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  • ECOSYSTEM

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    Akshay Gurjar
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    An ecosystem is a self-sustaining system consisting of living organisms interacting with their physical environment. The components of an ecosystem include abiotic factors like climate and soil, and biotic factors like living organisms. There are two major types of ecosystems - terrestrial/land ecosystems and aquatic ecosystems. At a global level, life exists on land, in water, and air, known as the biosphere, which is divided into biogeographical realms and regions at smaller scales. Ecosystems can be natural or modified by human activities like agriculture, and are degraded by processes like deforestation and urbanization. Key species play an important role in ecosystem structure and function.

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    Ecosystem

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    An ecosystem is a self-sustaining system consisting of living organisms interacting with their physical environment. The components of an ecosystem include abiotic factors like climate and soil, and biotic factors like living organisms. There are two major types of ecosystems - terrestrial/land ecosystems and aquatic ecosystems. At a global level, life exists on land, in water, and air, known as the biosphere, which is divided into biogeographical realms and regions at smaller scales. Ecosystems can be natural or modified by human activities like agriculture, and are degraded by processes like deforestation and urbanization. Key species play an important role in ecosystem structure and function.

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    5 views11 pages

    ECOSYSTEM

    Uploaded by

    Akshay Gurjar
    An ecosystem is a self-sustaining system consisting of living organisms interacting with their physical environment. The components of an ecosystem include abiotic factors like climate and soil, and biotic factors like living organisms. There are two major types of ecosystems - terrestrial/land ecosystems and aquatic ecosystems. At a global level, life exists on land, in water, and air, known as the biosphere, which is divided into biogeographical realms and regions at smaller scales. Ecosystems can be natural or modified by human activities like agriculture, and are degraded by processes like deforestation and urbanization. Key species play an important role in ecosystem structure and function.

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    of 11

    Dr Virat

    Defination
     An ecosystem is a self regulatory and self sustaining
    structural and functional unit of recognisable
    landscape form (e.g forest, grass-land, desert, wetland
    or coastal area) consisting of community of living
    beings interacting with its physical environment
    (Tansley, 1935)
    Concept of Ecosystem
     Components of ecosystem:
    Abiotic component consist of climatic factors( light,
    temperature, rainfall, humidity etc.), topographic
    factors (height of mountain chains, direction of
    mountains and valleys, steepness of slope etc.) and soil
    related factors.

    Biotic component consist of living part of ecosystem


     Two major type of Ecosystem
    1. Terrestrial or Land ecosystem
    2. Aquatic ecosystem

    Global level, life can exist of land, water and air


    which are collectively known as biosphere.
    Sub-global level, biosphere is divided into
    biogeographical realms, e.g Palaearctic realm (Eurasia)
    Oriental realm( South and south east Asia), Nearctic
    (North America), Neotropical (South America), Ethopian
    realm (Africa), Australian realm (Australia)
     At a national or state level,
    it is divided in to
    biogeographic regions.

     There are 10
    biogeographic regions of
    India.
    Understanding Ecosystem
     Natural ecosystem: Forest, grassland, desert etc.

     Man modified ecosystem: agricultural land, urban or


    industrial landuse pattern
     Ecosystem degradation
    Deforestation, urbanization, landuse change,
    agriculture, habitat loss, mining etc.
    Key stone species: Some species if eliminated seriously
    affect the ecosystem. When a key stone species is
    removed from a habitat, it changes habitat
    dramatically.
    e.g. Bees-By pollinating plants, bees contribute to their
    survival. The plants are shelter for insects, which are
    then eaten by other species, like birds.
    Tiger, Sea Star fish (control population of mussels)
     Resources Utilization
    Inequality in resources utilization
    Rich and poor divide…
    STRUCTURE & FUNCTION OF AN
    ECOSYSTEM
     Structural Aspects
    1. Inorganic compounds- C, N, CO2, H2O, Fe, Cu, Zn,
    Na, P, Mg etc.
    2. Organic compounds- Proteins, carbohydrates, lipids
    (link abiotic to biotic aspects)
    3. Climatic regimes- Temp, moisture, light and
    topography
    4. Producers- Plants
    5. Macro-consumer- Phagotrophs (large animals)
    6. Micro-consumer- Saprotrophs (absorbers like fungi)
     Functional Aspects
    1) Energy cycles
    2) Food chains
    3) Diversity-interlinks between organisms
    4) Nutrient cycles-biogeochemical cycles
    5) Evolution

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