Ecosystem and Community .

Ecosystem and Community

1. ECOSYSTEM Amjad Khan Afridi

2. Content What Is An Ecosystem Types Component Functions of an ecosystem Conservation of forest The Ten Global Threats to Ecosystem Viability

3. ECOSYSTEM The self-sustaining structural and functional interaction between living and non-living components. According to E.P.Odum , an American Ecologist, the Ecosystem is the basic functional unit of organism and their environment interacting with each other and with their own components. E.g. Grassland, Forest, Aquarium, Pond, Lake, River and Ocean.

4. What Is An Ecosystem An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants, animals and micro-organisms (biotic factors) in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical (abiotic) factors of the environment. An ecosystem is a community of living things that interact with each other and with the physical world.

5.  The plants and animals within ecosystem interact with each other and the non-living elements of the ecosystem like climate, precipitation, and soil. An ecosystem can be very small such as a puddle or under a rock. It can also be as big as an ocean or a desert. The balance of an ecosystem is important. All things must work together to provide a good living environment. For example, if there is not enough water, plants and animals will die and the ecosystem will not exist.

6. Examples of Ecosystems Desert Artic Tundra Rainforest Ocean African Savanna Swamp

7. Producers  A living thing that can make its own food.  Examples: Plants, Trees, Flowers A living thing that gets its food from eating other living things. Example: Polar bear eating a fish. A bird eating a berry. A zebra eating grass. Consumers

8. Decomposers A living thing that breaks down other living things to get nutrients and energy. Examples: Vultures eat dead animals. Worms and beetles eat dead decaying plants. Population A group of living things that live in the same place at the same time. Example: many penguins live in the artic; many elephants live in the African Savanna Comm u nity When different populations live together in the same habitat and interact with each other. Example: Elephants, giraffes, and zebras all live together in the Savanna.

9. Types Of Ecosystem Natural 1.Terrestrial ecosystems (grasslands, forests, desert ecosystems) 2.Aquatic ecosystem a. Lentic (Stagnant water) like lake, ponds b. Lotic (Flowing water) like river, ocean. Artificial 1.A crop land, garden, aquarium, park, kitchen garden.

10. Components Abiotic or Non-living components.  Any non-living organisms in an ecosystem. 1. Inorganic substances 2. Organic compounds 3. Climatic factors Biotic or Living components.  Any living organisms in an ecosystem. 1. Autotrophs or Producers 2. Heterotrophs or Consumers 3. Decomposers or Saprotrophs

11. Types of Community Kendeigh (1974) divided the Bioatic community into two types. Major Communities Minor Communities

12. 1. Major Communities It’s a large, self-sustaining and independent unit . For Example: Coral reefs and mangroves etc. Coral reefs: A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups.

13. 1. Major Communities Mangroves: Mangroves are a group of trees and shrubs that live in the coastal intertidal zone. Mangrove forest in Loxahatchee, Florida. There are about 80 different species of mangrove trees. All of these trees grow in areas with low-oxygen soil, where slow-moving waters allow fine sediments to accumulate.

14. 2. Minor Communities Its smaller, not self-sustaining and dependent on other communities for growth and survival but its found in major community. For Example: Barnacles, Oysters, Algae Barnacles Barnacles are suspension feeders, consuming plankton and dissolved detritus suspended in seawater and are therefore essential in cleansing that water for other organisms. They are also a food source for these animals.

15. FUNCTIONS OF AN ECOSYSTEM The Producers, the green plants, fix radiant energy (solar energy) and with the help of minerals take from their edaphic (soil where they grow) or aerial environment and build up complex organic matter. The animals eat up plants and other animals as food. So, the energy is transferred through food to animals. When plants and animals die, then decomposers (like certain bacteria and fungi) act on their dead bodies and decompose them into simple materials like carbon dioxide, water and minerals which go back to air, water bodies and soil from where they were taken.

16. PROCESS OF FUNCTIONING OF THE ECOSYSTEM The carbon dioxide from air, water and minerals from water bodies and soil are again taken up by green plants along with solar energy to make their food. This process is repeated again and again. This leads to continuous functioning of the ecosystem.

17. ENERGY FLOW THROUGH THE ECOSYSTEM The transfer of energy and matter takes place in the process of predator and prey relationship in a food chain. The original source of energy is the energy from the sun. Out of the enormous amount of energy continuously radiated by the sun, most of it is reflected or refracted back (by atmosphere, earth surface and object like plants). Only a very small fraction, about one per cent, of the solar energy received by the plant is used through the process of photosynthesis.

18. Conservation of forest Diversion of forest lands for other purposes have to be prevented. Reckless cutting of forests need to be checked. Steps have to be taken to stop shifting practice of cultivation. Forest fire is another cause of forest depletion which needs to be controlled effectively. Afforestation has to be taken up effectively.

19. Creating Awareness Awareness about ecosystem conservation can be done by posters, competitions about ecosystem conservation, arranging T.V. programmes and websites related to ecosystems.

20. Loss of crop & grazing land Depletion of world's tropical forests Destruction of species Rapid population growth Shortage of fresh water resources Over fishing, habitat destruction, & pollution in the marine environment. Threats to human health Climate change Acid rain Pressures on energy resources The Ten Global Threats to Ecosystem Viability

21. Thanks