Ecosystem and its components Basic Science

1. Introduction:

Environment involves both living organisms and the non-living physical conditions. These two
are inseparable but inter-related. For food, shelter, growth and development, all life systems
interact with the environment.

The term ecosystem first appeared in a publication by the British ecologist Arthur Tansley,
during 1935. An ecosystem may be of very different size. It may be a whole forest, as well as
a small pond.

The term `eco' refers to a part of the world and `system' refers to the co-ordinating units. The
living organisms of a habitat and their surrounding environment function together as a single
unit. This ecological unit is called as an `ecosystem'.

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals, and microorganisms)

interacting with each other and their non-living environment (such as air, water, and soil) within a
particular area.

Different ecosystems are often separated by geographical barriers like deserts, mountains or
oceans. Any ecosystem is characterized by a set of abiotic and biotic factors, and functions. An
ecosystem may be natural or artificial, land-based or water-based. Artificial systems may
include a cropland, a garden, a park or an aquarium. The organisms in an ecosystem are usually
well balanced with each other and with their environment.

2. Types of Ecosystem

An ecosystem can be as small as an oasis in a desert, or as big as an ocean, spanning thousands

of miles. There are two types of ecosystem:

 Terrestrial Ecosystem

 Aquatic Ecosystem

I. Terrestrial Ecosystem

Terrestrial ecosystems are exclusively land-based ecosystems. There are different types of
terrestrial ecosystems distributed around various geological zones. They are as follows:

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 1. Forest Ecosystem

2. Grassland Ecosystem

3. Tundra Ecosystem

4. Desert Ecosystem

Forest Ecosystem

A forest ecosystem consists of several plants, particularly trees, animals and microorganisms
that live in coordination with the abiotic factors of the environment. Forests help in maintaining
the temperature of the earth and are the major carbon sink.

Grassland Ecosystem

In a grassland ecosystem, the vegetation is dominated by grasses and herbs. Temperate

grasslands and tropical or savanna grasslands are examples of grassland ecosystems.

Tundra Ecosystem

Tundra ecosystems are devoid of trees and are found in cold climates or where rainfall is scarce.
These are covered with snow for most of the year. Tundra type of ecosystem is found in the
Arctic or mountain tops.

Desert Ecosystem

Deserts are found throughout the world. These are regions with little rainfall and scarce
vegetation. The days are hot, and the nights are cold.

II. Aquatic Ecosystem

Aquatic ecosystems are ecosystems present in a body of water. These can be further divided
into two types, namely:

1. Freshwater Ecosystem

2. Marine Ecosystem

Freshwater Ecosystem

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The freshwater ecosystem is an aquatic ecosystem that includes lakes, ponds, rivers, streams
and wetlands. These have no salt content in contrast with the marine ecosystem.

Marine Ecosystem

The marine ecosystem includes seas and oceans. These have a more substantial salt content
and greater biodiversity in comparison to the freshwater ecosystem.

3. Components of Ecosystem

The structure of an ecosystem can be split into two main components, namely:

 Biotic Components

 Abiotic Components

Biotic Components

Biotic components refer to all living components in an ecosystem. Based on nutrition, biotic
components can be categorised into autotrophs, heterotrophs and saprotrophs (or
decomposers).

 Producers include all autotrophs such as plants. They are called autotrophs as they can
produce food through the process of photosynthesis. Consequently, all other organisms
higher up on the food chain rely on producers for food.

 Consumers or heterotrophs are organisms that depend on other organisms for food.
Consumers are further classified into primary consumers, secondary consumers and
tertiary consumers.

 Primary consumers are always herbivores as they rely on producers for food.

 Secondary consumers depend on primary consumers for energy. They can

either be carnivores or omnivores.

 Tertiary consumers are organisms that depend on secondary consumers for

food. Tertiary consumers can also be carnivores or omnivores.

 Quaternary consumers are present in some food chains. These organisms prey
on tertiary consumers for energy. Furthermore, they are usually at the top of a
food chain as they have no natural predators.

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  Decomposers: Bacteria and fungi are the main decomposers. They depend on dead
organic matter for their food. Decomposers are essential for the ecosystem as they help
in recycling nutrients to be reused by plants. They are chiefly micro-organisms like
bacteria and fungi.

3. Abiotic Components

Abiotic components are the non-living component of an ecosystem. It includes air, water, soil,
minerals, sunlight, temperature, nutrients, wind, altitude, turbidity, etc

Some of the major non-living factors of an ecosystem are: Sunlight, Water, Temperature,
Oxygen, Soil and Air

* Sunlight is necessary for photosynthesis; it influences organisms and their environment; it

has a profound effect on the growth and development of life.

* Water is the elixir of life; all living things require water for their survival, but some can live
with lesser amounts

* Temperature: all living things have a range of temperatures in which they can survive; beyond
those limits it will be difficult for them to live.

* Oxygen: many living things require oxygen; it is necessary for cellular respiration, a process
used to obtain energy from food.

* Soil: the type of soil, pH, amount of water it holds, available nutrients, etc determine what
type of organism can successfully live in or on the soil; for example, cacti live in sand.

The inorganic substances like nitrates, carbonates and phosphates occur either freely or in the
form of compounds dissolved in water and soil.

Some of them are recycled by micro-organisms on the dead bodies of plants and animals.

4. Functions of an Ecosystem:

A system is an organization that functions in a particular method. The functions of the

ecosystem are as follows:

 It regulates the essential ecological processes, supports life systems and renders
stability.

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  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.
 The abiotic components help in the synthesis of organic components that involve the
exchange of energy.

So the functional units of an ecosystem or functional components that work together in an

ecosystem are:

 Productivity: It refers to the rate of biomass production.

 Energy flow: It is the sequential process through which energy flows from one trophic
level to another. The energy captured from the sun flows from producers to consumers
and then to decomposers and finally back to the environment.

 Decomposition: It is the process of breakdown of dead organic material. The top-soil

is the major site for decomposition.

 Nutrient cycling: In an ecosystem nutrients are consumed and recycled back in various
forms for the utilisation by various organisms.Ecosystems recycle essential nutrients
like carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and water. Decomposers break down organic matter,
returning nutrients to the soil for reuse.