ECOSYSTEM NOTE
ECOSYSTEM NOTE
GFC.
m The composition and structure of all communities constantly change in response to the HYDRARCH (In wet areas) XERARCH (Xeric/dry conditions)
changing environmental conditions, which is orderly and sequential, parallel with changes in Phytoplankton Submerged Submerged free Lichens Bryophytes Higher
the physical environment, leading finally to a community that is in near equilibrium to the (pioneer) plant stage floating stage (pioneer) plants
environment and is called climax community. species
species
m This gradual and fairly predictable change in the species composition of a given area is called Reed-swamp
stage
ecological succession.
m The entire sequence of communities that sucessively change in a given area are called Forest Scrub stage Marsh-meadow
(climax) MESIC stage MESIC (climax) Forest
SERE(s) and individual transitional communities are termed seral stages or seral
communities.
12 NUTRIENT CYCLING
m In the successive seral stages change in diversity of species of organisms, increase in the
number of species and organisms as well as an increase in total biomass is seen. m Nutrients which are never lost from the ecosystems, they are recycled time and again
indefinitely. It is called biogeochemical cycles (bio-living organism, geo-rocks, air, water).
m Actually succession and evolution would have been parallel processes. m Nutrient cycles are of two types:
m Primary succession starts in an area where no living organisms ever existed, like on bare rock, (a) Gaseous (eg. nitrogen, carbon cycle)
newly cooled lava, newly created pond or reservoir, so it is slow and can take several hundred (b) Sedimentary (eg. sulphur, phosphorus cycle)
to thousand years. CARBON-CYCLE PHOSPHORUS-CYCLE
m Natural reservoir is atmosphere. m Phosphorus is major constituent of
m Primary succession is very slow process. m Carbon constitutes 49% of dry weight of biological membranes, nucleic acids and
m Secondary succession takes place in areas that somehow, lost all the living organisms that organisms and is next only to water. cellular energy transfer system.
existed there, like abandoned farm lands, burned or cut forests, lands that have been flooded. m 71% of global carbon is dissolved in m Needed to make shells, bones and teeth.
Since some soil or sediment is present, succession is faster than primary succession. oceans, which regulates amount of CO2 in m Natural reservoir is rock.
atmosphere.
m In secondary succession, since soil is already there, the rate of succession is much faster and m Fossil fuel represent a reservoir of carbon. m Herbivores and other animals get it from
hence, climax is also reached more quickly. 13 plants.
m 4 × 10 kg of carbon is fixed annually in
m As succession proceeds, the numbers and types of animals and decomposers also change. biosphere through photosynthesis. m There is no respiratory release of
m Respiratory activities of producers and phosphorus into atmosphere.
m The species that invade a bare area are called pioneer species. m Atmospheric inputs of phosphorus
consumers return a lot of CO2 to the
m After several more stages ultimately a stable climax forest community is formed. atmosphere. Decomposers contribute through rain fail are much smaller than
carbon inputs and secondly gaseous
substantially to CO2 pool
exchanges of phosphorus between
14 m Burning of wood, forest fire, fossil fuel, organism and environment are negligible.
volcanic activity, deforestation etc. also
m In ecosystem there is unidirectional movement of energy towards higher trophic levels and its
contribute to the atmospheric CO2.
dissipation and loss as heat to the environment.
m Some organisms of DFC are prey of the GFC animals. 13 ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
m Some animals like cockroaches, crows etc. are omnivores. m Healthy forest ecosystem purify air and water, mitigate droughts and foods, cycle nutrients,
m Both hydrarch and xerarch lead to medium water conditions (MESIC). generate fertile soils, provide wildlife habitat, maintain biodiversity, pollinate crops, provide
storage site for carbon and also provide aesthetic, cultural and spiritual values.
m Environmental factors, e.g., soil, moisture, pH, temperature, etc., regulate the rate of release
m Robert Constanza tried to put price tags of average US $ 33 trillion a year for these
of nutrients into the atmosphere.
ecosystem services, which is largely taken for granted, because they are free. This is
m The climax community remains stable as long as the environment remains unchanged. nearly twice the value of global GNP of US $ 18 trillion.
m Products of ecosystem processes are named as ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, e.g., purification m Out of the total cost soil formation accounts for about 50%, recreation and nutrient cycling
of air and water by forests. less than 10% each and climate regulation and habitat for wildlife 6% each.