Processes and interactions within ecosystems

Understanding Ecosystems and Their Processes

What is an Ecosystem

An ecosystem consists of all the living organisms interacting with each other in a particular area, as well as with their non-living environments.
The non-living environments include elements such as soil, air, water, and sunlight.
An ecosystem can be as large as a forest or as small as a puddle.

Components of an Ecosystem: Biotic and Abiotic

The living components of an ecosystem are biotic factors. This includes all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and fungi.
The non-living components are abiotic factors, which encompass things like sunlight, temperature, soil quality, and availability of water.

Food Chains and Food Webs

Food chains illustrate the flow of energy within an ecosystem, showing how organisms are connected by what they eat and what eats them.
Food webs provide a more complex picture by showing many interconnected food chains and the relationships between different species.

Ecosystem Processes: Energy Flow and Nutrient Cycling

One key process in an ecosystem is the flow of energy, which mostly originates from sunlight. Through photosynthesis, plants convert sunlight into usable energy, which is then passed along the food chain.
Another crucial process is nutrient cycling. In this process, nutrients are passed from the environment to organisms and back again. This includes carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles.

Ecosystem Interactions: Competition, Predation and Symbiosis

Within ecosystems, organisms interact in various ways. One type of interaction is competition, where organisms vie for the same resources.
Predation is also a key interaction, where one organism, the predator, feeds on another organism, the prey.
Symbiosis refers to any type of close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms. This can be mutualistic (both organisms benefit), commensalistic (one benefits and the other is not significantly harmed or helped) or parasitic (one organism benefits at the expense of the other).

Adaptations and Evolution of Species

Organisms in an ecosystem have adaptations that help them survive and thrive within their specific environments.
Over time, through the process of evolution, these adaptations may change as the environment changes, leading to the development of new species.

Ecosystem Changes: Succession and Climax

Ecosystems are not static, they change over time - a process known as succession.
This might occur because of a natural event like a forest fire, or because of human interference like deforestation.
Eventually, the ecosystem may reach a climax community, which is a stable and mature community that results from the succession process.