Explain structure of ecosystem

Some models can be used to describe the structure of forest ecosystem, such as; food chain, food web, and This article discusses the structure of forest ecosystem based on models, components, processes; as outlined below; -Models of the Structure of Forest Ecosystem -Components of the Structure of Forest Ecosystem -Processes of the Structure of Forest Ecosystem -Role of Environmental Factors in the Structure of Forest Ecosystem -Conclusion Models of the Structure of Forest Ecosystem Three models of the structure of forest ecosystem are; food chain, food web, and energy pyramid. 1). Food Chain as a Model of the Structure of Forest Ecosystem The food chain is a linear representation of the order or sequence of energy transfer in an There are other systems or diagrams used to represent the transfer of Unlike most systems, the food chain shows energy transfer as a simple, linear hierarchy with producers at the bottom, and apex predators at the top. Also, in food chains, energy transfer is expressed strictly in terms of food and feeding relationships or patterns. Food chains are also concerned with only the biotic (living) components of the ecosystem. Based on feeding patterns, the organic groups in a food chain can be differentiated into autotrophs (producers) and heterotrophs (consumers). Autotrophs are organisms that can produce their own food independently, using sunlight, carbon dioxide and water, in a process known as photosynthesis [ Heterotrophs are organisms that are u...

ADVERTISEMENTS: An organism is always in the state of perfect balance with the environment. The environment literally means the surroundings. The environment refers to the things and conditions around the organisms which directly or indirectly influence the life and development of the organisms and their populations. “Ecosystem is a complex in which habitat, plants and animals are considered as one interesting unit, the materials and energy of one passing in and out of the others” – Woodbury. ADVERTISEMENTS: Organisms and environment are two non-separable factors. Organisms interact with each other and also with the physical conditions that are present in their habitats. “The organisms and the physical features of the habitat form an ecological complex or more briefly an ecosystem.” (Clarke, 1954). The concept of ecosystem was first put forth by A.G. Tansley (1935). Ecosystem is the major ecological unit. It has both structure and functions. The structure is related to species diversity. The more complex is the structure the greater is the diversity of the species in the ecosystem. The functions of ecosystem are related to the flow of energy and cycling of materials through structural components of the ecosystem. According to Woodbury (1954), ecosystem is a complex in which habitat, plants and animals are considered as one interesting unit, the materials and energy of one passing in and out of the others. ADVERTISEMENTS: According to E.P. Odum, the ecosystem is the basic f...

Components of Ecosystem:‘Eco’ stands for ‘environment,’ while ‘system’ stands for ‘functional unit.’ The ecosystem is viewed as an interactive system in which ecosystem components interact with one another through energy exchange and nutrient flow. Ecology is the scientific study of ecosystems, including biotic and abiotic components. Plants interact with nonliving things like wind, water, and other living things to keep nature in balance. There are biotic and abiotic components of ecosystem. Can you think of any such ecosystem components? Scroll down to learn more about the Ecosystem’s Components and Functions. Components of Ecosystem Biotic and Abiotic “An ecosystem consists of biotic components comprising living organisms and abiotic components comprising physical factors like temperature, rainfall, wind, soil and minerals.” An ecosystem and its components make up for all the life there is on this planet. Components of Biotic Ecosystem & Abiotic Ecosystem Diagram Fig: Components of Ecosystem What are the Basic Components of the Ecosystem? Ecosystem has two components which are:- 1. Biotic Components– It refers to living things of the ecosystem. It includes plants, animals and microorganisms. 2. Abiotic Components– It refers to the non-living things of the ecosystem. It includes wind, water, soil, etc. Broadly, biotic components of an ecosystem are divided into three categories. These includes: a. Producers– It refers to all the green plants of the ecosystem. These green...

Restoration efforts are underway in the United Arab Emirates as coral reefs face threats in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman marine ecosystem, complex of living organisms in the ocean Marine Origins of marine life The Earth formed approximately 4.5 billion years ago. As it cooled, water in the Pikaia from the The marine environment Geography, oceanography, and topography The shape of the oceans and seas of the world has changed significantly throughout the past 600 million years. According to the theory of The shape of the ocean also is altered as Marine organisms are not distributed evenly throughout the oceans. Variations in characteristics of the marine environment create different habitats and influence what types of organisms will inhabit them. The availability of Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. The availability of light affects which organisms can inhabit a certain area of a marine Marine environments can be characterized broadly as a water, or oceanic province, which includes all the open waters beyond the continental shelf. The high nutrient levels of the neritic province—resulting from dissolved materials in riverine runoff—distinguish this province from the oceanic. The upper portion of both the neritic and oceanic waters—the

ADVERTISEMENTS: Ecosystems: Concept, Types and Basic Structure of an Ecosystem! Concept of an Ecosystem: The term ecosystem was coined in 1935 by the Oxford ecologist Arthur Tansley to encompass the interactions among biotic and abiotic components of the environment at a given site. The living and non-living components of an ecosystem are known as biotic and abiotic components, respectively. Ecosystem was defined in its presently accepted form by Eugene Odum as, “an unit that includes all the organisms, i.e., the community in a given area interacting with the physical environment so that a flow of energy leads to clearly defined trophic structure, biotic diversity and material cycles, i.e., exchange of materials between living and non-living, within the system”. ADVERTISEMENTS: Smith (1966) has summarized common characteristics of most of the ecosystems as follows: 1. The ecosystem is a major structural and functional unit of ecology. 2. The structure of an ecosystem is related to its species diversity in the sense that complex ecosystem have high species diversity. 3. The function of ecosystem is related to energy flow and material cycles within and outside the system. ADVERTISEMENTS: 4. The relative amount of energy needed to maintain an ecosystem depends on its structure. Complex ecosystems needed less energy to maintain themselves. 5. Young ecosystems develop and change from less complex to more complex ecosystems, through the process called succession. 6. Each ecosyst...

\( \newcommand\) • • • • • • Learning Objectives • Explain ecosystem dynamics An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals, and microbes) existing in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment (air, water, and mineral soil), interacting as a system. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. As ecosystems are defined by the network of interactions among organisms, or between organisms and their environment, they can be of any size, but usually encompass specific, limited spaces. Internal and External Factors Ecosystems are dynamic entities controlled both by external and internal factors. External factors, such as climate and the parent material that forms the soil, control the overall structure of an ecosystem and the way things work within it, but are not themselves influenced by the ecosystem. While the resource inputs are generally controlled by external processes, the availability of these resources within the ecosystem is controlled by internal factors such as decomposition, root competition, or shading. Other internal factors include disturbance, succession, and the types of species present. From one year to another, ecosystems experience variation in their biotic and abiotic environments. A drought, an especially cold winter, and a pest outbreak all constitute short-term variability in environmental conditions. Animal populations vary from year to year, building up during...

The ecosystem is an interaction between living beings (biotic component) and their physical environment (abiotic component). Abiotic components includec limatic factors such as rain, temperature, light, wind, humidity etc. and edaphic factors such as soil, pH, topography minerals. Biotic components include producer, consumer and decomposer. Producers are autotrophs as they synthesize their own food. Consumers depend on producers for their food. These are herbivores and carnivores. Decomposers are one whichbreak down the dead organic materials of producers and consumers and obtains food.

As a reminder, a community consists of all the populations of all the species that live together in a particular area. The concepts of ecosystem and community are closely related—the difference is that an ecosystem includes the physical environment, while a community does not. In other words, a community is the biotic, or living, component of an ecosystem. In addition to this biotic component, the ecosystem also includes an abiotic component—the physical environment. Some ecosystems are marine, others freshwater, and others yet terrestrial—land based. Ocean ecosystems are most common on Earth, as oceans and the living organisms they contain cover 75% of the Earth's surface. Freshwater ecosystems are the rarest, covering only 1.8% of the Earth's surface. Terrestrial, land, ecosystems cover the remainder of Earth. Terrestrial ecosystems can be further grouped into broad categories called biomes, based largely on climate. Examples of terrestrial biomes include tropical rain forests, savannas, deserts, coniferous forests, deciduous forests, and tundra. The map below shows the broad distribution of biomes on Earth. Even within a biome, there can be great diversity. For example, both the Sonoran desert, on the left, and the interior of the island of Boa Vista, on the right, can be classified as deserts, but they have very different ecological communities. Many more species of plants and animals live in the Sonoran desert. We’ll take a closer look at the movement of energy and ma...