An Introduction to Environment and Ecosystem
What is Environment? The word Environment referred to the surrounding of us which can can be living (biotic) or non-living (abiotic) things. It includes physical, chemical and other natural forces. Living things live in their environment. They constantly interact with it and adapt themselves to conditions in their environment. In the environment there are different interactions between animals, plants, soil, water, and other living and non-living things.
There are two types of environment we often categorized. These two are-
Natural Environment: In the category of Natural Environment we see the natural things such as Land, air, water, plants and animals all comprise the natural environment.
Human-made/Artificial Environment: In Artificial Environment we generally notice the man made things which are developed by human beings to increase our lifestyle.
Different components of an Environment
Broadly the environment has two types of components which are
- Biotic Components: The Biotic components are living component that affects another organism or shapes the ecosystem which includes both animals that consume other organisms within their ecosystem, and the organism that is being consumed.
- Abiotic Components: The abiotic components are basically non-living components of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems.
What is Ecosystem?
The word “ecosystem” referred to a community of living organisms in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment, interacting as a system. The term “Ecosystem” was first coined by A.G. Tansely, in the year 1935. The living and non-living things continuously exchange materials and energy between them. It forms the structural and functional unit of the biosphere (sphere of life). The Ecosystem can be varies greatly in size. It can be as small as a pond or as large as a forest or sea.
Classification of Ecosystem
Broadly the ecosystem can be divided into two basic categories
(A) Terrestrial Ecosystem: Terrestrial ecosystem found only on land forms. There have six primary terrestrial ecosystems exist which are tundra, taiga, temperate deciduous forest, tropical rain forest, grassland, deserts.
(B) Aquatic Ecosystem: Aquatic ecosystem found in a body of water. Communities of organisms that are dependent on each other and on their environment live in aquatic ecosystems. The Aquatic Ecosystem can be divided into two categories which are
- Fresh water Ecosystem: The Fresh water ecosystem include lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, springs, bogs, and wetlands. They can be contrasted with marine ecosystems, which have a larger salt content.
- Marine water Ecosystem: The Marine water ecosystems covers the nearshore systems, such as the salt marshes, mudflats, seagrass meadows, mangroves, rocky intertidal systems and coral reefs. They also extend outwards from the coast to include offshore systems, such as the surface ocean, pelagic ocean waters, the deep sea, oceanic hydrothermal vents, and the sea floor. Marine waters cover more than 70% of the surface of the Earth and account for more than 97% of Earth's water supply and 90% of habitable space on Earth.
Structure of an Ecosystem
The ecosystem is consists of basically two types of components which are namely Biotic and Abiotic. These components interacts together and form a structure of an Ecosystem. Let’s discuss about the Biotic and Abiotic components which are the basics of an ecosystem.
- Biotic Components: The biotic components are the living things exists in our surroundings. These can be autotropic plants or other animals as well as fungi, bacteria, protozoa etc. which are basically categorized into saprophyte category. Let’s discuss about all of these components-
- Autotrophic components: These are the autotrophic elements mainly the green plants. They use radiant energy of sun in photosynthetic process whereby carbon dioxide is assimilated and the light energy is converted into chemical energy.
- Consumers: These are the living members of ecosystem which consume the food synthesized by producers are called consumers. Under this category are included all kinds of animals that are found in an ecosystem.
- Decomposers: The Decomposers are the living components of the ecosystem and they are fungi and bacteria. Decomposers attack the dead remains of producers and consumers and degrade the complex organic substances into simpler compounds.
- Abiotic Components
Abiotic component of ecosystem includes basic inorganic elements and compounds, such as soil, water, oxygen, calcium carbonates, phosphates and a variety of organic compounds.
- Climatic and physical factors: air, water, soil, and sunlight; rainfall, temperature, humidity, soil texture, and geomorphic conditions.
- Inorganic materials: Examples: carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorous, carbon-di-oxide, water, etc. These are involved in the cycling of materials in the ecosystems.
- Organic materials: These are proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, humic substances, etc. They largely form the living body and link the abiotic compounds with the biotic factors.
