An ecosystem is a geographical area present anywhere on earth that thrives on the physical interaction between the biotic and abiotic components. The biotic components include plants, animals, and other organisms, whereas the abiotic components include temperature, humidity, rocks, the landscape, etc. Any change that occurs in the abiotic components directly or indirectly impacts the biotic components. For example, the growth of plants and the presence of a particular animal species solely depend on the environmental factors around it. The surface of the earth is a series of many smaller ecosystems. The term was coined in 1935 by Arthur Roy Clapham. Every ecosystem thus becomes a self-sustaining entity that has the capacity of rectifying itself based on the disturbances encountered. In this article, we will get into the details of a Natural Ecosystem.
Key Takeaways: Ecosystem, Biotic, Abiotic, Natural, Artificial, Man-made, Forests, Deserts, Grasslands, Aquatic, Fresh-water, Marine, Tundra
Structure of an Ecosystem
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The structure of the ecosystem can be divided into two parts:
Biotic factors
These include the plants, animals, and other organisms surviving on earth. Biotic factors can be further classified as:
- Producers: These are the primary herbivores. These include plants that prepare their food by photosynthesis and primary consumers/ heterotrophs that feed on the producer plants like squirrels and birds.
- Consumers: These are secondary producers or primary carnivores. Examples of which are cats, which feed on only herbivores or plant-eaters.
- Decomposers: These are organisms at the tertiary level and are also called secondary carnivores. These are predominantly large predators that feed on meat or other animals. For example seals.
Abiotic Factors
These are the environmental conditions that affect the survival and growth of living organisms on earth. Some of the abiotic factors include the soil, water, rainfall, light, weather, inorganic nutrients, etc.
Now let us briefly look at the broad classification of the ecosystem types.
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Types of Ecosystem
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Following is the broad classification of the types of ecosystems:
A. Natural Ecosystem
These are naturally occurring ecosystems that can thrive on their own without the intervention of humans. These are completely self-sustainable and undergo constant changes based on the dynamics of the living species surviving in them. Some examples are natural forests, mountains, rivers, deserts, etc.
B. Man-made or Artificial Ecosystem
These are ecosystems that have been created artificially by human beings by mimicking the natural conditions of the natural habitats. This is mainly done to meet specific demands in the global market derived from a particular class of species in the artificial ecosystem. These are not self-sustainable and require constant monitoring and maintenance. Some examples are poultries, botanical gardens, zoos, apiary, crop fields, aquariums, etc.
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Salient Features of a Natural Ecosystem
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As defined above, natural ecosystems are a result of the interaction between biotic and abiotic species. Salient features of a natural ecosystem are as follows:
- They are completely natural.
- They are self-sustaining and self-sufficient.
- The interaction between the biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) happens through a series of physical, chemical, and biological processes.
- No human interaction is required.
- The factors which bring about these interactions are the soil, sunlight, air, water, plants, animals, and other microorganisms.
Classification of a Natural Ecosystem
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Based on the geographical region where the biotic and abiotic components interact, ecosystems can be broadly classified as follows:
Terrestrial Ecosystem
Ecosystems that are completely formed from land-based interactions of biotic and abiotic components are called terrestrial ecosystems. These mainly consist of plants, predominantly trees. Examples are forests, desserts, etc.
Terrestrial ecosystems are further categorized as follows:
a. Forests
This ecosystem forms about 31% of the landscape on earth. The forest ecosystem is a habitat for a wide variety of animals, birds, insects and is one of the largest terrestrial biodiversity. Based on the geographical location of these forests, they can be temperate (having warm summer and cold winters), tropical (forests that receive moderate rainfall), rain forests (receiving heavy rainfall), and coniferous forests (cold and mountainous regions).
b. Deserts
The desert landscape is typical of extreme weather conditions. The winters are extremely cold and the summers are extremely hot. Dry air and hotter days and colder nights are characteristic of deserts. As a result, deserts receive very little to no rainfall making the vegetation sparse. Some of the animals that survive these climatic conditions are camels, desert snakes, scorpions, etc.
c. Grasslands
These are semi-arid lands typical for animal grazing. They usually have tall-growing grasses and shrubs and very few trees. The flowers are distributed along the grass only. The temperate and tropical grasslands are examples of these. Animals like rabbits, wolves, zebras, gazelles, are found in these grasslands.
d. Tundra
The tundra ecosystem is found in the polar regions where the environmental conditions are very harsh. This ecosystem is almost treeless, windswept, and snow-covered for most of the year. The soil remains frozen throughout the year and develops into shallow ponds during warm summers. Lichens and small flowering plants are some of the plant species in this ecosystem.
The different terrestrial ecosystems
Aquatic Ecosystem
We know that the earth’s surface consists of 75 percent water. The aquatic system hence is found within these water bodies on the earth. However, based on the type of water body, the aquatic ecosystem is further categorized as:
a. Marine
Marine water bodies have a high salt content and hence the organisms that thrive in this ecosystem are unique. For example the coral reefs, mangroves, rocky shores, etc. Some of the factors on which the marine ecosystem depends are light availability, salt content. Temperature, tides, geology, and geography.
b. Freshwater
This ecosystem forms only 3 percent of the total water bodies on earth's surface. This is consumable water that is not saline. Rivers, lakes, ponds, wetlands, streams, etc are some examples of freshwater ecosystems. The rivers and streams that originate from the mountains carry nutrients that get deposited in lakes and ponds. Planktons, algae, insects, amphibians, and underwater plants thrive in freshwater ecosystems.
Aquatic Ecosystems
Things to Remember
- An ecosystem is a physical, chemical, and biological interaction between the biotic and abiotic components of the environment.
- Biotic components are further classified as producers, consumers, and decomposers. There are plants, animals, and other organisms. Abiotic components are the soil, water, rain, light, and other weather conditions which affect the growth and survival of the biotic species.
- Ecosystems are broadly classified as Natural and Human-Made or Artificial. Natural ecosystems occur naturally on earth, whereas artificial ecosystems mimic natural conditions and are made by humans for specific purposes.
- Terrestrial ecosystems host vegetation in the form of trees and herbivores or carnivores. They can be further classified based on their geographical locations like a forest, deserts, grasslands, and tundra ecosystems.
- Aquatic ecosystems are habitats present in the water bodies present on the surface of the earth. These are further classified as Marine (growing in saltwater ) and freshwater (lakes, ponds, and other saline deficient water bodies ).
Sample Questions
Ques. Differentiate between natural and man-made or artificial ecosystems. (3 marks)
Ans.
| Natural Ecosystem | Man-made or Artificial Ecosystem |
|---|---|
| Ecosystems that occur naturally without human intervention are called natural ecosystems. | Ecosystems created artificially by man to mimic the natural habitat of selected species are termed man-made or artificial ecosystems. |
| Examples: forests, deserts, grasslands, etc. | Examples: crop fields, botanical gardens, apiaries, etc. |
| They are self-sustaining and self-sufficient. | They need monitoring and maintenance by humans. |
| They host a diverse species of plants and animals. | The diversity is low. |
| The food chains are long and sometimes complex. | The food chain is relatively simple and often incomplete due to intervention by weeds or pests. |
Ques. List examples of the different types of Terrestrial ecosystems. (2 marks)
Ans. Terrestrial ecosystems are completely land-based. Some classic examples are forests like the tropical, temperate, rain, and coniferous forests, deserts like the Sahara, savannah and temperate grasslands, and lichens and small shrubs that form the tundra ecosystems. Some animal species that are part of the terrestrial ecosystem are rabbits, wolves, large carnivores, birds, scorpions or camels, etc.
Ques. List examples of the different types of Aquatic ecosystems. (2 marks)
Ans. The aquatic ecosystems are classified as freshwater and marine based on the saline content of the water body. Mangroves, coral reefs, salt marshes, rocky shores are part of the marine ecosystem whereas freshwater fishes, planktons, algae, insects, and amphibians are examples of the freshwater ecosystem.
Ques. What are the threats to natural ecosystems? (3 marks)
Ans. Human beings have regularly interacted with the various local systems in multiple ways. Based on the availability of animal or plant species, human beings have adopted their lifestyle accordingly for their survival. However, a boom in the human population has resulted in the taking over of many ecosystems. A classical example of these is the tall grasslands of prairie which have now become farmlands. This has shrunk the ecosystem and created threats for some diverse animal species like the Bison. Not just this, human activities have also greatly impacted the amazon rain forests which are habitats for a wide variety of animals and plants. These forests form a big complex food chain that is deeply impacted by human intervention.
Ques. What are the external and internal factors that control an ecosystem? (3 marks)
Ans. Both internal and external factors greatly impact the earth’s ecosystem. The external factors control the overall ecosystem and the various activities happening within it. Climate, rainfall, and seasonal patterns are classic examples of external factors.
Internal factors on the other hand not only control the ecosystem but are also controlled by the species that are a part of the biome. Decomposition, root competition, shading, etc are some internal factors that cause disturbances and play an important role in deciding the success of the species in the ecosystem.
Ques. How have the natural ecosystems changed over time? (3 marks)
Ans. Some of the natural processes like wind, rain, earthquakes, and predation have greatly impacted the natural ecosystems. Severe storms and other natural calamities also have caused partial or complete damage to the many local ecosystems. There is also a huge impact from human intervention in the form of construction activities, mining, and disrupting natural habitats so that they can be controlled by humans.
Ques. What are the key functions of the terrestrial ecosystem? (3 marks)
Ans. Some of the key functions are as follows:
- Support developmental activities like providing food and other raw materials.
- Provide shelter to a different plant and animal species.
- Maintain the oxygen balance on the surface of the earth.
- Regulate the climatic variations.
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