Ecosystem

• The food chain is the pathway that energy flows through an ecosystem.
• Abiotic factors are non-living components such as temperature, light intensity, water availability, soil type, pH level, wind speed, etc.
• Biotic factors are living components such as plants, animals, microorganisms, etc.
• Abiotic factors are non-living components such as temperature, light intensity, water availability, soil type, pH level, wind speed, etc.
• Energy flow refers to the movement of energy from one trophic level to another
• Natural ecosystem

  Capable of maintaining and operating themselves without the interference of humans
• artificial or man-made ecosystem 


  these are maintained and manipulated by human for different purposes
• natural ecosystem

  • terrestrial ecosystem
  • aquatic ecosystem
• abiotic components


  the abiotic or non-living components consist of temperature, water, light etc
• Producers 


  All green plants

  in terrestrial ecosystems - herbaceous, woody plants

  In aquatic ecosystems- phytoplanktons, some algae

  They are also called as autotrophs
• Consumers 


  All animals which depend directly or indirectly ion plants for their food requirements
• consumers are also called heterotrophs
• decomposers are also called saprophytes
• species composition 


  it’s is calculated by the identification and enumeration of plants and animals species of an ecosystem
• stratification 


  it is the vertical distribution ofc different species y occupying different levels in an ecosystem
• pond ecosystem


  a pond is fairly a self-sustainable unit, that explains even the complex interactions that exist in an aquatic ecosystem
• abiotic component of pond ecosystem 


  it contains all the dissolved inorganic and organic materials and a solid deposited at its bottom
• biotic component of pond

  • autotrophic components- like phytoplanktons, some algae and the floating, submerged and marginal plants
  • Consumers - like zooplanktons, are free-swimming and bottom dwellers
  • Decomposers- like fungi, bacteria, and flagellates are found abundantly in the bottom of the pond
• the rate of synthesis of energy containing organic matter or biomass by any tropic level per unit are in unit time is calledt it’s productivity
• Primary productivity 


  the amount of biomass or organic matter produced per unit area over a time period by plants during photosynthesis
• Gross primary productivity 


  It is the rate of production of organic matter during photosynthesis
• net primary productivity 


  it is the available biomass for the consumption by heterotrophs
• factors affecting primary productivity

  • sunlight
  • temperature
  • moisture
  • nutrients availability
  • photosynthetic efficiency of plants
• secondary productivity 


  it is the rate of assimilation and formation of new organic matter by consumers
• decomposition 


  the breakdown of complex organic matter into inorganic substances like carbon dioxide, water and nutrients
• Fragmentation 


  It is the process ofc breakdown of detritus into smaller particles by detritovores
• Leaching


  It is the process by which water-soluble inorganic nutrients go down into the soil horizon and get precipitated as unavailable salts
• catabolism


  it is the process of degradation of detritus into simple organic material by the action of bacterial and fungal enzymes and then their further conversion into simpler compounds
• Humification 


  It is a process that leads to the accumulation of a dark colored amorphous and colloidal substance called humus
• mineralisation 


  it is a process of degradation of humus by microbial cation and release of inorganic nutrients
• chemical composition of detritus 


  the rate of decomposition is slower, if detritus is rich in lignin and chitin while it is quicker if it is composed of nitrogen and water soluble substances like sugars
• climatic factors 


  temperature and soil moisture are the most important climatic factors that controls decomposition
• First tropic level 


  Producers occupy the first tropic level
• second tropic level 


  primary consumer occupy the second tropic level
• third tropic level 


  secondary consumer occupy the third tropic level
• fourth tropic level 


  it is occupied by the tertiary consumer

  these feed upon secondary consumers to obtain their energy
• Standing crop 


  It is the mass of living at a particular tropic level at a specific time
• grazing food chain


  it begins with the producers which capture the solar energy and feeds food chain through photosynthesis
• Detritus food chain 


  It begins with dead organic matter and is made up of decomposers which are heterotrophic organisms, mainly fungi and bacteria
• pyramid of number

  it represents the total number of organisms at each trophic level

  it is always upright