ECO SYSTEM

By Zohra

2/13/2012

Environmental science

Introduction:
For various basic requirements, each living organism has to depend and also to interact with different nonliving or abiotic and living or biotic components or the environment
ECO SYSTEM ENVIRONMENT INTERACTING INTERDEPENDENT COMPLEX

Abiotic
Include basic Inorganic element and compounds Physical factors
Environmental science

Biotic
Plants Animals Microbes
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Definition of Ecology
Taylor 1936 the science of the relations of all organisms to all their environments. G.L Clarke 1954 the study of inter-relations of plants and animals with their environment which may include the influences of other plants and animals present as well as those of the physical features.

R.L Smith 1977 A Multi disciplinary science which deals with the organism and its places to live and which focuses on the eco system
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.M.E. Clark (1973) considers ecology as a study of ecosystems of the totality of the reciprocal interactions between living organisms and their physical surroundings. A.G. Tansley (in1935) defined the Eco-system as the system resulting from the integrations of all the living and non-living factors of the environment. Thus he regarded the Eco-systems as including not only the organism complex but also the whole complex of physical factors forming the environment. At present ecological studies are made at Eco-system level. At this level the units of study are quite large. This approach has the view that living organisms and their non-living environment are inseparably interrelated and interact with each other.
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HISTORICALBACKGROUND
GEOBIOCOENOSIS VVDoduchaev 1846 MICROCOSM S.A. Forbes, (1887),

HLOCOEN Frienderichs (1930)

BIOSVSTEM Thienemann(1939)

BIOCOENOSIS Karl Mobius (1977)

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Any unit that includes all the organisms i.e. the communities in a given area, interact with the physical environment so that a flow of energy leads to clearly defined Tropic structure Biotic diversity Material cycle

Aspects of Eco- system

ECO system shall be defined as an organizational unit including living organism and non living substances interacting to produce any exchange of materials between the Living and non living parts .
STUDY OF ECO SYSTEM

STRUCTURAL ASPECTS
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FUNCTIONAL ASPECTS
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HABITAT
It is the natural abode or locality of a Plant , animal or a person It includes all features of the environment in a given locality Climatic Factors Physical Factors Chemical Factors

ABIOTIC FACTORS

BIOTIC FACTORS or BIOLOGICAL FACTORS

Each kind of living organism in a eco system is called species Genetically alike Capable of freely interbreeding and producing fertile offspring's Competition Neutralism Mutualism
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SPECIES RELATIONSHIP

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POPULATION
It is a group of interacting individuals, usually of the same species in Space is defined where they live The balance between reproductive potential and environmental resistance determines the size of the population

FACTORS REGULATING POPULATION

Physical attributes of the environment Food Disease , Predation , competition

DIVISION OF ECO SYSTEM

Producer Consumer Reducer

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Environmental science

BASIC THEMES OF ECO SYSTEM

RELATIONSHIP :--Every thing is some how or other related to every thing else Includes interlocking functioning of organisms among themselves LIMITATION :--No individual or species grow indefinitely Controls and limits their own growth due to over crowd The population limitation basis the resources available COMPLEXITY :--It is a three dimensional interactions of various constituent elements This eco system is highly complex Beyond comprehension on the human brain

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Environmental science

General Characteristic of Ecosystem Major Structural and functional unit Structure of ecosystem-Species Diversity Amount of energy-maintain ecosystem-structure Function-energy flow Maturation-complex states Environment-energy fixation- limited, Cannot exceed Alteration environment-population-adjustment-vanish
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STRUCTURE OF ECO-SYSTEMS Meaning of structure Nature and Function of ecosystem From structural point of view all ecosystem consist of two basic components. 1. Abiotic component(Non living component) a) Inorganic Component b) Organic Component c) abiotic component 2. Biotic Component a) Autotrophic components of producers b) Heterotrophic components of consumers o Macro consumers o Micro consumers Decomposers
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An Illustration POND ECO System structure

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ECOLOGICAL PYRAMIDS NUMBERS

No of individual organisms at each level

BIO MASS
decrease of bio mass in each tropic level from base to apex

ENERGY
The rate of energy flow or productivity at successive tropic

FUNCTION OF AN ECO-SYSTEM: 1. Transformation of Solar Energy into Food Energy 2. The Circulation of elements through Energy Flow, Organic inorganic 3. The Conversion of Elements into Inorganic Flow-Decomposers 4. The Growth and Development of Plants 5. Productivity of ecosystem Primary productivity-Producers Secondary productivity-consumers Net Productivity-organic matter not used by consumers Stability of ecosystem
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DECOMPOSERS
The process of decomposition involves three interrelated components. (i) Leaching (ii) Catabolism, (iii) Comminution. Function of Decomposition The two major functions of decomposition within ecosystems are as under:(1) The mineralization of essential elements, (2) The formation of soil organic matter to inorganic form. not be assigned a rigid or fixed position in the foodWeb , their traffic relation can carry from time to time Decomposers with varying relations 1.Nectroph 2.Biotroph 3.Saprotroph Decomposers occupying different trophic levels Soul Invertebrates and Termites

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ENERGY-ITS FLOW IN ECOSYSTEM

Energy-Defined capacity to do work, whether that work be on a gross scale Kinds of Energy 1. Potential Energy Potential energy is energy at rest. It is capable and available for work. 2. Kinetic Energy Kinetic energy is due to motion, and results in work. Work that results from the expenditure of energy can be of two kinds: 3. Laws of Thermodynamics The expenditure and storage of energy is described by two laws of thermodynamics:(i) Law of conservation of energy: energy is neither created nor destroyed. It may change forms, pass from one place to another, or act upon matter in various ways. In this process no gain or loss in total energy occurs. Energy is simply transferred from one form or place to another. Two reactions 1. Exothermic Reaction 2. Endothermic Reaction
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Energy Flow
Due to unidirectional flow of energy, the behavior of energy in ecosystem is called Energy Flow. From the energetic point of view, energy flow is explained

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This is a simplified energy flow diagram (1) The diagram depicts three trophic levels. Boxes numbered 1, 2, 3 in a leaner food chain exhibit these. (2) L. shows total energy input (3000). (3) LA shows light absorbed by plant cover (1500). (4) P.G. shows gross Primary production. (5) A shows total assimilation. (6) Pn shows net primary production. (7) P shows secondary (consumer) production. (8) Nu shows energy not used (stored or exported). (9) NA shows energy not assimilated by consumers (10) R shows respiration. Some more elucidation of the figure is as under: (1) The boxes represent the tropic levels (2) The pipes depict the energy flow in and out of each level.
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Y-shaped energy flow model-Two channel energy flow model

Following the example of Lindeman, several authors described energy flow modes for different kinds of ecosystems. Two illustrations are here: (1) Teal (1957) prepared an energy flow diagram of Root Spring in U.S.A. (2) H.T. Odum (1957) prepared energy flow model for Silver Springs, Florida, U.S.A. (3) 30, 810 Kcal/m2 y remained for net production. In model given by Teal (1957) for Root Springs, most of the energy rich material eaten by heterotrophs entered the systems as plant debris. On the other hand in the model given by H.T. Odum (1957) for Silver Spring, most of the heterotrophs food in food chain wasproduced by green with in some systems heterotrophs consume living plants while in others they feel on dead plant parts (detritus). (1) In Root Springs, the chain began with dead plant parts. (2) In Silver Springs the chain began with live plant parts.

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Y-shaped energy flow model-Two channel energy flow model

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ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION
Meaning
Sequence of changes in the species composition of a community , structural and functional properties Biotic communities are not static and change through time Change shall be understood in various levels Change through growth , interaction and death of individual organism Change affected by the cycles of season and other natural phenomena

Succession may be directional or progressive

Succession tend to continue until the species combination best suited to the regional climate and the particular site are established

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ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION
Historical background Hult 1885 used the word succession first Anon kernar s book plant life of the danubebasin HC Cowles says community are not static but dynamic Central foundation classical theory Early communities alter the environment fa Later theories say Alogenesis more common means control of community Odum 1969 defines Succession in three parameters viz 1. Orderly resonable,directional, predicatable community development 2. Community controlled 3. Succession culminates in a stabilized ecosystem in which maximum biomass and symbiotic function between organisms are maintain perunit of available energy flow

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ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION
Illustrations Lake Crop Field Development Pioneers: First organism establishment Sere: Whole series of communities Seral Stage: Chanages takes place Community: Temporary but has its own character

Classification of seres Biotic, Climatic, Physiographic and Zoologic called predominant forces Bioseres, cliseres, eoseresa and geoserses called resultant seres

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ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION
Types of Succession Primary Succcession (Pressere): Process of species colonization and replacement in which the environment is virtually free of life Secondary Succession(Subserse): The process of change that occurs when the ecosystem disrupted but not obliterated Organic matters will remain to some extent Secondary succession is more rapid than primary succession Types of Primary and Secondary Successsion a) Hydrach of Hydrosere Aquatic evironment such as pond, lake, strems, swams, bogs etc b) Mesarch Where adequate moisture is present c)Xerach or exerosere Where minimum amount of moisture is availabe
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ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION
Autogenic Community
The succession progression due to interaction of organisms and their environment EX: Sand dunes,

Allegonic Community
The succession takes place under the influence of the external factors as input of nutrients Ex: Succession in a small pond or Bog

Autotrophic Succession
Takes place In an organic environment when there is an indefinite energy flow Ex: Green Plants

Heterotrophic Succession
Takes place in an organic environment in a declined energy level Ex: Bacteria, Fungi, animals actinomycetes

Serule
Miniature succession of micro organic environment in decayed wood Category 1 Physiographic remains stable Category 2 Due to local environmental changes due to external factors Category 3 Changes takes place over long time scale on adjacent sites
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Succession general process and climax

Begins on bare area or nudation formed by several reasons such as valcanic eruption , land side Steps in succession NUDATION Takes place in a bare area or nudation formed due to volcano, land slide, flood, soil soil erosion, Fire, disease. Takes place in a bare area or nudation formed due to volcano, land slide, flood, soil soil erosion, Fire, quarry, burning , digging etc INVASION Means the arrival of the reproductive bodies or organisms and their settlement in the new or bare area Invasion takes place due to dispersal or migration of seeds spores or other propagules of the species reach the bare area through air and water Invasion also takes place due to Ecesis which means migration of plant species in to new area by reproduction by adult plants

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