Ecosystem

• The chemical energy produced by producers is transferred to primary consumers and then to secondary and tertiary consumers in the food chain and food web.
• An ecosystem is a self contained area composed of all the different organisms living in it, interacting with each other,as well with the physical conditions
• Literally the term ecosystem is derived from the greek word Oikos which means a house ,
• Forest is a large area with a dense growth of trees and a large variety of shrubs, bushes, grasses,etc.
• Autotroph's are organisms that categorised as self food producers.
• Biotic components of an ecosystem are the living components of an ecosystem
• Abiotic components are the non living components of an ecosystem
• Food chain is the linear sequence of organisms in which each organism eats the lower member and is itself eaten by the next higher member.
• Food web is a network of several inter-connected food chain.
• Trophic level refers to the position of an organism in a food chain or food web
• Producers are autotrophs (plants) that make their own food from sunlight energy using photosynthesis
• Consumers are heterotrophs (animals) that obtain their food by eating other organisms
• Decomposers break down dead organic matter into simpler substances
• Decomposers break down dead organic matter into simpler substances, releasing nutrients back into the soil
• The flow of energy through a food chain starts with producers at the bottom and ends with decomposers at the top
• Each trophic level has less biomass than the previous one due to energy loss during respiration
• Energy is transferred between trophic levels as it moves up the food chain.
• Food web is a network of inter-connecting food chain in a natural community of different organisms.
• The food webs permit alternative foods. These ensure a better chance of survival of an organism, incase any one of its food source happens to be scarce. It simply means that food web provides more stability to an ecosystem than a food chain.
• In this interaction, both the interacting species are benefitted. This is called symbiosis
• Parasitism:in this interaction, one partner the parasite revives advantage while the other is at loss the host.
• Predation: A predator catches and kills the other organisms for food.
• Flora means the plants naturally occurring in a particular area.
• Fauna means the animals naturally living in that area.