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Env101_Lecture2

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Premashis Palit
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Ecosystem

ENV -101 Lecture-2


What is Ecosystem??
An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants, animals and
micro-organisms (biotic factors) in an area functioning together with
all of the non-living physical (abiotic) factors of the environment.
In simple words Ecosystem is the components and interaction
between living and non-living factors of an area.
Ecology
-Biological science that studies the relationships between living organisms and
their environment;
-study of the structure and functions of nature.
-It comes from Greek word Oikos
-The word "ecology" ("Ökologie") was coined in 1866 by the German scientist
Ernst Haeckel (1834–1919).
Major abiotic factors-
A. Inorganic compounds: Carbon, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, water etc.
B. Organic compounds: Carbohydrate, protein, lipid, amino acid etc.
C. Climate: Air, light, temperature, humidity etc.

Major biotic factors-


• Plants are called producers because they are able to use light energy from the Sun to
produce food (sugar) from carbon dioxide and water.

• Animals cannot make their own food so they must eat plants and/or other animals. They
are called consumers. There are three groups of consumers.
• Animals that eat ONLY PLANTS are called herbivores (or primary consumers).
• Animals that eat OTHER ANIMALS are called carnivores.
• carnivores that eat herbivores are called secondary consumers
• carnivores that eat other carnivores are called tertiary consumers
e.g., killer whales in an ocean food web ...
phytoplankton → small fishes → seals → killer whales

• Animals and people who eat BOTH animals and plants are called omnivores.
• Then there are decomposer (bacteria and fungi) which feed on decaying matter.
These decomposers speed up the decaying process that releases mineral salts back into
Types of Ecosystem
There are two types of ecosystems
1.Terrestrial Ecosystem
-found only on a landform
e.g. forest, grassland, desert
2.Aquatic, which is further distinguished as:
a. freshwater (spring, stream, river, lake, pond, pools, ditch, swamp, etc.)
b. Marine, e.g. sea or ocean (deep bodies) and estuary (shallow bodies).
Each ecosystem is a unique combination of a variety of organisms and physical
conditions such as soil, climate etc.
Levels of Organization in an Ecosystem
Organism is a living thing
Species is defined as a group of organisms
capable of interbreeding and producing
fertile offspring.
Population is a group of organisms of the
same species living in a defined area

Community is a group of interacting


organisms sharing an environment

Ecosystem is System of interaction among


all organisms of an area and their
interactions with the abiotic environment
Functions of an Ecosystem
• Flow of Energy
• Productivity
• Biogeochemical Cycles
Food Chain
food chain- ‘Series of organisms in which each eats or decomposes the
preceding one.’
Energy, chemical elements, and some compounds are transferred from
creature to creature along food chains, the linkage of who feeds on whom.
In nature two general types of food chains are
distinguished-
1. Grazing food chains:
In aquatic ecosystem: PhytoplanktonZooplankton fish
In terrestrial ecosystem: GrassesRabit fox

2. Detritus food chain


In aquatic ecosystem:
Dead organic matterFungiBacteriaSmall fishBig fish
In terrestrial ecosystem:
Dead organic matter Earth worm  Frogs Snakes Birds
Food Web
-Most animals are part of more than one food chain and eat more than
one kind of food in order to meet their food and energy requirements
-so food web is ‘Complex network of many interconnected food chains and
feeding relationships.’
Trophic Level
All organisms that are the same number of energy transfers away from
the original source of energy (for example, sunlight) that enters an
ecosystem.
For example:
- all producers belong to the first trophic level,
- all herbivores belong to the second trophic level in a food chain or a
food web.
-while carnivores form the third and even the fourth trophic levels.
Transfer of Energy
ological Pyramid
-ecological pyramids are graphical representation of the energy flow from one trophic
level to another in an ecosystem
-there are three types of it

1. Number Pyramid
- It represents the number of organisms in each trophic level
- Organisms body size or mass is not considered (hence the smaller organisms are
over-emphasized)
Ecological Pyramid
2. Pyramid of Biomass
-Biomass: total dry weight of all living organisms that can be supported
at each trophic level in a food chain or web
- This pyramid indicates the total mass of the organisms in each trophic
level
Ecological Pyramid
3.Pyramid of Energy
- The Energy pyramid indicates the total amount of energy present in
each trophic level.
- An energy pyramid shows clearly that the energy transfer from one
trophic level to the next is accompanied by a decrease due to waste
and the conversion of potential energy into kinetic energy and heat
energy.
Recap
• Identify the type of ecosystem
Identify the type of ecosystem
Identify the Number of Food Chains here
Reference
•Daniel B Botkin and Edward A Keller, pg:83-90

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