Ecosystem

An ecosystem is a structural and functional unit of ecology where the living organisms interact
with each other and the surrounding environment. In other words, an ecosystem is a chain of
interactions between organisms and their environment. The term “Ecosystem” was first coined
by A.G.Tansley, an English botanist, in 1935.
Read on to explore the structure, components, types and functions of the ecosystem in the notes
provided below.

Structure of the Ecosystem

The structure of an ecosystem is characterised by the organisation of both biotic and abiotic
components. This includes the distribution of energy in our environment. It also includes the
climatic conditions prevailing in that particular environment.
The structure of an ecosystem can be split into two main components, namely:

 Biotic Components
 Abiotic Components
The biotic and abiotic components are interrelated in an ecosystem. It is an open system where
the energy and components can flow throughout the boundaries.

Biotic Components
Biotic components refer to all living components in an ecosystem. Based on nutrition, biotic
components can be categorised into autotrophs, heterotrophs and saprotrophs (or decomposers).
  Producers include all autotrophs such as plants. They are called autotrophs as they can
produce food through the process of photosynthesis. Consequently, all other organisms
higher up on the food chain rely on producers for food.
 Consumers or heterotrophs are organisms that depend on other organisms for food.
Consumers are further classified into primary consumers, secondary consumers and
tertiary consumers.

 Primary consumers are always herbivores as they rely on producers for food.
 Secondary consumers depend on primary consumers for energy. They can either
be carnivores or omnivores.
 Tertiary consumers are organisms that depend on secondary consumers for food.
Tertiary consumers can also be carnivores or omnivores.

 Quaternary consumers are present in some food chains. These organisms prey on
tertiary consumers for energy. Furthermore, they are usually at the top of a food
chain as they have no natural predators.
 Decomposers include saprophytes such as fungi and bacteria. They directly thrive on the
dead and decaying organic matter. Decomposers are essential for the ecosystem as they
help in recycling nutrients to be reused by plants.

Abiotic Components
Abiotic components are the non-living component of an ecosystem. It includes air, water, soil,
minerals, sunlight, temperature, nutrients, wind, altitude, turbidity, etc.

Functions of Ecosystem
The functions of the ecosystem are as follows:
1. It regulates the essential ecological processes, supports life systems and renders
stability.
2. It is also responsible for the cycling of nutrients between biotic and abiotic
components.
3. It maintains a balance among the various trophic levels in the ecosystem.
4. It cycles the minerals through the biosphere.
5. The abiotic components help in the synthesis of organic components that involve
the exchange of energy.
So the functional units of an ecosystem or functional components that work together in an
ecosystem are:

 Productivity – It refers to the rate of biomass production.

  Energy flow – It is the sequential process through which energy flows from one trophic
level to another. The energy captured from the sun flows from producers to consumers
and then to decomposers and finally back to the environment.
 Decomposition – It is the process of breakdown of dead organic material. The top-soil is
the major site for decomposition.
 Nutrient cycling – In an ecosystem nutrients are consumed and recycled back in various
forms for the utilisation by various organisms.
Types of Ecosystem

An ecosystem can be as small as an oasis in a desert, or as big as an ocean, spanning thousands

of miles. There are two types of ecosystem:

 Terrestrial Ecosystem
 Aquatic Ecosystem

Terrestrial Ecosystem
Terrestrial ecosystems are exclusively land-based ecosystems. There are different types of
terrestrial ecosystems distributed around various geological zones. They are as follows:

1. Forest Ecosystem
2. Grassland Ecosystem
3. Tundra Ecosystem
4. Desert Ecosystem

Forest Ecosystem
A forest ecosystem consists of several plants, particularly trees, animals and microorganisms that
live in coordination with the abiotic factors of the environment. Forests help in maintaining the
temperature of the earth and are the major carbon sink.
Grassland Ecosystem
In a grassland ecosystem, the vegetation is dominated by grasses and herbs. Temperate
grasslands and tropical or savanna grasslands are examples of grassland ecosystems.
Tundra Ecosystem
Tundra ecosystems are devoid of trees and are found in cold climates or where rainfall is scarce.
These are covered with snow for most of the year. Tundra type of ecosystem is found in the
Arctic or mountain tops.
Desert Ecosystem
Deserts are found throughout the world. These are regions with little rainfall and scarce
vegetation. The days are hot, and the nights are cold.

Aquatic Ecosystem
Aquatic ecosystems are ecosystems present in a body of water. These can be further divided into
two types, namely:

1. Freshwater Ecosystem
2. Marine Ecosystem

Freshwater Ecosystem
The freshwater ecosystem is an aquatic ecosystem that includes lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and
wetlands. These have no salt content in contrast with the marine ecosystem.
Marine Ecosystem
The marine ecosystem includes seas and oceans. These have a more substantial salt content and
greater biodiversity in comparison to the freshwater ecosystem.

Types of Ecosystem Services

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), a major UN-sponsored effort to analyze the
impact of human actions on ecosystems and human well-being, identified four major categories
of ecosystem services: provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting services.

1. Provisioning Services
When people are asked to identify a service provided by nature, most think of food. Fruits,
vegetables, trees, fish, and livestock are available to us as direct products of ecosystems. A
provisioning service is any type of benefit to people that can be extracted from nature. Along
with food, other types of provisioning services include drinking water, timber, wood fuel, natural
gas, oils, plants that can be made into clothes and other materials, and medicinal benefits.

2. Regulating Services
Ecosystems provide many of the basic services that make life possible for people. Plants clean
air and filter water, bacteria decompose wastes, bees pollinate flowers, and tree roots hold soil in
place to prevent erosion. All these processes work together to make ecosystems clean,
sustainable, functional, and resilient to change. A regulating service is the benefit provided by
ecosystem processes that moderate natural phenomena. Regulating services include pollination,
decomposition, water purification, erosion and flood control, and carbon storage and climate
regulation.
3. Cultural Services
As we interact and alter nature, the natural world has in turn altered us. It has guided our cultural,
intellectual, and social development by being a constant force present in our lives. The
importance of ecosystems to the human mind can be traced back to the beginning of mankind
with ancient civilizations drawing pictures of animals, plants, and weather patterns on cave
walls. A cultural service is a non-material benefit that contributes to the development and
cultural advancement of people, including how ecosystems play a role in local, national, and
global cultures; the building of knowledge and the spreading of ideas; creativity born from
interactions with nature (music, art, architecture); and recreation.

4. Supporting Services
The natural world provides so many services, sometimes we overlook the most fundamental.
Ecosystems themselves couldn't be sustained without the consistency of underlying natural
processes, such as photosynthesis, nutrient cycling, the creation of soils, and the water cycle.
These processes allow the Earth to sustain basic life forms, let alone whole ecosystems and
people. Without supporting services, provisional, regulating, and cultural services wouldn't exist.