18CH2001 – Environmental Studies

TOPIC NO. 10

Module 2: ECO SYSTEMS

Topic: Concept of an ecosystem – Structure and

function of an ecosystem
 Concept of Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms, as
well as weather and landscape, work together to form a bubble of life.

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 Concept of Ecosystem


 There are many supporting systems like Forests, oceans,
grasslands, deserts which have structural components
and functions.
 They all have living organisms interacting with their
surroundings exchanging matter and energy.
 The word Ecology was coined by Earnest Haeckel in
1869 from Greek Words:
Oikos (Home) + Logos(study)
 So ecology is study of organisms in their natural home
interacting with the biotic and abiotic components
(Surroundings)
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 What is Ecosystem???


An Ecosystem is a self regulating group of biotic communities
of species interacting with one another with their non-living
environment exchanging energy and matter.

Therefore Ecology can be termed as---

“Study Of Ecosystems”

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 What is ecology?
In 1866, German biologist Ernst Haeckel coined the
term “ecology” (from oikos, the Greek word for
“house”) to classify the branch of biology that
focuses on our immediate surroundings—our
environment. A few years later, Haeckel expanded
his definition, saying:
• By ecology, we mean the body of knowledge
concerning the economy of nature—the investigation
of the total relations of the animal both to its organic
and to its inorganic environment; including above all,
its friendly and inimical relation with those animals
and plants with which it comes directly or indirectly
into contact—in a word, ecology is the study of all the
complex interrelationships referred to by Darwin as
the conditions of the struggle for existence.
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 Continue…..

 Ecosystem is a unit or a system which is composed of no. of sub-
units
 They may exchange energy & matter from outside – is an Open
Ecosystem; or isolated from outside in a closed one.
 The Closed ones are generally artificial. Eg. Biosphere2 (American
Earth system science research facility located in Oracle, Arizona.
Its mission is to serve as a center for research, outreach, teaching,
and lifelong learning about Earth, its living systems).
 Life on earth is sustained by the flow of energy from sun & cycling
of nutrients

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 Ecological hierarchy Visual depiction of the different levels of the ecological hierarchy. From left to
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right, the smallest to largest unit of study (see text for descriptions ©Nadav Gazit/AMNH
 Landscapes
• Sometimes ecologists expand upon these hierarchical levels by defining groups of ecosystems as
landscapes or seascapes

• The field of landscape ecology focuses on how energy, materials, and organisms move between
a mosaic of different (heterogeneous) but connected ecosystems.

• As with other levels of ecological systems, landscapes are not necessarily defined by size, but
instead by the perspective of the investigator and the nature and scope of their questions.

For example, an ecologist studying bird migration could define the landscape based on the habitat
patches a bird species uses throughout its range. Or, from a fire-management perspective,
ecologists might define a landscape based on the patchwork of fire-dependent ecosystems
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Ecosystem 9
 Biomes

• Another approach to grouping ecosystems is to characterize them as aquatic zones or

terrestrial biomes.

• In aquatic systems, ecologists differentiate between freshwater (e.g., lakes, wetlands,

streams and rivers, estuaries) and marine systems (e.g., intertidal zones, pelagic zone, coral
reefs, benthic zones).

• Aquatic environments are dispersed across the biosphere but united by common physical
characteristics (e.g., temperature, sunlight, salinity) that shape the communities they
contain.
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 Biomes
• Aquatic environments are dispersed across the biosphere but united by common physical
characteristics (e.g., temperature, sunlight, salinity) that shape the communities they contain.

• In terrestrial systems across the biosphere, the distribution of different types of vegetation is
linked to different climate zones.

• In 1975, American plant ecologist Robert H. Whittaker divided the biosphere into nine
terrestrial biomes characterized by major vegetation types in consideration of the annual
temperature and precipitation (Figure 1). Today, ecologists have characterized 12 or more
terrestrial biomes across the biosphere (Figure 2), but the original nine are still often used.

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Ecosystem 12
 Classification of
Ecosystem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cRgK0qG00E

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Ecosystem 15
Ecosystem 16
Natural • An ecosystem developed under natural
conditions is called natural ecosystem.
Ecosystem • Natural ecosystem operate by themselves under
natural conditions without interference by
humans.

• Natural ecosystem can be aquatic or terrestrial.

• Habitats exhibit environmental conditions which
determine the nature and characteristics of biotic
Ecosystem communities.
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Terrestrial • Ecosystem that are found on land are called
terrestrial ecosystem.
Ecosystem • This can be further subdivided in terms of
physical conditions and to their response to
biotic community as Forest, Grassland and
Desert.

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Aquatic Ecosystem
Ecosystem found in water are known as aquatic ecosystem
•Tanks, oceans, rivers lakes etc. are example.
•Can be subdivided into Fresh water ecosystem and Marine ecosystem.
Fresh water ecosystem :
•Fresh water ecosystem can be classified into lotic or lentic on the basis of water
movement and size.
•In lotic ecosystem water moves at a constant pace in a uniform direction.
•In lentic ecosystem the water remains in the same area for longer duration.
Marine ecosystems :
•Marine waters cover two thirds of the surface of earth.
•The water of such ecosystem is saline nature.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tU08jCvwGg
Artificial or Engineered Ecosystem
• These ecosystems are maintained artificially by human beings.
• In these ecosystem natural balance is disturbed regularly.
• In artificial ecosystems, humans try to control the biological and
physiological properties of ecosystem.
Eg Crop lands of maize, wheat, rice and so on where ecology is disturbed
regularly.

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Ecosystem 21
 Comparison of Ecosystems
Natural Ecosystem Artificial Ecosystem
Developed under natural conditions Created and manipulated by human
activities
In this system, plants of one species are In this system, plants of the same species
often scattered grow in close proximity
This system usually have alternate sources This system usually contain fewer food
of food available in case one fails. choices.

In this system, inorganic nutrients are In this ecosystem, inorganic nutrients do

returned to the soil from which they are not return to the soil, but are carried away
taken. to other places.
Natural ecosystem have no distinct Artificial ecosystem have distinct
boundaries
Ecosystem 22boundaries.
 Characteristics of an Ecosystem

 Structure of ecosystem
 Biotic Structure
 Abiotic Structure
 Functions of Ecosystem
 Trophic Structure
 Food Chains
 Food Web
 Ecological Pyramids
 Energy Flow
 Nutrient Flow
 Ecological Succession
 Types of Ecosystems
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Structure of Ecosystems

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