GEE7

People and Earth’s

ECOSYSTEM
Course and Section: BSHM1A, BSHM1B, BSHM1C,BSHM1D,BSHM1E
Instructor: Mr. Ariel S. Dulay
 Ecosystem
• a structural and functional
unit of ecology where the
living organisms interact with
each other and the
surrounding environment.

• a chain of interactions
What is an Ecosystem?
between organisms and their
environment.

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 The term “Ecosystem” was
first coined by A.G.Tansley, an
English botanist, in 1935.

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 Structure of Ecosystem

The structure of an ecosystem can

be split into two main components,
namely:

• Abiotic
• Biotic

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 II. Structure of Ecosystem

ECOSYSTEM

Abiotic Biotic

Sunlight Climate

Air Producers Consumers Decomposers

Primary Tertiary
Secondary Secondary
Herbivores
Primary Carnivores
Carnivores

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 Biotic components refer to all
living things in an ecosystem.

3 Category of Biotic components

• autotrophs,
• heterotrophs and
• saprotrophs (or decomposers).

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 Autotrophs/Producers
• Autotrophs are known as
producers.

• They produce food through

the process of
photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis, green plants

and other organism transform
light energy into chemical
energy.

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 Consumers/heterotrophs
are organisms that depend on
other organisms for food.

3 Types of heterotrophs
• Primary consumers
• Secondary consumers
• Tertiary consumers

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 3 Types of heterotrophs
• Primary consumers-are always
herbivores as they rely on
producers for food.
• Secondary consumers -depend
on primary consumers for energy.
They can either be carnivores or
omnivores.
• Tertiary consumers - are
organisms that depend on
secondary consumers for food.
Tertiary consumers can also be
carnivores or omnivores.

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 Saprotrophs/Decomposers
• An organisms that carry out the
process of decomposition.

• They directly thrive on the dead

and decaying organic matter.

• Decomposers are essential for the

ecosystem as they help in
recycling nutrients to be reused by
plants.

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 Abiotic components

are the non-living component

of an ecosystem.

It includes air, water, soil,

minerals, sunlight,
temperature, nutrients, wind,
altitude, turbidity, etc
IV. Abiotic Components

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 Roles of Abiotic components
1. It regulates the essential ecological
processes, supports life systems and
renders stability.
2. It is also responsible for the cycling of
nutrients between biotic and abiotic
components.
3. It maintains a balance among the
various trophic levels in the
ecosystem.
4. It cycles the minerals through the
biosphere.
5. The abiotic components help in the
synthesis of organic components
that involve the exchange of energy.

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 Functional components that work
together in an ecosystem are:

1. Productivity – It refers to the rate

of biomass production. Humans
use biomass in the form of food,
wood, fuel, and fibre.

2. Energy flow - The energy captured

from the sun flows from producers
to consumers and then to
decomposers and finally back to the
environment.
Biomass refers to organic material that
comes from plants and animals.

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 Functional components that work
together in an ecosystem are:

3. Decomposition – It is the process of

breakdown of dead organic material.
The top-soil is the major site for
decomposition.

4. Nutrient cycling – In an ecosystem

nutrients are consumed and recycled
back in various forms for the utilization
by various organisms.

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 There are two types of
ecosystems:
1. Terrestrial Ecosystem
2. Aquatic Ecosystem

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 Two types of ecosystems

ECOSYSTEMS
Aquatic
Ecosystem
Terrestrial Ecosystem

Fresh Water Ecosystem Marine Ecosystem

Forest Ecosystem
Mountain Ecosystem Lakes Coral Reefs
Grassland Ecosystem Rivers Estuaries
Dessert Ecosystem Waterfalls Mangroves
Open Ocean
Ponds
Deep-See Ecosystem
Streams Kelp Forests
Wetlands Sea Grass Beds
Groundwater

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 1. What is Ecosystem? 5 pts
2. What are the 2 Components of
Ecosystem? 2pts
QUIZ TIME! 3. Give 3 example of biotic. 3pts
4. What are the 2 types of
Write the question
first before you ecosystem? 2pts
answer. 5. What are the 3 Types of
heterotrophs? 3 pts

Total of 15pts

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 1. Food Chain

The SUN is the ultimate source of

energy on earth.

It provides the energy required for all

plant life.
IV. Importance
Ecological Concepts The plants utilize this energy for the
process of photosynthesis, which is
used to synthesize their food.

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 2. Ecological Pyramids

An ecological pyramid is a graphical

representation that shows the
relationship between different levels of
an ecosystem.

It illustrates how energy, biomass, or the

IV. Importance number of organisms is distributed
Ecological Concepts among producers, consumers, and
decomposers.

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 2. Ecological Pyramids

Charles Elton was the first ecologist

to describe the ecological pyramid
and its principals in 1927.

Types of Ecological Pyramids:

IV. Importance 1. Pyramid of Energy
Ecological Concepts 2. Pyramid of Biomass
3. Pyramid of Numbers

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 Pyramid of Energy
It shows the flow of energy
through different trophic
levels, with energy decreasing
at each level.

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 Pyramid of Energy:

• The energy pyramid always upright

and vertical.

• This pyramid shows the flow of

energy at different trophic levels.

• It depicts the energy is minimum as

the highest trophic level and is
maximum at the lowest trophic
level.

• At each trophic level, there is

successive loss of energy in the form
of heat and respiration, etc.

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 Pyramid of Biomass
Displays the total mass of living organisms at each trophic level.

Upright Pyramid of Biomass Inverted Pyramid of Biomass

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 The Pyramid of Numbers

The pyramid of numbers counts the total

number of individual organisms at each
trophic level, rather than their biomass or
energy content.

This means it provides a direct view of

population size rather than mass.

It highlight the relationship between

species and their roles in the ecosystem,
showing how many organisms are needed
to support higher trophic levels.

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