An ecosystem is a biological system in which all living and non living organism interact with each other in a particular

environment. There are two major ecosystem; terrestrial and aquatic. The terrestrial are found everywhere apart from water bodies. Of course the aquatic are found only in water bodies. All other sub ecosystems fall under these two. A tropical rainforest where there are abundance of plants has large number of organisms living in relatively small areas. Rainforest cover less than 7 percent of earth surfaces surface but the level of biodiversity is higher than any other place. Tropical rainforest are warm because they are near the earths equator. There isnt much of a season change like other biomes but heavy rainfall is expected due to high humidity. Tropical rainforest is also divided into four layers with different plants animals dwelling in each layer. The bottom layer or the forest floor receives less than 2 percent of sunlight. Only specialized adapted plants and insects can grow in this region. There is a space between the canopy and the forest floor, which is known as the understory. Only about 5% of the sunlight shining on the rainforest reaches the understorey. This is a home to a number of animals and insects. The canopy layer is at higher elevation and receives the most sunlight. It also stops the rain from reaching below. The canopy is where 90 percent of the organisms of the rainforest can be found, most of them seeking the treetops for the brighter light there. The emergent layer has the tallest trees in the rainforest. They are

exposed to greater fluctuations of temperature, wind and rainfall than are their smaller companions. Only certain species can with stand the hot winds and temperature such as eagles, bats, and certain monkeys. Rain forests are populated with many different organisms. Each layer of the rainforest consists of different type of organisms. For example, the rain forest floor is composed of decomposers. Fungi and Bacteria are busy breaking down dead matter and recycling the nutrients. The floor also consists of other organisms such as insects, certain plant life and large animals such as elephants. The understory layer houses many plant species and epiphytes which are plants that live of other plant and use tress for attachment purposes only. Other than plant life understory is site for many birds where they can built their nest such as pigeons. Some insects and amphibian shelter in this layer within the plant life. Understory layer is not just composed of herbivores but also omnivores who prey on the herbivores for survival. Many animals live in canopy layer for it is rich in nutrition such as fruit and seeds and the emergent layer is mostly consisted of birds or flying organism. There are also many symbiosis relationships that exist in the rainforest. In other a words, a mutualism, commensalism, parasitism relationship exists between all organism amongst each other or with their environment. For example, bacteria residing inside termites

intestine breaks down the plants cellulose making it digestible for other animals. Another example of a mutualism is Capuchin monkeys lap nectar from flowers in trees as part of their varied diet. In the process they get pollen on their faces and pollinate the flowers. Maggie Eisenberger. In other words the animal benefits by getting its daily nutrition while making reproduction possible for other flowers. Commensalism is another relationship that exists in the tropical rainforest ecosystem in which only one party benefits while the other is unaffected. Bromeliads are terrestrial plant which grows in the rainforests canopy stores up water in their tanks. In other words they form chamber which houses many tiny organisms such as frogs, tadpole and mosquitoes. The bromeliads are unaffected with sheltering of small organisms. An example of an parasitic relation existing with the ecosystem is the relationship. The leaf cutter ant parasitic fly lays its eggs only on the backs of leaf-cutter ants targeting porters who are carrying leaves. The larvae burrow into the ant's body after hatching and feed on it. In other words, the parasite is feeding itself while the leaf ant is being harmed. Many interesting species live and interact with the rainforest ecosystem. One such interesting creature is the long horned grasshopper. They have long thin antennae and almost light green in color. Reproduction is obviously the key to their survival in the

ecosystem. Most long horn grasshopper belongs to family Tettigoniidae lays the fertilized egg on soft tissue of leaves or tree trunks. Once the fertilized egg is placed the parent takes off and this little creature is left there to complete development. The grasshopper uses its color to advantage hiding from predators. There green like structure allows them to camouflage which makes it harder for their predators to find them. Grasshoppers also have a unique digestive system. The alimentary canal is divided into three portion; foregut, midgut, hindgut. Digestion starts at the mouth with the chewing of food in the foregut. Once the grasshopper starts chewing its food it is acted upon by enzymes of salivary juice (carbohydrases) which partially digest the food which is then swallowed with the help of lubrication provided by salivary juice. The food enters the esophagus then into the crop where food is stored. The food then passes into the gizzard which acts as the grinding chamber. At the junction of the gizzard and the stomach is a valve called the pyloric valve. It allows the passage of only the thoroughly digested food into the stomach and also, prevents the regurgitation of food from the stomach. Once in the midgut or the stomach more enzymes are released breaking the food further down and then absorbed through stomach walls into surrounding space. In the hindgut the water is reabsorbed and undigested food is expelled through the anus.

The nutrients are transported due to a circulatory system. In grasshopper they have a open circulatory system. In other words the internal organs are bath directly by a fluid called hemolymph. Hemolyph is the insects blood and doesnt carry oxygen for this reason why grasshoppers blood is green. . It circulates nutrients through the body and carries metabolic wastes to the malphighian tubes to be excreted. Grasshopper respiratory system is independent of the circulatory system. Grasshopper respiratory system is also called the tracheal system which consists of 10 pairs of spiracles. The spiracles are guarded by fine hairs to keep the foreign particles out. These spiracles open into small spaces called the atria that continue as air tubes called the tracheae. The tracheae are fine tubes branch further into finer tracheoles that enter all the tissues and cells of the grasshopper the trachea enlarge to form air sacs which are devoid of cuticle and serve to store air. In other words ends of the tracheoles are filled with fluid when oxygen enters the system. As respiration occurs in the cell fluid stored in tracheoles enter the tissue creating low pressure in the tubes and draws in more oxygen to the tissues where it is needed. When carbon dioxide is produced it is detected by chemoreceptor causing the surrounding muscle to contract to push the air out. Circulation of air as the oxygen-rich air is inhaled through the first four spiracles and the carbon dioxide-rich air is exhaled through the remaining six pairs of spiracles in a grasshopper.

Grasshopper nervous system consists of a brain, nerve cords throughout the body and a ganglion branch throughout body. The grasshopper has eyes to perceive vision, antennae for sensory input and taste organs responding to certain chemical stimuli. They also reproduce sexually. Males produce sperm in the testes and the females produce eggs in the ovaries. Eggs are fertilized in the oviduct which are laid in holes and left by themselves to develop. Grasshopper role in the ecosystem other than pollination is as a primary consumer in the trophic level. They feed on autotrophs or primary producers for energy. When the autotrophs or plants are eaten by a grasshopper the energy is transferred from that primary producer to primary consumers. Grasshoppers are a part of an energy pyramid in which their energy is passed down to second or tertiary consumers when digested by birds, snakes, or spiders.

Reference Jessica Ebert (2008,February 05). Termite-Tailored Cellulosic Ethanol. http://ethanolproducer.com/articles/3724/termite-tailored-cellulosic-ethanol/ Rita Putatunda(2001, December 14). Tropical Rainforest Biome: Plants and Animals. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/tropical-rainforest-biome-plants-and-animals.html Lisa Dispenza ( 2006, July 4). Emergent Layer. http://mset.rst2.edu/portfolios/d/dispenza_l/web_design/rainforests_final/emergent_lay er/emergent_layer.htm

http://www.saverfn.org/lessonssymb.html http://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/grasshopper-info2.htm http://www.springerlink.com/content/f5g8103574275843/