Ecosystem : Its significance

Ecosystem

What is an ecosystem?

The interaction and interrelationship between the living community (plants, animal and organisms) in relation to each other and non-living community (soil, air and water) is defined to an ecosystem. Hence, an ecosystem is structural & functional unit of biosphere. It is made up of living and non-living beings and their physical environment. In other words, natural ecosystem is defined as a network of interaction among the organisms and their environment. Nutrient cycles and energy flow keep these living and non-living components connected in an ecosystem.

The way it works?

It literally means humans, the other animals, plants and micro-organisms are woven into interdependent network that we, and they, depend on food, water, clean air, reproductions and a place to call habitat. Plants help filter our water and stem to rise, insects pollinate the crops, other animals help to build the soil & control pest.

Significance of an ecosystem

Ecosystem is a part of natural environment consisting pf a community of living beings & the physical environment both constantly interchanging materials and energy between them. It is the sum total of the environment or part of nature.

Components

Atmosphere

The atmosphere refers to a productive blanket of glasses, surrounding the earth. It sustains; life on earth. It saves the earth from the hostile environment of outer space. The atmosphere composed of nitrogen and oxygen in large quantity along with small percentage of other gases such as argon, CO2 and other gases.

Layers of Atmosphere

Hydrosphere

The hydrosphere comprises all water resources, such as ocean, seas, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, ice-caps, glaciers and groundwater.

Lithosphere

The lithosphere is the outer mantle of the solid earth which contains minerals occurring in the earth’s crust and the soil.

Biosphere

The biosphere constitutes the realm of living organisms and their interaction with their environment (atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere).

The study of ecosystem is considered to be the multidisciplinary in nature. It has confined two issues, of sanitary and health; & concerned with pollution control, biodiversity conservation, waste management & conservation of natural resources.

Functions

• Energy flow
• Nutrient Cycle

Energy Flow

The metabolism of all the organisms depends upon the energy content. This energy flow from the producers to the top level consumer that is called energy flow. Energy flow is unidirectional i.e. it always flows in single direction from lower trophic level to higher. Producers to herbivores then to the carnivores.

Energy Flow

Trophic levels

Trophic Level Table

Autotrophs

               Producers (i.e. Green plants)

Heterotrophs

               1) Primary Consumers (i.e. Herbivores)

               2) Secondary Consumers (i.e. Carnivores)

               3) Tertiary Consumers (i.e. Carnivores)

               4) Quaternary Consumers (i.e. Top Carnivores)

Trophic level interaction involves the following concepts

1)     Food Chain

2)     Food Web

Food Chain

Food Chain

The sequential flow of food energy in the form of getting eaten or being eaten. The plant converts solar energy into chemical energy by the process of photosynthesis. Small herbivores consume the plants and convert into animal matter. These herbivores are eaten by large carnivores animals.

Grazing food chain

Terrestrial Feeding mechanisms

Sunlight → Plants → Caterpillars → Lizards snake

Aquatic Feeding Mechanism

Sunlight → Phytoplankton → Zoo Plankton  → Fish Aquatic → Large Animals

Detritus Food Chain

Dead organic matters → Earthworms → Hen → Hawk

Food Web

A Food web shows, all possible transfer of energy and nourishment among the organisms in an ecosystem. An ecosystem may consists of several integrated food chain.

For e.g. Grasses may serve food for rabbit or grasshopper, goat, cow etc. Similar herbivores may many other carnivores animals.

The food availability & preferences of the organisms may shifts seasonally e.g. Human beings consumes watermelon in summer and peacher in the winter. Thus there are interconnected network of feeding mechanisms (or) interrelation which makes the food web.

Food Web