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Questions and Answers
What is the correct sequence of energy flow in an ecosystem?
What is the primary site for decomposition in an ecosystem?
What is the main function of nutrient cycling in an ecosystem?
What is the graphical representation of the number, energy, and biomass of the successive trophic levels of an ecosystem?
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What forms the primary producer in a marine environment?
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What is the primary function of an ecosystem's productivity component?
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Which of the following is an example of an abiotic component in an ecosystem?
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What is the term for the process by which energy flows from one trophic level to another in an ecosystem?
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What is the main characteristic of an ecosystem's structure?
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What is the primary role of saprotrophs in an ecosystem?
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Study Notes
What is an Ecosystem?
- An ecosystem is a structural and functional unit of ecology where living organisms interact with each other and their environment.
- It is a chain of interactions between organisms and their environment.
Structure of Ecosystem
- The structure of an ecosystem is characterized by the organization of biotic and abiotic components.
- It includes the distribution of energy in the environment and climatic conditions prevailing in that environment.
- The structure of an ecosystem can be split into two main components: biotic and abiotic components.
Biotic Components
- Biotic components refer to all living components in an ecosystem.
- Based on nutrition, biotic components can be categorized into autotrophs, heterotrophs, and saprotrophs (or decomposers).
Abiotic Components
- Abiotic components are the non-living components of an ecosystem.
- It includes air, water, soil, minerals, sunlight, temperature, nutrients, wind, altitude, turbidity, etc.
Functions of Ecosystem
- Ecosystems regulate essential ecological processes, support life systems, and render stability.
- They are responsible for the cycling of nutrients between biotic and abiotic components.
- They maintain a balance among the various trophic levels in the ecosystem.
Functional Components
- Productivity refers to the rate of biomass production.
- Energy flow is the sequential process through which energy flows from one trophic level to another.
- Decomposition is the process of breakdown of dead organic material, with the top-soil being the major site for decomposition.
- Nutrient cycling involves the consumption and recycling of nutrients back in various forms for utilization by various organisms.
Important Ecological Concepts
- A food chain refers to the order of events in an ecosystem, where one living organism eats another organism, and later that organism is consumed by another larger organism.
- An ecological pyramid is the graphical representation of the number, energy, and biomass of the successive trophic levels of an ecosystem.
- A food web is a network of interconnected food chains within a single ecosystem, comprising all the food chains within an ecosystem.
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Description
Understand the concept of an ecosystem, its structure, and the interaction between living organisms and their environment. Learn about the biotic and abiotic components and how energy is distributed in the ecosystem.
