Types of Ecosystem

All types of ecosystems fall into one of two categories: terrestrial or aquatic. Terrestrial ecosystems are land-based, while aquatic are water-based. The major types of ecosystems are forests, grasslands, deserts, tundra, freshwater and marine.

1. TYPES OF ECOSYSTEM by Manas Dhidar , Hitik Negi and Jatin Kumar

2. What is Ecosystem ? A Ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the living organisms or Biotic Component, in a particular area, and the non-living, or Abiotic Component such as air, soil, water and sunlight with which the organism interact.

3. TYPES OF ECOSYSTEM AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM MARINE ECOSYSTEM FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEM

4. DESERTS ECOSYSTEMS FORESTS ECOSYSTEMS TUNDRA ECOSYSTEMS GRASSLANDS ECOSYSTEM TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM

5. AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM An Aquatic Ecosystem is an  ecosystem in a  body of water .   Communitie s of   organisms that are dependent on each other and on their environment live in aquatic ecosystems. The two main types of aquatic ecosystems are:-  1) Marine ecosystems 2) Freshwater ecosystems

6. 1. MARINE ECOSYSTEM Marine ecosystems are among the largest of   Earth’s aquatic ecosystems. Examples include Estuaries, Lagoons, coral reefs, the deep sea , and the   sea floor. Marine waters cover two-thirds of the surface of the Earth. Such places are considered   ecosystems   because the plant life supports the animal life and vice versa .  According to the World Resource Center , coastal habitats account for about one-third of marine biological productivity . 

7. Estuaries occur where there is a noticeable change in salinity between saltwater and freshwater source. The National Geographic Society defines lagoons as a “shallow body of water protected from a larger body of water by sandbars, barrier islands, or coral reefs”. Coral reefs are one of the most well-known marine ecosystems within the world. The largest being that of the Great Barrier Reef. These reefs are composed of large coral colonies of a variety of species living together. The deep sea conquers up to 95% of the space occupied by living organisms. Combined with the sea floor, these two areas have yet to be fully explored and have their organisms documented making these ecosystems some of the hardest to understand by scientists.

8. 2. FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEM Freshwater ecosystems are a subset of Earth's aquatic ecosystems. They include  lakes   and  ponds, rivers, streams, springs, and   wetlands. Freshwater habitats can be classified by different factors, including temperature, light penetration and vegetation. Freshwater ecosystems can be divided into  lentic ecosystems (still water) and  lotic ecosystems (flowing water). Limnology is a study about freshwater ecosystems. It is a part of  hydrobiology.

9. A  lake ecosystem   includes biotic (living) plants, animals and micro-organisms, as well as abiotic (nonliving) physical and chemical interactions. Lake ecosystems  are a prime example of lentic ecosystems. River ecosystems are prime examples of lotic ecosystems . A   pond ecosystem   refers to the freshwater ecosystem  where there are communities of organism dependent on each other with the prevailing water environment for their nutrients and survival.

10. TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM A terrestrial ecosystem is a type of  ecosystem found only on biomes also known as beds. A biome is a community of plants and animals that have common characteristics for the environment they exist in. They can be found over a range of continents. Four primary terrestrial ecosystems exist:- Forest Ecosystems, Desert Ecosystem, Grasslands Ecosystem & Tundra Ecosystem. India is also rich in its fauna. India has approximately 90,000 animal species, 2,000 species of birds , they constitute 13% of world’s total. It has 2500 species of fish, which is nearly 12% of world stock. It also shares 5% - 8% of the world’s amphibians, reptiles & mammals.

11. 1. FOREST ECOSYSTEM It is further divided into 5 parts:- TROPICAL EVERGREEN FORESTS:- The tropical evergreen forests usually occur in areas receiving more than 200cm of rainfall . Having a temp. of 15- 30’ celsius. They occupy 7% of the earth’s land surface. These trees have great height up to 60 m . Trees found in these areas are Ebony, Mahogany, Rosewood, Rubber & Cinchona .

12. TROPICAL DECIDUOUS FORESTS:- These are the most widespread forest in India. These are also called monsoon forests. They receiving rainfall between 200cm to 70cm. Teak is the most dominant species in this forest . TROPICAL THORN FORESTS:- In regions with less than 70cm rainfall. This vegetation covers a large part of south- Western north America , Africa , south America & Australia. Acacias, palms, euphorbias and cacti are the main plant species.

13. Trees are scattered and have long roots penetrating deep into the soil to get moisture. Leaves are mostly thick & small to minimize evaporation. BOREAL FORESTS :- Taiga, also known as boreal forests or snow forests, is a biome characterized by conferious forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces and larches. The taiga is the world’s largest biome apart from the oceans. Countries with boreal forests include Russia, Alaska, Sweden, finland , Norway and small regions of Scotland. The boreal region in Canada almost 60% of the Country’s land area. It shelters more than 85 species of mammals, including Wood bison, moose, grizzly, beavers & wolves.

14. MANGROVE FORESTS:- A mangrove is a shrub or small tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. These forest found in the areas of coast influenced by tides. The total mangrove forest area of the world in 2000 was 137,800 square kilometres (53,200  sq  mi), spanning 118 countries and territories. Herons, kingfishers, cormorants, snakes, lizards, spiders, insects, snails and  mangrove  crabs thrive on mangrove palnts . In India, its found in deltas of ganga, Mahanadi, Krishna, Godavari & kaveri . In India, Royal Bengal tiger, turtles, crocodiles, gharials, snake are also found in these forests.

15. 2. DESERTS ECOSYSTEM A desert ecosystem is defined by interactions between living organism the climate in which they live, and any other non-living influences on the habitat. Deserts are arid regions which are generally associated with warm temperatures, however cold deserts also exist. Deserts can be found on every continent, with the largest being located in Antarctica the Arctic, Northern Africa and the Middle East. There are 4 types of desert ecosystem:- Sand desert, plateau desert, Mountain desert, cold desert.

16. SAND DESERT:- An erg ( sand  sheet if it lacks dunes) is a broad, flat area of  desert  covered with wind-swept  sand  with little or no vegetative cover. The term takes its name from the Arabic word ʿarq (meaning “dune field”). The  Rub' al Khali  desert is the largest contiguous sand desert in the world. The desert covers some 650,000 km 2. Approximately 85% of all the Earth's mobile sand is found in ergs that are greater than 32,000 km 2. Ergs are also found on other  celestial bodies , such as  Venus ,  Mars , and  Saturn 's moon  Titan . The largest hot desert in the world, the  Sahara , covers 9 million square kilometres  

17. PLATEAU DESERT:- in geology plateau is also called high Plain or a tableland. It is usually consisting of relatively flat terrain that is raised significantly Above the surrounding area, often one or more slides with steep slopes. Some desert plateau are:- tibetian plateau, pajarito plateau, hardangervidda in Europe. MOUNTAIN DESERTS:- A large, dry, barren region, usually having sandy or rocky soil and little or no vegetation. Water lost to evaporation and transpiration in a  desert  exceeds the amount of precipitation; most  deserts  average less than 25 cm (9.75 inches) of precipitation each year, concentrated in short local bursts. The  Desert Mountains  are a  mountain range  located in west-central  Nevada  south of the  Lahontan Reservoir  and north of the town of  Yerington . The range is located in  Lyon  and  Churchill  counties. The range includes Cleaver Peak, at 6,711 feet (2,046 m) above sea level in the western part of the range and Desert Peak, at 6,404 feet (1,952 m) in elevation, in the eastern part of the chain.

18. COLD DESERT:- Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve  is a  biosphere reserve located in the western  Himalayas  region, within  Himachal Pradesh  state in  North India . Biosphere reserves are the areas of coastal ecosystems which promote the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use. There are over 669 biosphere reserves around the world in over 120 countries.  Cold   deserts  are found in the Antarctic, Greenland, Iran, Turkestan, Northern and Western China. Some famous  cold   deserts  are: – Atacama, Gobi, Great Basin, Namib, Iranian, Takla Makan , and Turkestan. Antarctica is the largest  cold desert  of the earth .

19. 3. TUNDRA ECOSYSTEM Tundra ecosystems  are treeless regions found in the Arctic and on the tops of mountains, where the climate is cold and windy and rainfall is scant.  Tundra  lands are snow-covered for much of the year, until summer brings a burst of wildflowers. Tundra consists of predators such as owls,  foxes , wolves , and  polar bears  at the top of the chain. Predators hunt herbivores, plant eating animals, such as  caribou ,  lemmings , and hares. Bearberry, Labrador Tea, Diamond Leaf, Arctic Moss, Arctic Willow, Caribou Moss, Tufted Saxifrage, Pasque Flower

20. 4. GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEM Grasslands  are areas where the  vegetation  is dominated by grasses however, sedge and rush families can also be found along with variable proportions of  legumes , like  clover , and other  herbs . Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except  Antarctica . Grasslands are found in most  ecoregions  of the  Earth . For example, there are five  terrestrial ecoregion classifications (subdivisions) of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome which is one of eight terrestrial ecozones of the Earth's surface. Grassland ecosystem are further divided into :- Tropical & Sub Tropical Grasslands Temperate Grasslands

21. TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL:- These grasslands are classified with tropical and subtropical Savannas and shrublands They are widespread in Africa, and are also found all throughout South Asia, Llanos of South America and Australia, and the southern United States. African savannas  occur between forest or woodland regions and grassland regions. The average temperature of 27 °C with peaks of 30 °C in April and October, and between 300 and 1500 mm of rain per year. Flora found in this region are:- Acacia ( tree), Baobab (Tree), Grass, Low shrubs & Thorns.

22. TEMPERATE GRASSLANDS:- Temperate grasslands have hot summers and cold winters. Summer temperatures can be well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, while winter temperatures can be as  low  as -40 degrees Fahrenheit. They typically have between 10 and 35 inches of precipitation a year, much of it occurring in the late spring and early summer. Other animals of this region include: deer,  mice, jack rabbits, snakes, fox, owls, blackbirds meadowlarks, sparrows, quails, hawks and hyenas. Grasslands go by many names. In the U.S. Midwest, they're known as  prairies . In South America, they're called  pampas . Central Eurasian grasslands are referred to as steppes, while in Africa they're named  savannas .