THECOMPONENTS

OF AN ECOSYSTEM
Reported by Group 1
What is an ECOSYSTEM?
 What is an Ecosystem?
• An ecosystem is a very complex entity with many interactive components. It can
be defined as "a system of complex interactions of populations between
themselves and with their environment" or as "the joint functioning and
interaction of these two compartments (populations and environment) in a
functional unit of variable size".

Eg:pond
2 ecosystem
The components of
an ecosystem
 The Components Of Ecosystems
• The structural components of an ecosystem consist of nonliving arena and the
living organisms.

4 Abiotic and bioticcompounds

Abiotic Factors
Non living components of an ecosystem
 Abiotic Factors
• The structural components of nonliving arena. The largest ecosystems is
the “Biosphere”
• The abiotic portion of the biosphere consists of three parts .They are the,
- Atmosphere (Air)
- Hydrosphere (The water)
- Lithosphere (The solid earth)

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 1. The atmosphere
In relation to the ecosystem the most important layer of the
atmosphere is the troposphere; which is the lowest stratum. It is
roughly 10km in thickness and is usually thicker in equatorial
regions than at the poles.

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 The role oftroposphere

• Changes in troposphere results in changes of

climatic factors such wind and ocean currents.
• These currents of air and water in turn strongly
influence the distribution of precipitation, both in
time and in space.

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 2.The Hydrosphere
The role ofwater

• Water is one of the most unusual natural compounds

found on earth. It is essential to all life as both and
internal and an external medium.
• Water covers 71% of the earth’s surface and is the
medium for several different ecosystems and is the
universal solvent.

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 • Water is the main medium through which
chemical constituents are transported in
ecosystems.
• Acts as a medium through which constituents
can pass from the abiotic portion of the
ecosystem in to the biotic portion.

Water
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 3. Thelithosphere

• The lithosphere can be divided into three main

components.Rocks,Sediments and Soil .
• The role of rocks include facilitating storage and
movement of ground water. serve as sources of mineral
constituents of sediment and soils.
• The distribution and nature of rocks determine the types
and distribution of ecosystems.

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 • The importance of soil to the ecosystem lies in that they
are the source of almost all nutrients and much of the
water available to the organisms in terrestrial
ecosystems.
• Soils are the medium for the detritus food chain, and
support all organisms.

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 Biotic factors
Living components of an ecosystem

13 Ecosystem
 Biotic factors
• The biotic/living components of the ecosystem can be classified as flora and
fauna based on their structure and other features.
• Functionally the living organisms can be classified as,
- Producers
- Consumers
- Decomposers

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 1.Producers
• Producers are called as autotrophs.
• They can be of two main types; Photosynthetic forms, chemosynthetic forms.
• The photosynthetic forms are green plants that covert solar energy into chemical
energy-Photosynthesis
• The producers therefore include green plants, photosynthetic bacteria and
chemosynthetic bacteria.

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 2.Consumers
• Heterotrophic organisms are unable to synthesize their
own food and hence obtain them by feeding on other
organisms.
• The consumers are classed into various categories based
on the nature of the food they consume. Such as
Herbivores, Carnivores and Omnivores

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 Primary consumers
• Primary consumers are herbivores, which feed on
plant material.
• Primary consumers can be grazers or browsers.

Plant eating insect Grazingcattle

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 Secondary consumers
• Heterotrophic animals which feed on herbivorous organisms or primary
consumers are termed as the secondary consumers.
• These animals therefore carnivorous.

Fox

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 Tertiary consumers
• These are carnivorous heterotrophs that feed on other
carnivorous animals.
• Most birds of pray and cats fit this category.

Hawk Leopard

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 3.Decomposers
• Decomposers feed on dead meterial,and that is first broken down before
being absorbed.
• The detritivores ,plays the initial role of breaking up large bodies in to small
particles.

Fungus Bacteria
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 MajorTypes of
Ecosystem
1.Terrestrial ecosystem 2.Aquatic ecosystem

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 1.Terrestrial ecosystem
• A terrestrial ecosystem is a type of ecosystem found only on
landforms
• They can be four types; Forest, Grasslands, Desserts orTundra.

Forest Grassland Dessert Tundra

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 2.Aquatic ecosystem
• An aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem in a body of water. Communities
of organisms that are dependent on each other and on their environment
live in aquatic ecosystems
• The major types include Fresh water and Marine.
• Intermediate between fresh water and marine are the estuaries.

Fresh water ecosystem Marine ecosystem

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 Conservation of the components of the ecosystem
• Ecosystems are an intricate part of the human lifecycle as
they provide us with water, food andenergy.
• Since mankind is in a take and take some more relationship
with the ecosystems, many of them have had their natural
processes disrupted.

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 THANK YOU
AND
GODBLESS…

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