Ecosystem

F.Y. B.Sc. Botany

12 February, 2013
F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb 13

What is Ecosystem ?
The concept of Ecosystem was first put forth
by Tansley (1935) :
Ecosystem is a major ecological unit
It has both structure and function
The structure is related to species diversity
The function of ecosystem is related to flow
of energy and cycling of materials through
structural components of the ecosystems.
F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb 13

What is Ecosystem ?
Clarke 1954 :
The organism and the physical features of
the habitat form an ecological complex or
more briefly and Ecosystem

F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb 13

What is Ecosystem ?
E.P. Odum:
The ecosystem is the basic functional unit
of organisms and their environment
interacting with each other and with their
own components

F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb 13

 Defined area in which a community lives with

interactions taking place among the organisms
between the community and its non-living
physical environment.
An ecosystem is formed by the interactions
between all living and non-living things
All the ecosystems of the earth are connected
to one another
A complete self sufficient ecosystem is rarely
found in nature
F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb 13

Structure of Ecosystem
The structure of an ecosystem is basically a
description of the organisms and physical
features of environment including the
amount of and distribution of nutrients in a
particular habitat
It also provided the range of climatic
conditions prevailing in the area

F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb 13

Structure of Ecosystem
All the ecosystems consists of two basic
componets:
1. Abiotic Components
2. Biotic Components

F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb 13

Abiotic components
Solar energy provides practically all the energy for
ecosystems.
Inorganic substances, e.g., sulfur, boron, tend to cycle
through ecosystems.
Organic compounds, such as proteins, carbohydrates,
lipids, and other complex molecules, form a link
between biotic and abiotic components of the system.

F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb 13

Light

Quality of light (wavelength or colour):

Light intensity ("strength" of light)
Day length (length of the light period):

F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb 13

Temperature

F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb 13

Water

F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb 13

Atmospheric gases.

F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb 13

Wind
F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb 13

Edaphic factors

F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb

13

Physiographic factors
These factors are those associated
with the physical nature of the area,
such as altitude, slope of land and
the position of the area in relation
to the sun or rain-bearing winds.

F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb 13

F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb 13

What are Biotic Factors?

Biotic factors are the living organisms in an
ecosystem
They live in Communities (many different
populations) of varied Populations (groups
of interbreeding organisms)
Each organism has a role or NICHE and is
usually participating in a relationship of
some kind
F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb 13

Biotic Factors"
Depending on how the living organisms in an
ecosystem obtain, store and utilize release
energy, they are categorized into :
(a) Producers
(b) (b) consumers
(c) decomposers or detritivores.

F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb 13

Autotrophs

Autotrophs (=self-nourishing) are

called primary producers.
Photoautotrophs fix energy from the
sun and store it in complex organic
compounds
(= green plants, algae, some bacteria)
light

simple
inorganic
compounds

photoautotrophs
F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb
13

complex
organic
compounds

 Chemoautotrophs (chemosynthesizers) are

bacteria
that oxidize reduced inorganic substances

(typically sulfur and ammonia

compounds)
and produce complex organic compounds.
oxygen

reduced
inorganic
compounds

chemoautotrophs

complex
organic
compounds

F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb 13

Heterotrophs

Heterotrophs (=other-nourishing)
cannot produce their own food
directly from sunlight+ inorganic
compounds. They require energy heat
previously stored in complex
molecules.
complex
simple
organic
compounds

heterotrophs

(this may include several steps, with

several different types of organisms)

inorganic
compounds

 Heterotrophs can be grouped as:

consumers

decomposers

F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb 13

 Consumers feed on organisms or particulate organic

matter.
Decomposers utilize complex compounds in dead
protoplasm.
Bacteria and fungi are the main groups of
decomposers.
Bacteria are the main feeders on animal material.
Fungi feed primarily on plants, although bacteria also
are important in some plant decomposition processes.
F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb 13

F.Y. B.Sc. Botany Ecosystem Structure 12 Feb 13