ECOSYSTEM

An ecosystem means a relatively stable but free and having various sizes of physical
setup made up of organic and inorganic matters.

An ecosystem is a system formed by the interaction of an variety of individual organism

with each other and with their physical environment.

An ecosystem is defined as the system resulting from the interaction of all the living and
non living factors of the environment.

Characteristics of an Ecosystem
1. An ecosystem is made up of biotic, abiotic factors and energy.
2. Ecosystem occupies a definite place
3. An ecosystem may be very small or very large in size.
4. The sun is the main source of energy in ecosystem.
5. An ecosystem is free system and is characterized by input and out put of matter
and energy.
6. Every ecosystem has its own productivity ans is determined with the organic
matter produced in ecosystem.
7. In ecosystem biotic and abiotic factors comes in one frem.

Structure and function of ecosystem

Ecosystem is made up of abiotic and biotic factors. The structure of an
ecosystem means the set up of various factors and their relations with each other
in an ecosystem.
Abiotic factors
Natural nonliving factors like water, soil, minerals, sunlight, air etc. are abiotic
factors. These factors influence biotic factors directly and indirectly. Abiotic
factors are controlling factors on biotic factors.
Biotic factors
All living factors are known as biotic factors. Biotic factors are divided in to two as
autotrophs and heterotrophs.
Autotrophs are those biotic factors which can produce their own food with the
help of abiotic factors such as sunlight, carbon dioxide, water and minerals in the
process of photosynthesis. Therefore plants are known as producers. Plants are
only producer on the earth. Heterotrophs are those biotic animals which feed on
plants. These are depends on the plants for food. Heterotrophs are of two types,
herbivorus and carnivorous. Herbivorus are those animals which only eat plants
as their food. Carnivorous feedon herbivorus. Some organisms such as man feed
on both plants and animals are called omnivores.
Herbivorus consumes plants and carnivores consumes herbivores. This means
carnivores indirectly depends on plants for their food.
Heterotrophs are divided in to three types as primary, secondary and tertiary
consumers depending on their type of food. Primary consumers consumes only
plants, secondary consumer feed on primary consumer and tertiary on secondary
consumers.
Another biotic factors which are called as decomposers who feed on decayed
dead bodies of plants and anials. All microorganisms such as bacteria , fungi etc
are decomposers. These decomposers decompose organice matter in to
inorganic matters such as carbohydretes, ptotiens etc. are converted in to carbon
dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen etc. inorganic matter.

Food chain and food web

Interdependence on each other for food give rise a chain called as food chain. In
ecosystem the functioning of food chain in which food or energy is transferred
from plants up to decomposers. Plants are on the first place in food chain and
decomposer are last.
The nature of food chain is complicated when any organism is factor or member
of many food chain which are releted and intersect with each other. This group of
food chin is called as food web.

Ecological pyramid
Transfer of energy in food chain from plants to other biotic factors. Amount of
energy and number of biotic organisms at each level is shown in pyramid. Plants
are at the base of pyramids they are producers and their number is high. Some
amount of energy lost during transfer from one level to another i.e. from plants to
primary consumers then secondary, from secondary to tertiary and in end to
decomposers. Decomposers are with very less energy and their number is also
less.
Many mineral are circulate in cyclic manner in food chain. In which carbon,
oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous and sulphur are important.
Carbon cycle
The carbon in the environment is very important. The percentage of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere is 0.03%. This carbon dioxide in the air is the only
source of carbon that passes through the various organisms. Tha carbon is
transfer first to plants in photosynthesis process than to herbivorus to carnivores
and finally reach to decomposers that consumes dead organic matter n convert it
in to inorganic matter in process of decomposition in which carbon dioxide
released in to atmosphere.
Oxygen cycle
The oxygen cycle in ecosystem is equally important. Oxygen constitutes 21%
of atmosphere. It is also found in the oxides and carbones in rocks and water.
Oxygen is released during photosynthesis process.oxygen is inhales by all biotic
factors. Oxygen is also used in the process of oxidation. The alage and other
water planktons in the sea also release oxygen in the photosynthesis process
which is very useful to the aquatic creatures. The up going oxygen in the
atmosphere gets conerted in to ozone. When the ozone at higher altitude gets
chemically reacted with nitric oxide then nitrogen oxide and oxygen releases.
Nitrogen cycle
The nitrogen cycle in the environment is also vital. Various organic factors also
need nitrogen. But organic factors can not directly absorb it from the atmosphere.
The nitrogen that is found in nitrates is main source through which nitrogen
obtained by the plants. Some organisms produce nitrates on the roots of plants in
humid climate. When lightening takes place in the sky then nitrogen in the
atmosphere gets mixed up with the soil in the form of nitrates. Nitrates in the soil
are absorbed by the plants. Nitrates are also transferred from plants to animals
and then to decomposers in food chain. In pricess of decomposition it is released
in the form of ammonia which is again converted in to nitrates and mix in soil.
Phosphorus cycle
Sufficient quantity of phosphorus stock is found in the rocks and old deposits of
other materials. When the rocks are eroded it becomes available in the form of
phosphates. A substantial portion of the phosphate enters in ther sea. The sea
birds bring this phosphate back to the land area. Phosphates are found in the
form of salts in the soil. Throught the usual food chin it passes from herbivores to
carnivorus. The decomposers who feed on the dead bodies of plants and
animals makes the phosphates releas and some are again mixed up in soil.
Sulphur cycle
A sizable stock of sulphur is available in the soil. It is made available to the
plants in the soil by the activity of sulphure bacteria. In tissues of organisms
sulphur is found in the form of proteins. Thus when these proteins are
decomposed sulphur is releases. Some quantity of sulphur is added to the
atmosphere by the burning of the fossil fuel. The sulphur in the atmosphere gets
dissolved in the rain water and come to land or sil in the forms of sulphuric acid
or sulphates.
Classification of Ecosystem
In the world there are number of ecosystems that function at micro level and
macro level. But all these small and large ecosystems of the world are parts of
the biggest ecosystem called biosphere.
Ecosystem can be put in to different categories on the basis of the characteristics
of topography air, vegetation, soil, water reservoirs etc.
Land, water and manmade ecosystem are main three types of ecosystem.
Land ecosystem is further divided in to forest, grass and desert ecosystem.
Water ecosystem is also further divided as fresh water and salt water ecosystem.
Forest ecosystem divde as equatorial, midlatitude and boreal forest ecosystem.
Fresh water ecosystem divide as river and lake water ecosystem .
Salt water ecosystem divides as marine and creek water ecosystem
Equatorial forest ecosystem
This ecosystem is found between 10 north to 10 south latitude on and along the
equator. High temperature and heavy rainfall are two controlling factors that
causes luxuriant growth of vegetation. The wood of the tree is hard and leaves
are broad. The trees grows very close to each other and grew tall to obtain more
sunlight upto 50meers.
Mid latitude forest ecosystem
These forest are between 10 to 30 latitude in north and south hemisphere.
Amount of rainfall is moderate. The mansoon or deciduous forest is one of the
important types of these forest. Forest are green during mansoon season. The
trees shed leaves to check the loss of water through th process of
evapotranspiration takes place on surface of leaves. The wood is also hard but
not hard as equatorial forest. These are not dense as equatorial forest. Teak,
khair, sandal wood, hirda, tamarind, acacia etc. are important tree species and
different types of birds, deers, monkeys, snakes, hyena, tiger, lion etc. animals
are found.
Boreal forest ecosystem
These forest are found in both the hemisphere between 50 to 70 latitude.
Coniferous trees are found in these forest. These areas are having long winters
and snowfall. The trees have conical shape with needle shape leaves. The
branches and leaves are of oil coated so that snow cannot accumulate on
branches and leaves. The wood is very soft. These forest require 150 to 200
years to reach their full growth.
Grassland ecosystem
The grass land ecosystem is located in the interior part of the continents where
the amount of rainfall is relatively less as compared to the costal parts of
continents. The grass here grow tall. Moderate rainfall in this region is favorable
for growth of grass. The ecosystem of this region is rich in the number of
herbivores like deer, rabbit, elephant, zebra, bision etc.. The carnivores that feed
on these herbivores like lion, tiger etc. are found in good number.
Desert ecosystem
Desert means the land with scarcity of water and scanty vegetation. Desert
ecosystem are located in hot temperature and cold zone of the world. The
temperature of air in desert of hot zone is very high. Thus the rocks gets
disintegrate fast due high daily range of temperature, means the difference
between day and night temperature. That is why the proportion of sand on the
land in desert is more. In these deserts xerophytes like cactus are found. These
plants have fleshy stem to store water and they have thorns in place of leaves to
check the loss of water through the evapotranspiration. During day time
temperature is very high so nocturnal animals wonder during night in search of
food.
In the artic and atlantic regions of icefields temperature is very low. Beause of
that water get frozon, not available in liquid form. Some types of lichens, grasses
are common in these areas.
Marine ecosystem
In this ecosystem the level of biodiversity is very high in shallow sea areas. This
is because sunlight reaches down up to bottom and luxuriant growth of sea
planktons is found. Various kinds of insects and fish feed on planktons. These
areas are also found crowded with other aquatic animals like crocodile, turtles,
etc. A particular food chain functions in the sea water. The load carried by the
river is also deposited in the shallow sea areas. This load is rich in organic
matter. In short the habitat of shallow sea area is favourable for the frowth of
various water plants and aquatic animals. On contray in deep sea the proportion
of aquatic animals are relatively less. The sunlight can not reach in this part so
the temperature is very low. The pressure of the water is very high. That is why
the shallow sea area have rich biodiversity.
Estuarine ecosystem
The sea water inlets that enter the land is call estuaries. Many estuaries are
found at the mouth of the rivers. In estuaries the misture of fresh water of river
and saline water of sea is found. Thus the salinity of the water is not as high as
sea water. In this water of moderate salinity peculiar turtles and crocodile,
different kinds of fish are found on large scale. Mangrove forest grows on the
sides of estuaries. The mixture of fresh n saline water makes the biodiversity of
this area high.
River ecosystem
The biotic life in this system is relatively unstable. The river flows through
mountains, plateau, plains, forest, desert areas etc. The part of course of the
river in a particular habitat has particular types of biotic life associated with the
environment of that habitat. The climate of the habitat, remains of plants and
animals of that habitat which get mix up in riverdecides the types and proportion
of different biotic factors in the river water of that particular area.. the speed of
the river water is very high in mountains so biotic life in this part of the river
course is not stable. On the contry in the plains velocity of the river is least,
quantity of the water is more and fertile soil carried by the river is deposited on
the bottom and banks. All these factors encarage the growth of water plankton
and fish and other aqutic animals. This is rich in plants and animals.
Lake ecosystem
This ecosystem is of relatively stable water. That is why to study the biotic and
abiotic factors and functioning of food chain in the ecosystem. This ecosystem is
more convenient and proper. On the margins of many lakes, the amphibians like
turtle, crocodiles are found. The water near the coast is notmally rich in water
planktons.
Manmade ecosystem
Some ecosystem over the surface of the earth are created by man. Garden,
aquarium and agricultural ecosystem etc. are manmade ecosystem. These are
made by man with the help of natural factors. Agricultural ecosystem is large and
big ecosystem on the earth.