What is an ecosystem?

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals and microbes) in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment (things like air, water and mineral soil), interacting as a system.

Components of an Ecosystem
There are two major components of an ecosystem; Abiotic components Biotic components

1. Abiotic Components Abiotic components are such physical and chemical factors of an ecosystem as light, temperature, atmosphere gases (nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide are the most important), water, wind, soil.

Water, which is at the same time an essential element to life and a milieu Air, which provides oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide to living species and allows the dissemination of pollen and spores Soil, at the same time source of nutriment and physical support. Temperature, which should not exceed certain extremes, even if tolerance to heat is significant for some species Light, which provides energy to the ecosystem through photosynthesis Natural disasters can also be considered abiotic. According to the intermediate disturbance hypothesis, a moderate amount of disturbance does good to increase the biodiversity.

1. Biotic components are the living things that shape an ecosystem. A biotic factor is any living component that affects another organism, including animals that consume the organism in question, and the living food that the organism consumes. Each biotic factor needs energy to do work and food for proper growth. Biotic factors include human influence. Biotic components usually include:

Producers, i.e. autotrophs: e.g. plants, they convert the energy [from photosynthesis (the transfer of sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into energy), or other sources such as hydrothermal vents] into food. Consumers, i.e. heterotrophs: e.g. animals, they depend upon producers (occasionally other consumers) for food. Decomposers, i.e. detritivores: e.g. fungi and bacteria, they break down chemicals from producers and consumers (usually dead) into simpler form which can be reused.

There are many types of ecosystems on earth. Major classes of relatively contained ecosystems are called Biomes. There are 3 Major classes of ecosystems

1. Freshwater Ecosystems 2. Terrestrial Ecosystems 3. Ocean Ecosystems

Freshwater ecosystems:

Relatively small in area ~ 1.8% of earth's surface Support many species of life including fish, amphibians, insects and plants.

Base of food-web is found in freshwater Plankton (small microscopic organisms)

Terrestrial Ecosystems:

Many & diverse types of ecosystems. There are seven major types. Location usually dependent on the latitude of the area, and amount of precipitation

Types & locations of biomes

Types:

1. Tropical Rain Forest

Precipitation - 250cm/year Little temp. variation/abundant moisture Contains more species than other biomes.

Tropical rain forest

1. Savannas
Precipitation 90-150cm/year Open, widely spaced trees, seasonal rainfall Parts of Africa, South America & Australia 3. Deserts Precipitation 20cm/year Dry, space vegetation; scattered grasses Parts of Africa, Asia, Australia, North America

Desert

1. Temperate Grasslands
Precipitation: 10-60cm/year Rich soil; tall dense grasses Central North America; Central Asia

2. Deciduous forests
Precipitaion=75-250cm/year Warm summers, cool winters Europe; NE United States; Eastern Canada

Temperate/Deciduous forest

3. Coniferous forest:
Precipitation =20-60cm/year Short growing season, cold winters. Northern Asia; Northern North America

Coniferous Forest

4. Tundra
Precipitation =25cm/year Open; wind swept; dry; ground always frozen Far northern Asia; Northern North America

Tundra

Ocean Ecosystems:

Very large amount of Earth is covered by ocean (~75%) 40% of all photosynthesis occurs in oceans. 3 types of oceanic ecosystems Shallow ocean waters Deep ocean water Deep ocean surface. o Photosynthetic plankton is base of food chain. o Only occurs in Deep ocean surface & Shallow ocean ecosystems o No photosynthesis can occur in Deep Ocean because light cannot penetrate deeply into water.

Due- 5/6/13

Name: Kenardo nevins Teacher: ms. bradshaw School: York castle high