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Ecosystem is described as a community of living and nonliving organisms that interact with one another. Ecosystems are structural and functional units of ecology in which living species interact with one another and with their surroundings. An ecosystem is important as it acts as the medium for interactions between species and their surroundings.
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Key Terms: Ecology, ecosystem, biotic and abiotic factors, aquatic ecosystem, terrestrial ecosystem, living, non-living organisms
What is an Ecosystem?
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An ecosystem is the basic functional unit of an environment in which living and nonliving organisms interact, both of which are required for the survival of life on Earth. Plants, animals, microorganisms, and all other living creatures as well as their nonliving surroundings, such as soil, land, air, water, dust, and other natural elements, are all included. An English botanist named A.G. Tansley created the term "ecosystem" in 1935.
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Study of Ecosystem
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- Study of the Ecosystem is concerned with how species living nearby interact with one another and how energy passes through the ecosystem's chain of organisms.
- It also investigates how an organism might exist sustainably in a relationship that is either destructive or beneficial to one another.
- The ecosystem can be as big as or tiny as it wants to be in nature.
- It is determined by the number of abiotic components present in the environment.
- Due to the harsh climate that the animals are exposed to, the ecosystems in the north and south poles do not have as much flora and fauna as those in a tropical environment like a forest.
- Only species that can withstand such conditions will be able to form the ecosystem.
- The biosphere, in general, is thought to be made up of several ecosystems.
Types of Ecosystem
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Ecosystems are grouped into several types in ecology based on the region or the environment, such as land or water. It can also be classified according to how much energy the ecosystem uses.
Ecosystems are classified as follows:-
Terrestrial Ecosystem
These ecosystems can only be found on the surface of the earth. Depending on the climate, temperature, sorts of creatures that live there, the food chain, energy flow, and other considerations, different landforms will have distinct ecosystems. This ecosystem has a higher percentage of water shortage than the aquatic ecosystem, as well as improved solar availability as a significant source of energy.
The following are examples of terrestrial ecosystems:
(i) Forest Ecosystem
(ii) Grassland Ecosystem
(iii) Tundra Ecosystems
(iv) Desert Ecosystem
Aquatic Ecosystem
Animals and species that live in water bodies such as lakes, oceans and seas make up the aquatic environment. The environment includes amphibians, fish and sea creatures. Because water is plentiful, organisms rely on the oxygen dissolved in it to exist. Because it covers a wider area of the planet, this ecosystem is substantially larger than a terrestrial environment.
The following are the two types of aquatic ecosystems:
(i) Marine Ecosystem
(ii) Freshwater Ecosystem
Importance of Ecosystems
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The term "ecosystem" refers to the flow of energy and matter through various habitats that include both biotic and abiotic components. An ecosystem is a stable, interactive system or community that forms as a result of numerous organisms interacting with each other and the environment's non-living components. Let us learn more about the significance of ecosystems.
- It is critical for ecological processes and energy flow management, as well as supporting life systems and ensuring stability.
- It is required for an extremely critical process known as nutrient cycling, which involves the exchange of nutrients in the form of energy and matter between biotic and abiotic components.
- It aids in the ecosystem's maintenance of a suitable balance between different trophic levels.
- Minerals can be recycled in the biosphere, with the help of the ecosystem.
- It offers food, fibre, paper, lumber, and medicines to people as well as renewable and non-renewable energy sources.
- It produces a large number of organic chemicals that aid in the exchange of energy between different layers of organisms.
Why is Ecosystem Necessary?
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A biological community of living beings that communicates with the physical environment and other non-living components is referred to as an ecosystem. It's also known as the "chain of communication" or "interaction" between living creatures and their surroundings.
- The ecosystem conserves matter and energy, and the energy moving through the system is balanced as it travels from one organism to the next and the matter is recycled.
- The biosphere is a collection of ecosystems that interact with one another. As a result, the biosphere, also known as the ecosphere, is the sum of all worldwide ecosystems.
- The size of an ecosystem varies, and it might be as little as an oasis or as large as an ocean. An ecosystem's two main components are:
(a) Abiotic Components- Abiotic components include all non-living elements of an ecosystem, such as air, water, light, soil, rocks, minerals and nutrients.
(b) Biotic Components- Biotic components include all biological components of an ecosystem, such as producers, consumers, and decomposers.
The biodiversity of an ecosystem is vital because it helps to maintain the stability of the entire system where life exists. When a single species has a negative impact on the environment, other plant species that perform similar roles can assist the plant's survival and the ecosystem survival. As a result, a diverse range of creatures must interact with one another to help sustain life in an ecosystem.
Aside from these benefits, the ecosystem is significant for weed control, crop rotation, grassland, forest management, biological surveys, soil conservation, and wildlife conservation, among other things.
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Things to Remember
- A biological community of living beings that communicates with the physical environment and other non-living components is classified as an ecosystem.
- It is also known as the chain of communication or interaction that exists between a living creature and its surroundings.
- The ecosystem has two components i.e, abiotic components and biotic components.
- The ecosystem also investigates how an organism might exist suitably in a relationship that is either destructive or beneficial to one another.
Sample Questions
Ques 1: What kind of ecosystem do we inhabit? (2 Marks)
Answer: We live in a terrestrial ecosystem. This is the ecosystem on landform where species interact. Tundra, taigas and tropical rainforests are examples of terrestrial habitats. The terrestrial ecosystem includes deserts, grassland, and temperate deciduous woods.
Ques 2: What is the ecosystem's structure? (2 Marks)
Answer: The creatures and physical elements of the environment, such as the number and distribution of nutrients in a particular habitat, make up the ecosystem's structure. It also includes information on the region's climatic conditions.
Ques 3: What is the ecosystem's primary function? (2 Marks)
Answer: The ecosystem is the environmental system's functional unit. The matrix for the synthesis of organic components is provided by abiotic components. Energy is exchanged during this process.
Ques 4: What constitutes a healthy ecosystem? (2 Marks)
Answer: Native plants and animals interact with one another and the environment in a healthy ecosystem. A healthy ecosystem has a source of energy as well as decomposers, which break down dead plants and animal debris and restore critical nutrients to the soil.
Ques 5: What is the world's largest ecosystem? (2 Marks)
Answer: The aquatic ecosystem is the world's largest ecosystem. It includes both freshwater and marine habitats. 70 percent of the earth's surface is covered with it.
Ques 6. What is meant by environment? Name its components.(2 Marks)
Ans. The aggregate of all external conditions and their influences affecting the life and the development of an organism in its natural habitat is the environment. It has two components, namely,
- Biotic components (eg: plants, animals, birds, etc)
- Abiotic components (eg: air, water, soil, humidity, wind, etc)
Ques 7. What is artificial ecosystem? (2 Marks)
Ans. Artificial ecosystems are those that are man-made. Eg: garden ecosystem, dam ecosystem, aquarium, etc.
Ques 8. Energy transfer is unidirectional whereas biochemical transfer is said to be cyclic. Why? (2 Marks)
Ans. Energy transfer is unidirectional because the energy lost as heat to the environment can’t be reutilized by plants for photosynthesis. Energy decrease at each trophic level (10% of previous level). Hence it can’t be reused again. Whereas, biochemical transfer is cyclic because nutrients utilized by plants and animals are returned to the environment after the death of organisms.
Ques 9. Why should we avoid polythene bags? (2 Marks)
Ans. Polythene bags are non-bio-degradable and cause land pollution. Thus we have to avoid using it.
Ques 10. What is the significance of food chain? (2 Marks)
Ans. Some of the significance of food chain are:
- Food chain is a medium of transfer of food from one trophic level to another.
- It represents the character of many living components of our ecosystem.
- Food chain helps us in understanding the interactions and interdependence among different organisms in an ecosystem.
- Food chain is the pathway through which energy flows in an ecosystem.
Ques 11. What are the major function of ecosystem? (2 Marks)
Ans. The two major function of an ecosystem are:
- To be the pathway for the flow of energy from one trophic level to the other.
- To be the medium for biogeochemical cycles to take place.
Ques 12. What percentage of solar energy is trapped and utilized by plants? (2 Marks)
Ans. Plants utilized only 1% of total sun’s energy, which is utilized by plants in the process of photosynthesis.
Ques 13. What is acid rain? (2 Marks)
Ans. Due to excessive release of green house gases, the toxic gases combines with the precipitation process of rain to make the pure water of rain to be acidic in nature.
Ques 14. What are the harmful effects of acid rain? (2 Marks)
Ans. Some of the harmful effects of acid rain are as follows.
- Acid rain makes the soil acidic which affects the growth of trees and plants.
- It makes the water of lakes, ponds, etc acidic which affects the growth of aquatic plants and animals.
- Bacteria useful for maintaining soil fertility are killed.
- It affects the man-made structures and leeching occurs.
Ques 15. Why does life on earth depend on the sun? (2 Marks)
Ans. Sun is the primary source of energy on earth. Only plants can convert solar energy into chemical energy (food). This is transferred to different organisms at various trophic levels. Energy stored in fossil fuels is also transferred to solar energy because they are made up of decomposed plants and animals. Hence, solar energy is utilized and transformed into different forms.
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