02 Ecosystem
02 Ecosystem
Population
• The group of interbreeding individual of same species
residing in same geographical area .
Abiotic Biotic
Temperature, Sunshine,
Wind
Autotrophs Heterotrophs Decomposers
(green plants)
Biotic component
Living parts of ecosystem can be sub-divided into
(a) Autotrophs: - are the green plants which are the
primary producers because they are able to convert the
atmospheric sunlight through photosynthesis to
manufacture their own food
b) Heterotrophs: - they cannot synthesize their own food from
sunlight and then depend on the primary producers (green
plants). They are thus consumers. There are 3 levels of
consumers:-
1) Herbivores (plant eaters) :- They feed directly on
producers and hence also known as primary consumers. e.g.
rabbit, insect, man.
2) Carnivores (meat eaters) :- They feed on other
consumers. If they feed on herbivores they are called
secondary consumers (e.g. frog) and if they feed on other
carnivores (snake, big fish etc.) they are known as tertiary
carnivores/consumers.
3. Omnivores:- They feed on both plants and animals. e.g.
humans, rat, fox, many birds
4.Detritivores (Detritus feeders or Saprotrophs): They
feed on the parts of dead organisms, wastes of living
organisms, their castoff and partially decomposed matter
e.g. beetles, termites, ants, crabs, earthworms etc
Therefore the shorter the food chain the greater the energy available to that
population.
This type of food chain starts from the green plant which goes to
grazing herbivores and on carnivores
Grass……….Grasshopper………Frog………..Snake…….Hawk
• Pyramid of Number
• Pyramid of Biomass
• Pyramid of Energy
Pyramid of number
• A pyramid of numbers is a graphical representation of the numbers of
individuals in each population in a food chain. Often it is drawn from the
autotrophic level up.
• A pyramid of numbers can be used to examine how the population of a
certain species affects another.
• Often, the autotrophic level in a pyramid of numbers is much larger than any
of the higher trophic levels, and the numbers decreases upon ascending the
pyramid.
• There are exceptions, however for example, in a tree community, a single
tree could support many different populations of larger numbers.
Pyramid of number
Grassland
Ecosystem
Autotrophs
Gross Herbivores Carnivores Not
utilized
production (G.P/15) (G.P/3.0) 1.2
(G.P/111)
Respiration 1.8
Respiration 23 Not utilized 70 Not utilized 7
Respiration 4.5
Producers can utilize only 0.1 % (111.0 gcal/cm2 /yr out of 118,872
g.al./cm2/year) of incident solar radiation in their primary gross production or
total photosynthesis.
CO2 in
atmosphere
Photosynthesis
Photo- Cellular
synthesis respiration
Burning
of fossil
fuels and
wood Phyto-
plankton
Consumers
Consumers
Decomposition
Nitrogen Cycle
Phosphorus Cycle
The reservoir of phosphorus lies in the rocks ,fossils. etc which is excavated
by man for using it as a fertilizer.
Phosphorus Cycle
(Contd.)
Farmers use the phosphate fertilizers indiscriminately and as result excess
phosphorus are lost as run –off , which cause the problem of eutrophication or
over nourishment of lakes leading to algal blooms
A good proportion of phosphates moving with surface run-off reaches the oceans
and lost into the deep sediments.
Limited supply of phosphorus lying in phosphate rocks of this earth are thus over-
exploited by man and a large part is taken out of the normal cycle due to loss into
oceans.
Sea birds, on the other hand , are playing an important role in phosphorus cycling.
They eat sea-birds which are rich in phosphorus rich and the droppings or excreta
of the birds return phosphorus on the land.
The Guano deposits on the coasts of Peru are very rich sources of phosphorus.
Ecological Succession
• Is defined as an orderly process of changes in community structure and
function with time mediated through modifications in the physical environment
and ultimately culminating in a stabilized ecosystem known as climax.
• The whole sequence of communities which are transitory are known as seral
stages or seres whereas the community establishing first of all in the area is
called pioneer community.
Characteristics of ecological
succession
• Hydrosere (water)
• Mesosere (moderate moisture)
• Xerosere (dry area with little moisture)
Xerosere
Reaction: The living organisms grow , use water and nutrients from the
substratum , and in turn , they have strong influence on the environment which is
modified to a large extent and this known as reaction. The modifications are very
often such that they become unsuitable for the existing species and favor some
new species , which replace them. Thus, reaction leads to several seral
communities
Stabilization: The succession ultimately culminates in a more or less
Stable community called climax which is in equilibrium with the environment
• Lichen ( pioneer)
• Mosses
• Herbs
• Shrubs
• Forest ( climax)
• This type of succession starts on bare rocks , which lacks water and organic
matter.
• The pioneer community here is crustose and foliose lichens .
• These lichens produce some weak acid and help in disintegrating the
rock ,known as weathering.
• Their growth help in building up gradually some organic matter, humus and
soil.
• Then comes the community of mosses, followed by herbs , shrubs and
finally the forest trees
• Throughout this gradual process there is slow build of organic matter and
water in the substratum
• Thus succession tends to move towards mesic conditions (moderate
condition) irrespective of the fact, whether in started from dry ( xeric ) condition
or a moist ( hydric) condition and it culminates in a stable climax
community , which is usually a forest.
http://www.slideshare.net/gauravhtandon1/ecology-ecosystems-45788
286
http://youtu.be/D1aRSeT-mQE
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