What are the components of an Ecosystem? Class 12 Biology

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What are the components of an Ecosystem? Class 12
Biology 
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What are the components of an Ecosystem? Class 12
Biology 

• The term Ecosystem was proposed by A.G.
  Tansley in 1935. The ecosystem is defined as 
• the integration of all the living and nonliving
  factors of the environment. An ecosystem is also
  defined as a community made up of living
  organisms and nonliving components such as air,
  water and mineral soil, all interacting as a
  system.
• Thus, an ecosystem has two basic components(i)
  Abiotic components (non-living components)(ii)
  Biotic components (living components)The
  relationship between the abiotic components and
  the biotic components of the ecosystem is termed
  holocoenosis.

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What are the components of an Ecosystem? Class 12
Biology 
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What are the components of an Ecosystem? Class 12
Biology  

• ABIOTIC COMPONENTS
• The abiotic components of an ecosystem include
  the water, the air, the temperature and the rocks
  and minerals that make up the soil. The biotic
  components of the ecosystem both live on and
  interact with the abiotic components. Abiotic
  factors are classified as-
• Climatic factors include the climatic regime of
  an area with physical factors in the environment
  such as light, atmospheric temperature, wind,
  humidity, etc.
• Edaphic factors, which relate to the composition
  and structure of the soil like its chemical and
  physical properties like the soil type, soil
  profile, organic matter, minerals, soil water,
  and soil organisms. Inorganic substances like
  water, carbon, sulfur, nitrogen, phosphorus and
  so on. Organic substances like proteins, lipids,
  carbohydrates, humic substances etc.
• BIOTIC COMPONENTSIt consists of the living parts
  of the environment, including the association of
  a lot of interrelated populations that belong to
  different species inhabiting a common
  environment. There is a population of the animal
  community, the plant community, and the microbial
  community. The biotic community is divided into
  autotrophs, heterotrophs, and saprotrophs.

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What are the components of an Ecosystem? Class 12
Biology 

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What are the components of an Ecosystem? Class 12
Biology 

• Autotrophs (from Greek auto self, trophos
  feeder) are called producers, transducers or
  converters, as well. Those are photosynthetic
  plants they normally bear chlorophyll, which
  synthesizes a high-energy complex organic
  compound (or food) from the inorganic raw
  materials utilizing the sunlight, by the process
  of photosynthesis. Autotrophs form the core of
  all biotic systems.In terrestrial ecosystems,
  autotrophs are usually rooted plants. In the
  aquatic ecosystems, the floating plants referred
  to as phytoplankton and the shallow water rooted
  plants macrophytes are the main producers.
• Heterotrophs (from Greek heteros other trophs
  feeder) are the consumers. The consumers are
  also referred to as phagotrophs (phago to
  swallow or ingest) while macro consumers are
  normally herbivores and carnivores. Herbivores
  are called First order or primary consumers, for
  they feed directly on green plants. For example,
  Terrestrial ecosystem consumers are cattle, deer,
  grasshopper, rabbit, etc. Aquatic ecosystem
  consumers are protozoans, crustaceans,
  etc. Carnivores are animals that prey or feed on
  other animals. They are called Second order
  consumers or Primary carnivores like animals that
  feed on herbivorous animals. For example, fox,
  frog, smaller fishes, predatory birds, snakes,
  etc. Third order consumers or Secondary
  carnivores are the animals that feed on primary
  carnivores. For example, wolf, owl, peacock, etc.
  Some larger carnivores (quaternary consumers or
  tertiary carnivores) prey on Secondary
  carnivores. For example, the lion, the tiger,
  etc. They are not eaten by any other animal. The
  larger carnivores which cannot be preyed on
  further are also called the top carnivores.
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What are the components of an Ecosystem? Class 12
Biology 
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What are the components of an Ecosystem? Class 12
Biology 

• Saprotrophs (from Greek again sapros rotten
  trophies feeder) are called the reducers or
  decomposers. They break the complex organic
  compounds in a dead matter (dead plants and
  animals). Decomposers dont ingest the food.
  Instead, they secrete a digestive enzyme into the
  dead, decaying plant or animal remains and digest
  this organic material. The enzymes act on the
  complex organic compounds in the dead matter.
  Decomposers absorb a bit of the decomposition
  products to provide themselves with nourishment.
  The remaining substance is added as minerals. The
  released minerals are utilized or reused as
  nutrients by plants the producers.
•  
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