ECOSYSTEMS

• The living community of plants and animals in any area together with the non-living components of the environment such as soil, water, air constitute the ecosystem.

• TYPES OF ECOSYSTEM : 1.NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS.

2.ARTIFICIAL ECOSYSTEMS.

• NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS :(a)Terrestrial(b) Aquatic includes freshwater and marine water.

• 2.ARTIFICIAL ECOSYSTEMS.These include agriculture and aquaculture which are human engineered.

COMPONENTS OF ECOSYSTEM1.BIOTIC 2. ABIOTIC

BIOTIC COMPONENTS :(a) Producers/Autotrophs.(b) Consumers: primary,secondary,tertiary(c) Decomposers/saprophytes.ABIOTIC COMPONENTS : These include the

non-living components of the environment such as light, temperature, humidity , water, soil.

• Plant insect frog(producer) (primary consumer)

(secondary consumer) Snake

(tertiary consumer) Eagle

(decomposers) Microbes

FOOD CHAINS

The transfer of food energy from producers, through series of consumers (herbivores and carnivores) to decomposers with repeated eating and being eaten is known as food chain.

• FUNCTIONS :-flow of energy of the ecosystem.-flow of nutrients.-flow of biomass.

DEMERIT OF FOOD CHAINAlong with the nutrients, biomass and energy

it also transports toxic substances from one organism to another which finally leads to the BIOMAGNIFICATION.DDT was banned due to its harmful effects on birds. It hindered the formation of egg shells.

FOOD WEB

The inter-linking of different food chains with one another forms a food web.

Trees,grasses,vegetation

Grasshopper Rabbit Mouse

Lizard Snake

Hawk

Decomposers

ECOLOGICAL PYRAMIDThe relationship between producers (autotrophs), herbivore and carnivores at successive trophic levels in terms of their number, biomass and energy present at any one time in the level.TYPES :

(a) Pyramid of numbers (b) Pyramid of biomass(c) Pyramid of energy

PYRAMID OF NUMBERS FOR GRASSLANDS

HAWKS

SNAKE, LIZARD

RABBIT, GRASSHOPPER

GRASSLANDS

PYRAMID OF NUMBERS FOR FOREST ECOSYSTEM

LIONS,TIGERS

SNAKES,BEERS,WOLF

ALL ANIMALS DEPENDING UPON TREES

TREES

PYRAMID OF NUMBERS FOR PARASITIC FOODCHAIN

PARASITES

ALL HERBIVORES

PLANTS

PYRAMID OF BIOMASS FOR FORESTS/GRASSLANDS

CARNIVOR

ES

HERBIVORES

PRODUCERS

PYRAMID OF BIOMASS FOR AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM

LARGE FISH

SMALL FISH

PHYTOPLANKTON

PYRAMID OF ENERGY

CARNIVORES

HERBIVORES

PRODUCERS