Ecosystems and Biodiversity: Levels of Organisation in an Ecosystem

Ecosystems are made up of various components functioning together. These include the living organisms (biotic factors) such as plants, animals, bacteria and non-living elements (abiotic factors) such as sunlight, temperature, soil, and water.
Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem. It is measured by the number of different species, the genetic variation within these species, and the variety of ecosystems present in a specific area.
Levels of organisation in an ecosystem start from the smallest, individual organisms, and ascend to populations (a group of the same species living in the same area), communities (all the different species in a specific area), ecosystems (all the living things in a particular area along with their physical environment), and finally the biosphere (the part of Earth that supports life).
Every organism has a role, or niche, within the ecosystem. This includes what it eats, its predators, and its role in the movement of energy or nutrients within the ecosystem.
Energy flow in an ecosystem is uni-directional, it begins with the sun and ends with decomposers. Energy is transferred from producers (typically plants), who use sunlight to create food through photosynthesis, to consumers (animals and humans) and finally to decomposers (microorganisms).
A food chain is a description of who eats who in an ecosystem, showing the flow of energy and nutrients from one organism to another. Each level of this chain is called a trophic level.
A food web is a network of interrelated food chains in an ecosystem. It shows how food chains connect and overlap.
The pyramid of biomass is a graphical representation showing the biomass at each trophic level. Producers (plants) form the base with the largest biomass, and biomass decreases at each successive trophic level.
Understanding ecosystems, their organisation, and how energy flows through them can help us make informed decisions about issues like habitat conservation, wildlife management, agriculture, and the impacts of climate change.