12. Ecosystem
Ecosystems are characterized as functional units where living organisms interact with each other and their physical environment. They can be divided into terrestrial and aquatic categories, comprising distinct components that include producers, consumers, and decomposers. Four key processes define functionality: productivity, decomposition, energy flow, and nutrient cycling.
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What we have learnt
- An ecosystem comprises abiotic and biotic components that interact regularly.
- Productivity is the generation of organic matter through photosynthesis, categorized into gross and net primary productivity.
- Decomposition is the breakdown of organic matter, which involves several key processes leading to nutrient recycling.
Key Concepts
- -- Primary Production
- The rate at which plants and autotrophs produce organic matter in an ecosystem, expressed as biomass produced per unit area over time.
- -- Decomposition
- The process by which decomposers break down dead organic material into inorganic substances, making nutrients available once again for autotrophs.
- -- Energy Flow
- The unidirectional movement of energy through an ecosystem from producers to various levels of consumers, governed by thermodynamic laws.
- -- Ecological Pyramids
- Graphical representations of the relationship between different trophic levels of an ecosystem in terms of number, biomass, or energy.
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