Ecosystem | Definition, Structure, Types, component, Food chain

Ecosystem | Definition, Structure, Types, component, Food chain

In general terms or in day to day language we can say, that an ecosystem is a community of living and non living things of the nature interacting with each other in a given area.

The non-living things include weather, earth, sun, soil, climate, atmosphere, etc.

In an ecosystem different organisms lives in close proximity to each other.

For instance, in an ecosystem smaller insects feed on green plants, and bigger animals feed on smaller ones and so on. This feeding relationship is important in order to maintain the balance of the ecosystem.

Food Chain:

Food chain is a series of plants and organisms in which each organism feeds on the one below it in the series.

We know that Sun is the primary source of energy. Plants being the  primary consumers directly takes energy from the sun with the help of photosynthesis. The primary consumer is then eaten by a secondary consumer. And the secondary consumer may be eaten by a tertiary consumer, and so on.

Structure of Ecosystem:

At a basic functional level, ecosystem generally contains primary producers i.e. plants , capable of harvesting energy from the sun through the process of photosynthesis. This energy then flows through the food chain to the  consumers. Consumers could be primary consumers (herbivores) or secondary consumers (carnivores). 

At the bottom of the food chain are the decomposers. Scavengers and decomposers not only feed on dead tissues and waste products but also breaks organic compounds back into its organic constituents. It is the microbes that finish the job of decomposition and produces organic constituents that can again be used by the producers.

Types of Ecosystem:

There are several types of ecosystem in our planet. However here we will discuss about the three major types of ecosystem.

1. Freshwater Ecosystem

2. Terrestrial Ecosystem

3. Ocean Ecosystem

Freshwater Ecosystem –

In freshwater ecosystem we find ponds and rivers. Ponds are relatively small and includes various types of plants, amphibians and insects. Sometimes they include fish.

Rivers always link to the sea, they mostly contain fish with the usual plants, amphibians and insects. These sorts of ecosystems can also include birds because birds often hunt in and around water for small fish or insects.

Terrestrial Ecosystem -

A terrestrial ecosystem is a type of ecosystem found only on biomes also known as beds. Six primary terrestrial ecosystems exist: tundra, taiga, temperate deciduous forest, tropical rain, forest,

grassland and desert.

            However, a few facts about the terrestrial ecosystem are true almost all of the time. For instance, most contain herbivores that eat plants and all have carnivores that eat herbivores and other carnivores. 

Some places, such the poles, contain mainly carnivores because not plant life grows. A lot of animals and plants that grow and live in terrestrial ecosystems also interact with freshwater and sometimes even ocean ecosystems.

Ocean Ecosystem -

 While the ocean is divided into zones and layers, these are broad categories that do not specify the diversity of ecosystems present. Each layer or zone includes several ecosystems, which have adapted to specific habitats found in those oceanic regions. Marine life can be found from lush shorelines to deep, oceanic trenches. Some of the Ocean Ecosystem are Shoreline ecosystem, Coral reefs, Mangroves, Open ocean and Deep ocean.

That's all for now.

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