Ecosystem

Introduction

Ecology is ultimately the study of how living things such as plants, animals and microorganisms along with the non- living things like sun, water, air and minerals in the environment exist as and function as a unit. These components are interrelated by nutrient cycles and energy fluxes are illustrated.

Components of an Ecosystem

Biotic Components:

• Plants: These are the earliest and basic level producers who synthesise food from solar energy. 
• Animals: These are consumers that rely on plants or other animals for their energy source. 
• Microorganisms: Some examples are: bacteria, fungi and other debris decomposers; involve in decomposition of dead organic matter and nutrient cycling. 

Abiotic Components:

• Sunlight: Which most ecosystems are based their energy needs on. 
• Water: In many ways considered as a critical bioelement needed by all living organisms to perform a number of functions in different biochemical actions. 
• Air: Causes oxygen for respiration, and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. 
• Minerals: Chemicals needed for plant growth and development such as Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium and other micro elements.

Types of Ecosystems

Terrestrial Ecosystems

• Forests: It has more than three trees per hectare of land it occupies and it is densely wooded. Some of the types are tropical rainforest, temperate and boreal forests. Ecological systems found in these regions are bio-diverse, Generally, these ecosystems are. 
• Grasslands: It is not characterized by shrub or tree-like vegetation but mostly contains grasslands. Examples include areas of prairies and savanna. These ecosystems accommodate the big herbivores, and these too support the predators. 
• Deserts: Described by a low level of rainfall. The vegetation is limited and the extent to which species have evolved is characterized by efficient water retention. For instance, the hot desert kind comprises the Sahara whereas the cold desert kind comprises the Gobi. 
• Tundra: Occasionally found in the being exhibited in the polar regions and high mountains. Low temperatures and also low levels of species’ diversification. The vegetation type of the zone entails mosses and lichens along with some kinds of shrubs. 

Aquatic Ecosystems

• Freshwater: Comprises & lakes, rivers, ponds and wetlands. They have low levels of salt concentration and accommodate a variety of organisms such as fish, amphibians, as well as flora such as aquatic plants. 
• Marine: They include oceans, coral reefs, estuaries just but to mention a few. These ecosystems are characterized by high salinity levels and they also support metallic life forms. Oceans take 71% of the Earth’s space and have enormous influence on the earth’s climate and weather systems.

Functions of Ecosystems

Energy Flow

• Solar energy capture through photosynthesis: Plants, algae, and some bacteria capture sunlight and convert it into chemical energy (glucose) through photosynthesis.
• Food chains and food webs: Energy is transferred through an ecosystem via food chains (linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass) and food webs (complex network of interconnected food chains).

Nutrient Cycling

• Carbon cycle: Is the process of cycling of carbon through the atmosphere, water bodies, soil and all the living organisms. Some of the key processes include photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition and burning of fossil fuels. 
• Nitrogen cycle: Is concerned with the physical and chemical changes that nitrogen as well as its compounds in the environment undergo. Some of the important processes are Nitrogen fixing, nitrogen converting, nitrogen assimilating, nitrogen ammonifying, and denitrogen fixing. 
• Water cycle: The water or its parts are in a state of constant motion in regard to the Earth’s surface covering, above and beneath the surface of the earth. Categories of processes include; evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration and runoff. 

Ecological Succession

• Primary succession: Creation of an environment in an area that was hundreds, or thousands of years prior, devoid of human inhabitation, such as a volcanic island, or a place cleared of its vegetation due to the retreat of a glacier. Thus, the process starts with primary colonizers such as lichens and mosses. 
• Secondary succession: The act of making a system, for instance, a forest, flood plain, or an area affected by human activities like cultivation, productive again. Replacement is usually faster than primary succession since there is humus and number of seeds in the area.