Ecosystem is the community of living organism and the natural environment in which they live. These organism depend on each other for their basic needs like food, shelter and survival. Linked through the exchange of energy each living component in ecosystem is either a producer, consumer of decompser. We humans are classified as the consumers in this ecosystem. Let’s learn in detail about what is ecosystem, its components, types and examples.

What is an Ecosystem
Components of an Ecosystem
Types of Ecosystem
Energy Flow in the Ecosystems

What is an Ecosystem

An ecosystem is a community of living and non-living things that interact with each other in a particular environment. For example, in a forest ecosystem, plants, insects, sunlight, micro organisms, etc. Each of these components in an ecosystem plays an important role that maintains the balance and keep it healthy. There are mainly two types of components in an ecosystem:

Biotic Compoents
Abiotic Compoents

Components of an Ecosystem

An ecosystem is made up of two components that interact with each other to create the unique characteristics of an ecosystem. These two components work in accordance with each other to balance the ecosystem. Let’s learn in detail about each of these components:

Biotic Compoent: The biological community that lives in that ecosystem is called its biotic component. For example, trees, animals, plants, birds, etc are all living things and are called the biotic components of an ecosystem. Based on their role in the ecosystem each living things is classified into three broad categories: producers, consumers and decomposers. Plants that produce their own food by using sunlight are called producers. Animals that consume plants are called consumers and microrganism that decompose both producers and consumers are called decomposers.

Abiotic Component: The physical characteristics of an ecosystem such as rocks, water, soil, etc are called its abiotic components.

Types of Ecosystem

There are two different types of ecosystems based on their unique features depending on pants, animals and topography:

Terrestrial Ecosystem
Aquatic Ecosystem

Terrestrial Ecosystem: The terrestrial ecosystem is an ecosystem present on land. This land-based ecosystem is further divided into four different types:

Forest Ecosystem: Forest ecosystem comprises plants, trees, animals, insects, that live in balance with all non-living components like soil, sunlight, water etc.

Grassland Ecosystem: Grass and herbs form an ecosystem called the the grassland ecosystem. It is suitable for survival of grazing animals like deer and sheeps.

Dessert Ecosystem: Dessert lands with very small rains form an ecosystem called the dessert ecosystem that is suitable for some species of plants and animals to survive.

Tundra Ecosystem: Tundra ecosystem is the freezing region with very low temperature. It is suitable for survival of some pants and animals spices like polar bears.

Aquatic Ecosystem: The aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem that is present in water such as ponds, lakes, oceans, etc. The aquatic ecosystem is further divided into two types:

Freshwater Ecosystem: Ponds, lake, rivers, streams and wetlands are the freshwater ecosystems that are part of an aquatic ecosystem.
Marine Ecosystem: Marine ecosystem include sea and oceans that have alot of biodiversity. Oceans are the largest ecosystem on earth with around 70% of the earth surface covered with them.

Energy Flow in Ecosystems

The main factor that supports the sustainability of all organisms in an ecosystem is the energy flow from one creature to another. In this ecosystem, the sun acts the main source of energy from which the plants prepare their food through photosynthesis. In this way, the heat energy gets converted into chemical energy further getting transferred to animals. In this successive biological process the energy keeps travelling from one source to another. This transfer of energy is known as food chain. At bottom of the food chain are producers like plants that produce their food, in middle are the animals that consume plants and other animals. At top are the decompsers like fungie and bacteria that decompose both plants and animals.