Ecosystems and Natural

Energy Systems

Lecture: 18
Dr. Md. Khabir Uddin
Professor
Department of Environmental Sciences
Jahangirnagar University,
Course No.: ENV 107
Savar, Dhaka-1342 Faculty ID: kbu
Email: khabir88@yahoo.com
 Ecosystem
Eugene Odum stated ecosystem as:

"Any unit that includes all of the organisms (i.e.:

the "community") in a given area interacting with the
physical environment so that a flow of energy leads
to clearly defined trophic structure, biotic diversity,
and material cycles (i.e.: exchange of materials
between living and nonliving parts) within the system
is an ecosystem.“

 Ecosystems are functional units consisting of living

things in a given area, non-living chemical and
physical factors of their environment, linked
together through nutrient cycle and energy flow.
 Lecture: 05

Structure of an Ecosystem
 The structure of an ecosystem is basically a
description of the species of organisms that are
present, including information on their life histories,
populations and distribution in space.

 It is a guide to who’s who in the ecosystem

 It also includes descriptive information on the non

living (physical) features of the environment,
including the amount and distribution of nutrients

 The structure of an ecosystem provides information

about the range of climatic conditions that exist in
the area.
 Cont…………
From structural point of view all ecosystems consists of following
04 basic components:

1) Abiotic Substances
a) Organic (including proteins, carbohydrates etc.)
b) Inorganic (including Carbon dioxide, water,
sunlight, nitrogen, Ca, Phosphate etc.)

2) Producers: Autotrophic organisms like

photosynthetic and chemosynthetic bacteria, blue
green algae, and all other green plants.

3) Consumers: Heterotrophic organisms in the

ecosystem which eat other living creatures.

4) Reducers or Decomposers: Heterotrophic

organisms that breakdown dead and waste matter.
Fungi and certain bacteria are example.
 Lecture: 05

Functions of an Ecosystems
 The function of an ecosystem describes the flow
of energy and the cycling of nutrients. That is,
how much sunlight is trapped by the plants in a
year, how much plant material is eaten by
herbivores, and how many herbivores are eaten
by carnivores.

The functional aspects of an ecosystem includes:

a) Energy cycles
b) Food chains and Food webs
c) Diversity (interlinks between organisms)
d) Biogeochemical cycles
e) Evolution
 Types of Ecosystems
Ecosystem can be classified into following:

1) Aquatic Ecosystem 2) Terrestrial Ecosystem

a) Marine a) Natural
ecosystem i. Tundra
i. Estuary ii. Forest
ii. Ocean iii. Desert
iv. Grassland

b) Fresh water b) Manmade

ecosystem i. Crop land
i. Pond/Lake ii. Garden
ii. River/Spring
Cont…………
Examples of some
Ecosystems
 Agro-ecosystem
 Coral reef
 Desert
 Forest
 Human ecosystem
 Marine ecosystem
 Pond Ecosystem
 Rainforest
 Subsurface Microbial Ecosystem
 Urban ecosystem
 Aquatic Ecosystems
“An aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem
located in a body of water.”

 The amount of dissolved oxygen in a water body is

frequently the key substance in determining the
extent and kinds of organic life in the water body.
Fish need dissolved oxygen to survive. Conversely,
oxygen is fatal to many kinds of anaerobic
bacteria.

 The salinity of the water body is also a

determining factor in the kinds of species found in
the water body. Organisms in marine ecosystems
tolerate salinity, while many freshwater organisms
 Lecture: 16
Cont…………
An estuary
mouth and
coastal
waters, part
of an aquatic
ecosystem

Coral reefs
are an
Freshwater example of a
ecosystem marine
ecosystem
Types of Aquatic Ecosystem
The two main types of aquatic ecosystems are:

1) Marine ecosystems and

2) Freshwater ecosystems
 Lecture: 16
Marine Ecosystems
 Marine ecosystems cover approximately 71% of
the Earth's surface and contain approximately 97%
of the planet's water.

 They generate 32% of the world's net primary

production. They are distinguished from freshwater
ecosystems by the presence of dissolved
compounds, especially salts, in the water.

 Environmental problems concerning marine

ecosystems include unsustainable exploitation of
marine resources (for example overfishing of
certain species), marine pollution, climate change,
and building on coastal areas.
 Lecture: 16

Freshwater ecosystems
 Freshwater ecosystems cover 0.80% of the Earth's surface
and inhabit 0.009% of its total water.

 They generate nearly 3% of its net primary production.

Freshwater ecosystems contain 41% of the world's known fish
species.

 There are three basic types of freshwater ecosystems:

1) Lentic: Slow-moving water, including pools, ponds,

and lakes.

2) Lotic: Rapidly-moving water, for example streams

and rivers.

3) Wetlands: Areas where the soil is saturated or

inundated for at least part of the time.
 Lecture: 16

Functions
 They recycle nutrients, purify water, calm floods,
recharge ground water and provide habitats for
wildlife.

 Aquatic ecosystems are also used for human

recreation, and are very important to the tourism
industry, especially in coastal regions.

 Aquatic ecosystems are the source of livelihood of

fisherman.

 Marshes and wetlands are of great economic

importance for people who live on their fish,
crustaceans, reeds, grasses, and other produce.
 Lecture: 16

Threats to Aquatic Ecosystem

 The health of an aquatic ecosystem is degraded when the
ecosystem's ability to absorb a stress has been exceeded.

 A stress on an aquatic ecosystem can be a result of physical,

chemical or biological alterations of the environment.

 Physical alterations include changes in

water temperature, water flow and light
availability.

 Chemical alterations include changes in the

loading rates of biostimulatory nutrients,
oxygen consuming materials, and toxins.

 Biological alterations include the

introduction of exotic species.
 Lecture: 16

Biotic Components in
the Ecosystem

 Biotic components in the ecosystem

include:

1) Producers
2) Consumers and
3) Decomposers
 Lecture: 16
Producers in the Ecosystem
 Producers in an ecosystem are considered as
Autotrophs.

 Producers produce their food by undergoing a

reaction called as photosynthesis. Producers can be
classified into two types:

1) Photoautotroph's: include green plants, algae and

bacteria which make their own food by photosynthesis.

2) Chemoautotroph's: An organism (typically a bacterium

or a protozoan) that obtains energy through chemical
process,
 Lecture: 16

Consumers in the Ecosystem

 Consumers in an ecosystem are the heterotrophs.

 Animals, fungi and some protoctists are examples

of heterotrophs.

 Consumers can be classified as follows:

1) Primary: are herbivores. Example: cow, deer, etc

2) Secondary: are carnivores or scavengers. Example-
lion, tiger, etc
3) Tertiary: are carnivores that prey on other meat
eaters.
 Lecture: 16
Decomposers in the
Ecosystem
 Decomposers are the organisms
that feed on dead and decayed
organic matter.

 These are also called as

detrivorous (heterotrophs that
obtain nutrients by consuming
decomposing organic matter) Earthworms are a
organisms. good example
 So these decomposers help to complete a food
cycle.

 Example of decomposers are bacteria and fungi.

 Lecture: 16

Food Chain in Ecosystem

“A food chain is a series of steps by which energy
is obtained, used, and transformed by living things.”

 Food chain consists of the sequence of populations

of an ecosystem which allows the transfer of food
and energy through it.

 Each member becomes the food of later species of

member. The food chain is also known as a
predator food chain. It consists of producers,
consumers and the decomposers.

 As food is being transferred from one organism to

another a lot of energy from food is lost.
 Lecture: 16

Flow chart of Food Chain

 Lecture: 16

Significance of Food Chains

 Helps in understanding food relationship and
interdependence among various organisms.

 The mechanism of transfer of food, energy and

nutrients through various components of nature can
be studied.

 The effect of the use of pesticides on the ecosystem

can be studied. As several of them are not bio-
degradable it goes on accumulating at every trophic
level.

 Indiscriminate use of DDT and other pesticides has

an adverse effect on the food chain and
consequently disturbs the ecosystem.
 Lecture: 16

Food Web
“In a given ecosystem, there are a large
number of food chain are linked together and
intersect each other to form a complex network
which is called food web.”

 Food chains are not isolated from each other.

 In nature single food chain occur rarely.

 If the links in the chains that make up the web of

life are disrupted due to human activities that lead
to the loss of extinction of species, the web breaks
down.
 Lecture: 16

Ecological Pyramid
 In any ecosystem, a definite relationship exists
between producers and various levels of consumers.
This “eater and being eaten” ecological relationship
can be represented graphically by means of
ecological pyramids.

“The ecological pyramid is a diagrammatic

representation of the various trophic levels.”

 Green plants occupy the producer level and there

are different levels for consumers like primary
(example: herbivores or plant eaters), secondary
(example: carnivores feeding on plant eaters),
tertiary (secondary carnivores).
 Lecture: 16

Cont…………
 The amount of food flowing through the food
chain usually drops with each step up the chain
thus giving the characteristic ‘pyramid’ shape in
the ecological pyramid definition.

 Basically there are three types of ecological

pyramids based on the ecological pyramid
definition–

1)Pyramid of number
2)Pyramid of biomass and
3)Pyramid of energy
 Lecture: 16
Ecological Pyramid
 Lecture: 16

Ecosystem Ecology
 Ecosystem ecology is the integrated study of
biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems and
their interactions within an ecosystem framework.

 This science examines how ecosystems work and

relates this to their components such as
chemicals, bedrock, soil, plants, and animals.

 Ecosystem ecology examines physical and

biological structure and examines how these
ecosystem characteristics interact.
 Lecture: 16

Ecosystem Management
“Ecosystem management is a process that
aims to conserve major ecological services and
restore natural resources while meeting the
socioeconomic, political and cultural needs of current
and future generations.”

 The principal objective of ecosystem management is

the efficient maintenance, and ethical use of natural
resources.

 Ecosystem management acknowledges that the

interrelation of socio-cultural, economic and
ecological systems is paramount to understanding
the circumstances that affect environmental goals
and outcomes.
 Lecture: 16

Ecosystem Management
 It is a multifaceted and holistic approach which
requires a significant change in how the natural
and human environments are identified.

 Several approaches to effective ecosystem

management engage conservation efforts at both a
local or landscape level and involves:

a) Adaptive management,
b) Natural resource management,
c) Strategic management, and
d) Command and control management
 Lecture: 16

References

1) Textbook of Environmental Studies by Erach

Bharucha, Universities Press, India, 2005

2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_rain