The ecosystem represents the basic functional unit of ecology which comprises of the biotic communities mutually related with their nonliving or abiotic environment. Thus, a biotic community and its abiotic environment together represent an ecosystem.
An Ecosystem is a naturally occurring assemblage of life and the environment. The life is referred to the biotic community including the plants, animals and other living organisms. This is denoted as biocoenosis, The environment is the biotope encompassing the physical region of life.
Ecosystems have no particular size. An ecosystem can be as large as a desert or as small as a tree. The major parts of an ecosystem are: water, water temperature, plants, animals, air, light and soil.
All the parts in an ecosystem work together to achieve balance. A healthy ecosystem has lots of species and is less likely to be damaged by human interaction, natural disasters and climate changes.
The term ecosystem first appeared in a publication by the British ecologist Arthur Tansley, during 1935. An ecosystem may be of very different size. It may be a whole forest, as well as a small pond.
From a functional point of view, ecosystem can be divided an ecosystem into two components:
1. Autotrophic component: It consists of green plants which bring about the fixation of solar energy (sunlight) and synthesis of organic compounds (carbohydrates) from simple inorganic substances.
2. Heterotrophic component: It consists of the decomposers (micro-organisms such as bacteria and fungi) which are concerned with the utilization, rearrangement and degradation of complex food substances.
Ecosystem
