Ecosystem

If
Biocoenosis
Microcosm
Geobiocoenosis
Holocen
ins Ecosystem By Tansley

2. Consumers Ecosystem
Ecosystem function
Key functions are:
• The living and non living things interact with
each other and maintain a balance in nature. • They depend on producers for their food 1. Specific composition: identification and 1. Productivity.
This self sustaining and functional unit of living Directly or indirectly enumeration of plant and animal species. 2. Decomposition.
world is known as ECOSYSTEM • Also known as heterotrophs 2. Stratification: strata —> layer 3. Energy flow.
• Abiotic components are temperature, rainfall, a) primary or first order consumers Vertical distribution of different specie at 4. Nutrient cycling.
wind , soil and minerals -key industry Animal or herbivorous different level Eg. forest
Max: Stratification-> TRF ( tropical rain forest) 1. Productivity.
-they convert plant matter into Animal matter
I Types of Ecosystem
2 -terrestrial: grasshopper, cow,deer • Rate of biomass production

ne Seems
↓
Terrestrial
ecosystem
↓ Aquatic
ecosystem
Aquatic: Molluscs, tadpoles, mosquito larvae
b) secondary consumers or second order or
Most productive system: coral reef, tropical rainforest
Forest, sugarcane Field
Natural Anthropogenic/ primary carnivorous Least productive: desert and deep sea
-over ecosystem Eg. pond ,river, man made • feeds on herbivorous Productivity
land ,forest,desert

S • Terrestrial: toad, spider, lizard, centipede,

lake
,grassland
Without human Eg. crop field,
Stratification in TRF 2 types
support or interference garden, aquarium and insectivorous birds Primary productivity Secondary productivity
Eg. forest , marine Characteristics of anthropogenic ecosystem • Aquatic: hydra, frog, some fishes Emergent
ecosystem 1. High productivity.
• rate at which • Rate of formation
m
Agroecosystem / agriculture :
largest manmade ecosystem
2.
3.
Little diversity.
Simple food chain.
c) tertiary consumers or third order consumers or tree
organic matter is of new organic
4. Do not possess self regulatory secondary carnivorous produced by plant
mechanism. UnderStorey matter by
5. Cycling of minerals. • feeds on secondary consumers plant Woody climber per unit area over a consumers
• Terrestrial: snake (Liana) period of time
Components of ecosystem- • Expressed as in
[ • Aquatic: large fishes Shrubs Characteristic
Abiotic Biotic

ughen
weight (gm m )yr
.
2 NPP= GPP - R
~ 2
Climatic Topographic Producer
-photo autotrophs Decomposer
d) Top carnivores
• they are not eaten by others
feature of TRF
Energy (Kcal m ) yr
-Temperature -Altitude
-Water
-Wind
Edaphic
-

-Soil
m -chemo autotrophs
Consumer
~
• May belong to any category
eg. Tiger, lion, panther, falcon, peacock. Herbs Trees Dense canopy GPP NPP
trees
-sun
↑ n Tena

3. Decomposers 3. Standing state: amount of inorganic

Gross primary productivity Net primary productivity

Biotic • saprophytes nutrients in an ecosystem. Total organic matter produced After respiration, the amount
All living organisms present in ecosystem of organic matter stored by
• secretes digestive juices over dead organic matter 4. Standing crop : amount of living matter(biomass.)per unit time area
producers
• Convert complex organic matter into soluble simple present in an ecosystem.
1. Producers NPP biomass is available for heterotrophs for consumption

Es
matter Ecosystem with
• green photosynthetic plant • a part of organic matter is assimilated while organic Tropical rainforest Factors affecting primary productivity
maximum standing 1. Photosynthetic capacity of producers. Ocean low productivity due to:
• Convert solar energy into chemical recycled it. crop 2. Solar radiation available. Low light
energy • Help in mineral cycling 3. Temperature ,soil ,moisture. Nitrogen nutrient not available

• Known as autotrophs /converters/ • Also known as reducers 4. Availability of nutrients.

eg. Fungi, bacteria, flagellates especially of pond bottom
G
Measure
transducer ·

-
NCERT
imit
*

• Terrestrial ecosystem: herbaceous, woody natural scavenger& Functions - replenishe the soil Counting Biomass
• Annual NPP of whole biosphere is approx 170 billion tons(dry
plant Scavengers Detrivores
weight weight) of organic matter

many
• Aquatic ecosystem: phytoplankton, Animal feed on dead or Which feed on Fresh weight Dry weight • Despite of occupying 70% of surface, the productivity of
algae, floating and submerged plant, injured animals and clean detritus(termites • can change • cannot oceans are 55 billion tons and of territorial ecosystem 115
billion tons
marginal plants of edges the Earth ,earthworms) according to change • each level of ecosystem i.e producers, consumers, etc represent
Eg. Carrion beetles , quickly dispose moisture each trophic level
marabou storks , crow , the dead body tranant
vultures
 2. Decomposition ↑ 3. Energy flow
↑ Food web ↑ Pyramid of number

1/
I
↓
-

↓
• DFC maybe connected with GFC chains at some Upright
• Breaking down of insoluble complex matter into • sun is the only source of energy for all ecosystem, Spindle/ Inverted
places
soluble simple matter except deep sea hydrothermal ecosystem • All organisms has alternative food sources
Eg. grassland & Eg. Large size tree may
Pond ecosystem support & provide
• The major site of decomposition is upper soil layer Incident solar radiation • Single animal may be eaten by different animals
nourishment to several
& bottom of water bodies thus different food chain may get interconnected
&
100% frugivorous birds
• The network of interconnected food chains at -No of Ectoparasites depend
PAR More than 50% absorbed
Detritus: dead remain of plant & animal(faecal matter) different trophic level in biotic community is upon birds are more in
( less than 50%) by gases , water vapour termed as food web number
Process of decomposition • It provides stability to ecosystem
-
↓ ↓
GPP (1-5%) • energy flow in ecosystem • Jackals are both carnivores and scavengers
Fragmentation Leaching Catabolism captured by plant is Unidirectional
of detritus • follows 1st and 2nd law Ten percent law of energy transfer
-Carried out by saprophytic
-Carried out by small -The soluble part bact-fungi.
NPP (0.8 to 4%) of thermodynamics
invertebrates, in detritus of -Breaking down of organic
Proposed by Lindemann
Earthworm, termites pulverised state matter & releases inorganic • out of total energy only 10% of energy is Pyramid of Biomass
-They eat & the matter solubilised in matter
water & settled in -They are Natural scavengers
transferred I
pulverised inside ↓
digestive tract comes lower soil horizon -The two matter is produced • As the result the ecosystem can only Upright Inverted
out in excreta & become due to differential support limited no of trophics
-due to pulverisation unavailable decomposition Eg. Tree & grass ecosystem Eg. Aquatic ecosystem
A) Humus by humification
Phytoplankton ( lowbiomass)
their surface area
B)Inorganic nutrient by
increases & now easily Zooplankton
mineralisation
acted by enzymes
A) HUMIFICATION: B) Mineralisation Fishes
-By decomposition of detritus humus is • Benthic animal and
-During decomposition of
formed brown algae exceeds the
organic humus the inorganic other producers &
-Humus is dark coloured Amorphous, matter is released. consumers in Aquatic
-

fully or partially decomposed , rich in

-This inorganic matter which ecosystem
cellulose, Lignin ,tanin.
is impregnant inside
-Highly resistant to microbial action
organic matter is now
-Decomposition is in slow rate
-Acidic Nature ( slightly) available for other animals/
organisms Pyramid of Energy
-Colloidal, natural reservoir of nutrients

Nutrient Immobilization: the phenomena of incorporating • Always upright

minerals in living cells • Follow 10% law
-now they are available after death of organism
Food chain

6
The sequence of living organism which involve transfer Ecological pyramids
Factors of decomposition
of food energy from producers through series of
• The graphical representation of Various Ecological
organisms repeatedly eated & being eaten is food chain
parameters at successive trophic level of food chain
2. Aeration 3. Temperature
.
PFC
↓

GFC DFC with Base represent producers & Apex represent

1.chemical nature
of detritus
Required for -At above 25°C , good
moisture & aeration : fast 4. Moisture Grazing Detritus food Parasite carnivorous.
detrivores activity
—Lignin , tanins, chitin , -temp below 10 C :slow
-optimum moisture: food chain chain food chain • Quantity at Each level is reprusented by Length
cellulose:slow rate -Begin with detritus
quick
of Bar in Graph.

-
-nitrogenous compound , water
-prolong dryness: Terrestrial Aquatic -Mainly constituent Tree
soluble sugar : fast rate
slow
PP - grass Phytoplankton decomposers • They are of 3 types Limitations of Ecological pyramids:-

· · -
-The detrivores are
PC - Grasshopper
Zooplankton
consumed by small
Herbivore bird
Detritus Pyramid 1. Not includes the species that belong to more

-
Small fish carnivores
SC - frog Pyramid Of
Pyramid
Large fish (Tc) Earthworm Lice & bugs of Of trophic levels
TC - snake Biomass
number Energy Eg. Insectivorous plants
Sparrow
Top consumer - eagle 2. Not includes the food web
• The pyramids may be Upright or Inverted
Falcon 3. Not includes saprophytes,decomposers, microbes,
GFC is major conduit of energy flow in aquatic ecosystem
• size of organism increases at high level
imme
The pyramid of Energy is always upright. due to 10% law detrivores