Terrestrial

Ecosystem
John Ernest U. Grana
BEED 2C
 Terrestrial Ecosystem
It is a land-based community of organisms and the interactions
of biotic and abiotic components in a given area.

Terrestrial Ecosystems are distinguished from aquatic ecosystems

by the lower availability of water and the consequent importance of
water as a limiting factor.

It is characterized by greater temperature fluctuations on both a

diurnal and seasonal basis than occur in aquatic ecosystems in
similar climates.

The availability of light is greater than aquatic ecosystems because

the atmosphere is more transparent than water.
 Terrestrial Ecosystem
Gases are more available than aquatic ecosystems that include
carbon dioxide, oxygen and nitrogen.

It comprises 28% area of the world.

Six primary terrestrial ecosystems exist:

Temperate Grassland
Tundra Taiga Tropical Desert
Deciduous
Rain Forest
Forest
 What Animals Live There?
Many different animals call terrestrial ecosystems home including
the animals that we can saw in our everyday lives like birds,
mammals of all shapes and sizes and insects.
 What Plants Live There?
There are various plants that we already know that grows in the
terrestrial ecosystems like flowering plants like roses, sun flowers
and more. There are also mosses which grows on rocks and
different types of trees.
 Abiotic Components
It is the non-living components of an ecosystem affecting the life of
organisms.

Abiotic components are:

 Temperature  Carbohydrates
 Light  Humic subtances
 Water  Lipids
 Soil  Proteins
 Rocks  Nitrogen
 Sulphur

These specific abiotic factors represent the geological,

geographical, hydrological and climatological features of a
particular ecosystem
 Temperature
Most life exists within
fairly narrow range of
Temperatures, from about 0 C
to about 50 C. Few organism
can maintain an active
metabolism below 0 C for long,
and most organism’ enzymes are

denatured above 50 C. However,

extraordinary adaptations
enable certain species to live at
extreme temperatures.
 Types of Vegetation

 MEGATHERMS where temperature remain high throughout the

year.
 MESOTHERMS where there is an alternation of low and high
temperature season.
 MICROTHERMS where temperature always remain
comparatively lower.
 HEKISTOTHERMS where temperature remains low throughout
the year.
 Sunlight
The sun provides light
and warmth and it is the
energy source for all ecosystems on
Earth. Sunlight powers
Photosynthesis by plants, the main
producer in most terrestrial ecosystems.
It enable the organisms to seen
or to be seen. It is also the essential for
growth of green plants and in mammals,
it plays vital role in formation of
substances like vitamin D: regulates
quantities of calcium and phosphorous.
 Wind
Many plants use the help of
the wind to disperse
Seeds over long distances.
Organisms disperse to find new
Habitats rich in needed
resources. Strong winds can be
very destructive.
 Water
It is one of the nature’s
most important thing essential
for life of an organism. Water is
necessary for digestion and
absorption of food. It also
supplies oxygen and nutrients to
the cells and serves as a natural
air conditioning system.
 Biotic Components
It ranges from extremely small bacteria, which lives in the air,
water and soil, algae which live in fresh water and salt water, to
the terrestrial plants which range from grasses and herbs that
grow after the monsoon of every year to the giant long lived trees of
the forest.

The living component of the animal world ranges from microscopic

animals to small insects and larger animals such as fish
amphibians reptiles, birds and mammals.

Biotic Component is distinguished into autotrophs, heterotrophs

and saprotrophs.
 Autotrophs
It is also called the
producers. These are
photosynthetic plants, generally
chlorophyll bearing, which
synthesized high-energy complex
organic compounds (food) from
inorganic raw materials with the
help of sunlight. In terrestrial
ecosystem, the autotrophs are
mainly the rooted plants.
 Heterotrophs
It is also called the consumers
which are generally animals
feeding on other organism. It is
also referred as the phagotrophs or
macroconsumers are mainly
herbivores which referred as
primary consumers as they feed
directly on plants and carnivores
which feed or prey upon other
animals. Primary carnivores are
the animals which feed on the
herbivorous animals and the
Secondary carnivores which feed
on the primary carnivores.
 Saprotrophs
It is also called the
decomposers or reducers. They
break down the complex organic
compounds of dead matter of
plants and animals. They do not
ingest their food instead they
secrete digestive enzymes into
the dead and decaying plant and
animal remains to digest the
organic material. Enzymes act
upon the complex organic
compounds of the dead matter.
 Classification of Terrestrial
Communities on
the Basis of
Habitat

Terrestrial Organisms are found living on the surface of earth,

below it or in the sky. Therefore, on the basis of habitat, they are
divided into 3 categories:
(i) Subterranean Communities
(ii) Surface Communities
(iii) Aerial Communities
 Subterranean
Community
Animals which live about 5
to 6 inches deep inside the
Earth. These animals are
adapted to various modes of life
living inside earth. These
adaptations depend upon the
nature and type of soil they live
in. On the basis of the size, the
subtrerranean communities are
further classified as follows: (i)
Microbiota, Mesobiota, and
Macrobiota Subrerranean
Communities.
 Surface
Community
Communities which live
on earth. On the basis of
climatic factors, it can be divided
into following:
(i) Tropical : temperature: 48
degree Celsius or more;
rainfall: 200-400 cm per
year. Climate is warm.
(ii) Temperate: temperature: 40
degree Celsius or more; rainfall:
76 cm. Summer are warm and
winters are cold.
(iii) Alpine: snowfall takes place
average rainfall is 25cm or less.
 Aerial
Community

Organisms which fly in the sky.

They come on land, trees or
rocks for feeding, breeding and
resting. Insects, moths, birds
and bats are main sky fliers
Thank You!