts and consumes
another.
• Competition: The struggle between organisms for limited resources, such as food, water, and shelter.
• Mutualism: A mutually beneficial relationship between two different species, where both organisms gain
advantages.
• Commensalism: A relationship where one organism benefits, while the other is neither harmed nor
benefited.
• Parasitism: An association between two species where one organism (parasite) benefits at the expense of
the other organism (host).

Niche and Habitat Concepts

• Habitat: The physical environment where an organism lives, including its abiotic and biotic components.
• Niche: The role and position of an organism within its habitat, including its interactions with other
organisms and its utilization of resources.
 • Each organism has a specific niche that includes its food preferences, habitat requirements, reproductive
strategies, and interactions with other species.
• The niche of an organism helps determine its ecological relationships and its impact on the ecosystem.

Biotic and Abiotic Factors Influencing Ecosystems

• Biotic Factors: Living components of an ecosystem that influence its structure and function.
• Examples include plants, animals, microorganisms, fungi, and their interactions.
• Biotic factors can affect the availability of resources, competition for food, predation, and symbiotic
relationships.
• Abiotic Factors: Non-living components of an ecosystem that influence its characteristics.
• Examples include temperature, sunlight, precipitation, soil composition, water availability, and
topography.
• Abiotic factors affect the distribution of organisms, their physiological processes, and their ability to
survive and reproduce.
• Both biotic and abiotic factors interact and influence each other within an ecosystem.
• Changes in one factor can have cascading effects on other components, leading to shifts in populations,
community structure, and overall ecosystem dynamics.

Ecosystem Degradation and Resource Utilization

 Causes and Consequences of Ecosystem Degradation
 Ecosystem degradation refers to the deterioration or loss of the structure, function, and services
provided by ecosystems.
 Causes of ecosystem degradation include:
 Deforestation and habitat destruction-The Amazon rainforest being cleared for cattle ranching and
soybean production.
 Pollution of air, water, and soil-Industrial discharge polluting rivers and harming aquatic life.
  Overexploitation of natural resources-Overfishing of bluefin tuna, leading to declining populations.
 Climate change and global warming-Rising temperatures leading to coral bleaching in the Great Barrier
Reef.
Consequences of Ecosystem Degradation
• Loss of Biodiversity: Extinction of species and disruption of ecological balance. Example: The decline of
pollinators such as bees, impacting plant reproduction and crop yields.
• Disruption of Ecosystem Services: Reduction in vital services provided by ecosystems. Example:
Deforestation leading to reduced water regulation and increased soil erosion.
• Decreased Resilience: Ecosystems become more vulnerable to disturbances and less able to recover.
Example: Destruction of mangrove forests weakening coastal protection against storms and tsunamis.
• Impacts on Human Well-being: Reduction in food and water security, increased vulnerability to natural
disasters, and diminished livelihoods. Example: Deforestation contributing to water scarcity and loss of
livelihoods for local communities.
Sustainable Resource Utilization and Conservation Strategies
• Sustainable Resource Utilization:
• Renewable Energy: Transitioning to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower to
reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
• Sustainable Agriculture: Implementing practices like organic farming, agroforestry, and precision
irrigation to minimize environmental impacts.
• Responsible Fishing and Forestry: Enforcing fishing quotas, implementing ecosystem-based
management, and promoting sustainable logging practices.
Conservation Strategies:
• Protected Areas: Establishing and effectively managing protected areas to safeguard biodiversity and
ecosystem integrity. Example: Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.
• Habitat Restoration: Rehabilitating degraded habitats through reforestation, wetland restoration, and
ecological restoration projects. Example: Restoring oyster reefs in Chesapeake Bay, USA.
• Sustainable Land Use Planning: Integrating conservation principles into urban planning and land
management to minimize habitat destruction and promote sustainable development. Example:
Curitiba, Brazil's urban planning focusing on green spaces and public transportation.
Human Impact on Ecosystems
• a. Coral Reef Degradation: Overfishing, pollution, and rising ocean temperatures leading to coral
bleaching and the decline of coral reef ecosystems. Example: The Great Barrier Reef in Australia facing
significant threats from climate change and pollution.
• b. Deforestation: Clearing forests for agriculture, logging, and urbanization, resulting in habitat loss, soil
erosion, and climate change. Example: The destruction of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil for
agricultural expansion.
 • c. Water Pollution: Industrial and agricultural runoff polluting water bodies, causing harm to aquatic life
and affecting human health. Example: The pollution of the Ganges River in India from industrial waste
and sewage.
• d. Overfishing: Unsustainable fishing practices depleting fish populations and disrupting marine
ecosystems. Example: The collapse of the cod fishery in Newfoundland, Canada, due to overfishing.
• e. Climate Change: Greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels leading to rising temperatures,
sea-level rise, and shifts in ecosystems. Example: Melting polar ice caps and loss of Arctic habitats for
polar bears.
Structure and Functions of an Ecosystem
• Trophic Levels: Producers, Consumers, and Decomposers:
• Producers (Autotrophs): Organisms that produce their own food through photosynthesis or
chemosynthesis. Examples include plants, algae, and some bacteria.
• Consumers (Heterotrophs): Organisms that obtain energy by consuming other organisms.
• Primary Consumers (Herbivores): Feed on producers. Examples include grazing animals like deer or
rabbits.
• Secondary Consumers: Feed on primary consumers. Examples include carnivores like wolves or lions.
• Tertiary Consumers: Feed on secondary consumers. Examples include top predators like sharks or
eagles.
• Decomposers: Break down organic matter and recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem. Examples
include bacteria, fungi, and detritivores like earthworms.

Energy Flow in the Ecosystem (Food Chains and Food Webs)

• Food Chains: Linear representations of the transfer of energy from one organism to another.
• Example: Grass → Rabbit → Fox
• Food Webs: Complex interconnected networks of food chains, illustrating multiple feeding relationships
within an ecosystem.
• Example: In a forest ecosystem, a food web may involve trees, herbivores, predators, and decomposers,
all interconnected through various feeding relationships.
 • Energy flows through trophic levels, with energy being transferred from lower to higher trophic levels,
but with energy loss at each transfer.

Understanding Food webs-Trophic Levels

• A trophic level is the position occupied by an organism in a food chain.
• Trophic levels can be analyzed on an energy pyramid.
• Producers are found at the base of the pyramid and compromise the first trophic level.
• Primary consumers make up the second trophic level.
• Secondary consumers make up the third trophic level.
Finally tertiary consumers make up the top trophic level

Ecological pyramids
An ecological pyramid is a graphical representation of the relationship between the different living organisms
at different trophic levels.
Importance of Ecological Pyramid
They show the feeding of different organisms in different ecosystems.
It shows the efficiency of energy transfer.
The condition of the ecosystem can be monitored, and any further damage can be prevented.

Nutrient Cycling and Biogeochemical Cycles

 Nutrient cycling involves the movement and recycling of essential nutrients within an ecosystem.
 Nitrogen Fixation: Some bacteria, such as Rhizobium in the root nodules of leguminous plants, convert
atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonia (NH3), a process called nitrogen fixation. This ammonia can
be used by plants.
 Plant Uptake: Plants take up ammonia or nitrate (NO3-) from the soil through their roots. They use
these forms of nitrogen to build proteins, nucleic acids, and other essential molecules.
 Consumption: Herbivores feed on plants and obtain the nitrogen-containing compounds present in the
plant tissues.
 Decomposition: When plants and animals die or produce waste, decomposers such as bacteria and
fungi break down their organic matter. During decomposition, nitrogen is released from organic
compounds in the form of ammonium (NH4+).
 Nitrification: Nitrifying bacteria convert ammonium (NH4+) into nitrite (NO2-) and then into nitrate
(NO3). This process is called nitrification.
 Denitrification: Denitrifying bacteria convert nitrate (NO3-) back into nitrogen gas (N2), which is
released into the atmosphere. This occurs in anaerobic conditions, such as waterlogged soils.
  Nitrogen Fixation (Again): Some free-living bacteria in the soil or cyanobacteria in aquatic ecosystems
perform nitrogen fixation, converting atmospheric nitrogen (N2) back into ammonia (NH3), restarting
the cycle.
 The continuous cycling of nutrients ensures their availability for different organisms within the
ecosystem and supports the growth, development, and functioning of various organisms at different
trophic levels.

The water cycle

• hydrologic cycle or the hydrological cycle
• the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth.
• Water changes its state through a variety of processes from evaporation, melting and freezing, to
sublimation, condensation, and deposition. All these changes require the application of energy.
Stages of Water Cycle
• Evaporation
• Sublimation
• Condensation
• Precipitation
• Infiltration
• Runoff
The carbon cycle
• Carbon cycle shows the movement of carbon in elemental and combined states on earth. Diamond and
graphite are the elemental forms of carbon and in a combined state, it is found as carbonates in
minerals and as carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere.
• Carbon cycle is the process where carbon compounds are interchanged among the biosphere,
geosphere, pedosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the earth.
Steps
• Carbon present in the atmosphere is absorbed by plants for photosynthesis.
• These plants are then consumed by animals and carbon gets bioaccumulated into their bodies.
• These animals and plants eventually die, and upon decomposing, carbon is released back into the
atmosphere.
• Some of the carbon that is not released back into the atmosphere eventually become fossil fuels.
• These fossil fuels are then used for man-made activities, which pump more carbon back into the
atmosphere.
Importance of Carbon Cycle
• Even though carbon dioxide is found in small traces in the atmosphere, it plays a vital role in balancing
the energy and traps the long-wave radiations from the sun. Therefore, it acts like a blanket over the
planet. If the carbon cycle is disturbed it will result in serious consequences such as climatic changes
and global warming.
• Carbon is an integral component of every life form on earth. From proteins and lipids to even our DNA.
Furthermore, all known life on earth is based on carbon.
Ecological Succession
• Ecological succession refers to the gradual and predictable process of change in the species
composition and community structure of an ecosystem over time. It occurs in response to natural
disturbances, such as volcanic eruptions, wildfires, or human activities like deforestation. Ecological
succession plays a vital role in the recovery and renewal of ecosystems, leading to increased complexity
and diversity over time.
Types of Ecosystem
• Terrestrial Ecosystem
• Aquatic Ecosystem-Freshwater Ecosystem,Marine Ecosystem
• Terrestrial Ecosystem-
• Forest Ecosystem
• Grassland Ecosystem
• Tundra Ecosystem
Desert Ecosystem