l Ecosystems An ecosystem is a community interacting with the physical environnient. Ir possesses both living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) components. The abiotic components include resources, such as sunlight and. inorganic nutrients, and conditions, such as type of soil, water availability, prevailing temperature and amount of wind. The biotic components of an ecosystem are influenced by the abiotic components, as when the force of the wind has affected the growth of a tree. Each biotic component has an ecological niche which aspects are listed in table below for plants and animals. ETable 2.1 Aspects of Ecological Niche for Plants and Animals Oecd eke ule Aspects of Niche for Animals Season of year for growth and| Time and day for feeding and season reproduction of year for reproduction Sunlight, water and soil requirement Habitat and food requirement Relationships with other organisms Relationships with other organisms Effect on abiotic environment Effect on abiotic environment ts [ Introduction to Environmental Science aloar " ic Figure 2.1. A coral reef is a marine ecosystem, illustrating the bioti and abiotic components. | Biotic Components of an Ecosystem Among the biotic components of an ecosystem, autotrophs require only inorganicnutrientsand an outsideenergy source to produce organic nutrients for their own use and indirectly for all the other members of a community. They are called producers because they produce = food. Photorynthetconganions reds Seendesiss SY most ‘of the organic nutrients for the | Sssaeaname biosphere. Algae of all types contain chlorophyll and carry on photosynthesis in freshwater and marine habitats, ne Algae make up the phytoplankton, Wrigure 2.2.4 plantis shown illustrating how itis which are photosynthesizing Organisms characterized as an autotroph suspended in water. Green plants, fields are the dominant photosynth such as trees and forests and corn plants in esizers on land. ome autotrophic bacteria are chemosyntheti They obtain energy by oxidizing inorganic compounds such as ammonia, nitrites, and sulfides, and they Si ners si i h use this energy to synthesize organic compounds, Chemosynthesizers have been~Heterotrophs need a preformed source of organic nutrients. They are called consumers because they consume food. Herbivores are animals that graze directly on plants or algae. In terrestrial habitats, insects are small herbivores, and antelopes and bison are large herbivores, In aquatic habitats, zooplankton, which is composed of Pprotozoans and tiny invertebrates, are small herbivores while some fishes, as well as manatees, are large herbivores. Carnivores, feed on other animals; for example, birds that feed on insects are carnivores, and so are hawks that feed i i : i hickens, on birds, Omnivores are animals that feed on both plants and animals. Cl raccoons, and humans are omnivores. [ Figure 2.3. Photos of heterotrophic organisms of the biotic components in an ecosystem Scavengers, such as jackals and vultures feed on the dead remains of animals ee ants that have recently begun to decompose. Detritus is a term and also of Pteanic remains in the water and soil that are in the final stage of er “Marine fan worms take detritus from the water, ect . while clamps savior i ke it from the substratum. Earthworms, some beetles, and termites feed on tal detritus in the soil. Bacteria and fungi, including mushrooms, are the decomposers le ; . that use their digestive secretions to chemically breakdown dead organic matter, jncluding animal wastes in the external environment. Notice that decomposers produce detritus. Without decomposers, plants would b only on physical processes, such as the release of e completely dependent them with inorganic nutrients, minerals from rocks to supplyEFigure 2... Illustrates the different decomposers. | Abiotic Factors of the Ecosystem ‘The biosphere is patchy. We can see the environmental patchwork on several levels. On a global scale, ecologists have long recognized striking regional patterns in the distribution of terrestrial and aquatic life. These patterns mainly reflect regional differences in climate and other abiotic factors. Showing patchiness ona local scale; we can see a mixture of forest, small lakes, a meandering river, and open meadows. If we moved even closer, into any one these different environments, we would find patchiness on yet a smaller scale. For example, we would find that each lake has several different habitats — environmental situations in which organisms live. And each habitat has a characteristic community of organisms. As with the global patchiness of the biosphere, smaller-scale environmental variation is based mainly on differences in abiotic factors. We'll now consider some of the most important abiotic factors and how they might affect the organisms that interact with them. ™ Sunlight. Solar energy powers nearly all ecosystems. In aquatic environments, the availability of sunlight has a significant effect on the growth and distribution of algae. Because water itself and microorganisms in it absorb light and keep it penetrating very far, most photosynthesis occurs near the surface of the water, In terrestrial environments, light is often not the most important factor limiting plant growth. In many forest : ; S, however, shading by trees creates intense competition for light at ground level,r a ‘ . Water. See have a seemingly unlimited supply of water, eee mach rarce of water balance if their own solute concentration For a termects at of their surroundings (shows water balance in cells). rial organism, the main water problem is the treat of drying out. Many land species have water-tight coverings that reduce water loss. For example, a waxing coating on the leaves and other aerial parts of most plants helps prevent dehydration. (Rubbing a cucumber is a good way to sample this wax.) And humans and other mammals have a layer of dead outer skin containing a waterproofing protein. Moreover, the ability of our kidneys to excrete very concentrated urine is an evolutionary adaptation that enables us to rid our body of urea, a waste product, with minimal water loss. m Temperature. Environmental temperature is an important abiotic factor because of its effect on metabolism. Few organisms can maintain a sufficiently active metabolism at temperatures close to 0°C (32°F), and temperatures above 50°C (122°F) destroy the enzymes of most organisms. Still, extraordinary adaptations enable some species to live outside this temperature range. For example, some North American frogs and turtles can freeze during the winter months and still survive, and prokaryotes living in hot springs have enzyme that function optimally at extremely high temperatures. Mammals and birds can remain considerably warmer than their surroundings and can be active in a fairly wide range of temperatures, but even these animals function best at certain temperatures. m Wind. some organisms — for example, bacteria, protists. insects that live on snow-covered mountain peaks x be end b : blown on them by winds. Many plants depend oi oe we their pollen and seeds. Local wind damage oft ind Yo disperse ge often creates Openings in and many pattern of plant’s growth, loolvem~ Anew. rene Hot foture and chemical composition of the distribution of plants and of the animals that Soil variation contributes to the patchiness we ye al landscapes. In, streams and rivers, the composition of the substrate can affect water chemistry, which in turn influences the d animals. In marine environments, the structure of resident plants an ! underlying substrates determines the types of organisms that can attach or burrow in those habitats. s and Soil. ‘The physical struc! d soil limit getation. gm Rock: rocks an‘ feed on the ve} in terrestrit u Periodic Disturbances. Catastrophic disturbances, such as fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, and volcanic eruptions, can devastate biological communities. After the disturbance, the area is recolonized by organisms rvivors, but the structure of the community undergoes ges during the rebound. Some disturbances, such as lar over space and time m. Fire, or repopulated by sui a succession of chan volcanic eruptions, ate so infrequent and irregu that organisms have not acquired evolutionary adaptations to the: on the other hand, although unpredictable over the short term, recurs frequently in some communities, and many plants have adapted to this periodic disturbance. In fact, several communities actually depend on periodic fire to maintain them. ~ py bein of o TF i | Homeostasis in the Ecosystem ° ‘The term homeostasis refers to the optimum balance in any system, be it biological or environmental in nature. Taking into account balance in the environment simply considers the different aspect of the ecosystem which comprise of the biotic and the abiotic components in it. How the different abiotic factors in an ecosystem maintain the requirements of the biotic components in it for sustenance and healthy interactions, likewise biotic components as they 40 their activities must not disrupt the natural patterns of abiotic part will determine balance in the environment? Humans and other living entities in the ecosyste™ must not engage in activities that incurred accumulated wastes that will disrupt the prevailing biochemical cycles and other abiotic factors which will lead © 9" imbalance state of ecosystem.