Ecosystems what are they ?

(Refer to Essentials of Ecology,

G. Tyler Miller)

Ecosystems
Levels of organization
Individual/Organism
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biosphere
an Ecosystem consists of all of the organisms living in a
community (or communities) together with the abiotic
factors with which they interact
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COMMUNITY
A community / biological community, consists of all the
populations of the different species living and interacting in an
area.
It is a complex and interacting network of plants, animals and
microorganisms.
Structure of a community is usually the result of many
interactions
-

competitive interactions (interspecies, intraspecies)

Symbiosis (mutualism, commensalism, parasitism)
Predation (predator-prey realtionship; food webs)
variety of disturbances through time
environmental fluctuations

Rocky Shore community an example

the mix of barnacles,

algal mats, herbivorous
snails on rocks etc.

predation and competition

influence distribution eg.
snails grazing algal
spores,
predatory snails eating
herbivores

Rocky Shore
community

An ecosystem consists of 2 major components;

nonliving (abiotic)
living (biotic).

Existence of life depends upon

an energy source (the sun)
oxygen, carbon, nitrogen and other elements, all of which
are part of worldwide geological and chemical cycles
gravity

The sun
The one-way flow of high-quality energy from
the sun, through materials and living things in
their feeding interactions, into the
environment as low-quality energy (mostly
heat dispersed into air or water molecules at
low temperature), and eventually back into
space as heat. No round trips are allowed
because energy cannot be recycled.

Cycles
The cycling of matter through parts of the
biosphere is essential to life as the earth is
closed to significant inputs of matter from
space. So the Earths fixed supply of nutrients
must be recycled again and again for life to
continue. Nutrient trips in ecosystems are
round trips.

Gravity

Allows the planet to hold onto its atmosphere

and causes downward movement of
chemicals in the matter cycles.

Ecosystem has TWO functions /

characteristics

Energy flow
Cycling of materials

Essential characteristics of ecosystems

1. Energy flow
Energy flows in a unidirectional way (it does not
cycle!) fig 4.13 Miller Ch 4
This requires a continuous input of energy into an
ecosystem
Energy source

autotrophs

heterotrophs

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Essential characteristics of ecosystems

1. Energy flow
Autotrophs
(e.g. plants, algae) organisms capable of synthesizing
all their required organic molecules from simple
organic substances and an energy source

Heterotrophs
(e.g. animals)
organisms that cannot synthesize complex organic
compounds and must feed on organic material formed
by other organisms to obtain energy and necessary
molecular building blocks for metabolism and growth
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Energy in ecosystems
All organisms require energy
maintenance, growth, reproduction, (and movement)

The energy driving the biosphere (and all

ecosystems) is solar radiation, captured via
photosynthesis by autotrophs
about 1% of visible light converted to chemical energy
about 120 billion tonnes of new organic material
produced each year
about 99% of all organic matter in the biosphere is
autotrophs (i.e. mostly plants)
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Primary Production
Photosynthesis
(+ solar energy)
6 CO2 + 12 H2O

C6H12O6 + 6 O2 + 6H2O

Respiration
Energy (from photosynthesis) is released and used
by the organism when the complex molecules are
subsequently broken down during metabolism.

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Essential characteristics of ecosystems

2. Cycling of materials
Materials (e.g. carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus)
are cycled from the abiotic environment,
through living organisms, and back to the
abiotic environment
This results from metabolic activities of plants
and animals, and organisms such as bacteria
and fungi that break down organic matter
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Productivity in ecosystems

A measure of net primary productivity is the

change in biomass per unit time
(but be aware of what may have been lost)

Biomass - the weight of living tissue per unit

area (e.g. kg/ha)

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Which are the most productive

ecosystems?
Ecosystem

Tropical rain forest

Woodland/shrubland
Temperate grassland
Desert and scrub
Swamp and marsh
Open ocean
Upwelling ocean zones
Algal beds and reefs

Net primary
production
(g/m2/yr)

World primary
production
(billion t/yr)

2200
700
600
90
2000
125
500
2500

37.4
6.0
5.4
1.6
4.0
41.5
0.2
1.6
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ECOSYSTEMS
ecosystems are a network of
interactions, beginning with
the PRIMARY PRODUCERS
(the PLANTS) and
connecting to herbivores,
carnivores, parasites,
decomposers
...energy, nutrients & water
are cycled through the
network by these different
groups

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Systems approach to ecosystem function

Miller Ch 4
Fig 4.6

Flow of
energy
and
materials
through an
ecosystem

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Reading list
1. Khrone, D.T.(2001). General Ecology.
Brooks/Cole Thompson Learning. Chapter
14: Energy Flow and Trophic Structure;
Chapter 15: Biogeochemical and Nutrient
Cycles
2. Miller, G.T. (2005). Essentials of Ecology.
Brooks/Cole Thompson Learning. Chapter 4:
Ecosystems: What are they and how do they
work?
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