Project Report On Ecosystem
Project Report On Ecosystem
Project Report On Ecosystem
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A project report on ecosystem. This project report will help you to learn
about: 1. Meaning of Ecosystem 2. Various Terms Used in Ecology and
Their Definition 3. Structural and Functional Attributes 4. Food Chain
and Food-Web 5. Energy-Flow 6. Biogeochemical Cycles 7. Artificial
Ecosystem.
Contents:
1. Project Report on the Meaning of Ecosystem
2. Project Report on Various Terms Used in Ecology and Their Definition
3. Project Report on the Structural and Functional Attributes of an Ecosystem
4. Project Report on Food Chain and Food-Web in Ecosystem
5. Project Report on Energy-Flow in Ecosystem
6. Project Report on the Biogeochemical Cycles (Material Cycles) of Ecosystem
7. Project Report on Artificial Ecosystem
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It may be measured and described either in terms of the standing crop per
unit area or in terms of the energy fixed per unit area per unit time at
successive trophic levels. Trophic structure and trophic function can be shown
graphically by ecological pyramids.
The reciprocal 1/20 being equal to 0.05 is the turnover rate. The turnover time
for phytoplankton in a pond is measured in days rather than years.
iv. Detritus:
The term detritus is obtained from the Latin word deterere meaning to wear
away. It was traditionally used in geology to designate the products of rock
disintegration. ‘Organic detritus’ refers to all the organic matter involved in the
decomposition of dead organisms.
v. Humus:
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i. Abiotic Components:
The non-living environment of an ecosystem factors or the physical
environment prevailing in an ecosystem form the abiotic components. They
have a strong influence on the structure, distribution, behaviour and
interrelationship of organisms.
It also includes inorganic and organic factors. Inorganic factor includes Ca,
CO2, H2O, N2etc.
Organic Factors:
Protein, carbohydrate, lipids and amino acids.
On the basis of their role in the ecosystem the biotic components can be
classified into three main groups:
(a) Producers
(b) Consumers
(a) Producers:
The organism which produce food for themselves and for other living
organism known as producer, e.g. All green plant → photosynthetic bacteria.
The green plants have chlorophyll with the help of which they trap solar
energy and change it into chemical energy of carbohydrates using simple
inorganic compounds namely water and carbon dioxide. This process is
known as photosynthesis. As the green plants manufacture their own food
they are known as Autotrophs (i. e., auto = self, trophos = feeder).
The chemical energy stored by the producers is utilised partly by the
producers for their own growth and survival and the remaining is stored in the
plant parts for their future use.
(b) Consumers:
The animals lack chlorophyll and are unable to synthesise their own food.
Therefore, they depend on the producers for their food. They are known as
heterotrophs (i.e., heteros = other, trophos = feeder). They are known as
consumers.
In ecosystem green are known as produce because they produce food for
organism. For example, herbivores like deer, goat feed on plants for their
food, i.e. they obtain energy directly from the plants. The herbivores are eaten
by carnivores like lion tiger etc.
In this way energy transferred through a series of organism. Such sequence is
known as food chain and each state of food chain is called trophic level. A
food chain can be defined as food chain is the sequence of organisation in
which energy flows in the form of food from the organism to another organism
through a series of repeated eating and being eaten.
Food Web:
Various food chains are often inter-linked at different trophic levels to form a
complex interaction between different species from the point of view of food.
This network like interaction is called the food web.
The food web provides more than one alternatives of food to most of the
organisms in an ecosystem and, therefore, increases their chances of
survival.
This synthesis is aided by the energy they derive from the sunlight trapped by
the chlorophyll. Thus, energy from the sun enters the living world through
photosynthetic organism and passes on from one organism to another in the
form of food.
This cyclic exchange of nutrient material between the living organisms and
their non-living environment is called biogeochemical cycle. As indicated by
the name the nutrients circulate through life (bio) and through the earth (geo)
repeatedly (cycle). The biogeochemical (material and nutrient) cycles
conserve the limited sources of raw materials in the environment.
(b) These water vapours subsequently cool and condense to form clouds and
water.
(c) Water returns to the earth as rain and snow.
(ii) Carbon-Cycle:
Most of the carbon dioxide enters the living world through photosynthesis. The
organic compounds synthesised are passed from the producers (green plants)
to the consumers (herbivores and carnivores).
During respiration plants and animals release carbon back to the surrounding
medium as carbon-dioxide. The dead bodies of plants and animals as well as
the body wastes which accumulate carbon compounds are decomposed by
micro-organisms to release carbon dioxide.
(iii) Nitrogen-Cycle:
Nitrogen of the atmosphere is in the elemental from and cannot be used as
such as by living organisms. It has to be “fixed” i.e., combined with other
elements such as hydrogen, carbon or oxygen to become usable for the green
Plants. Nitrogen is continuously entering into the air by the action of
denitrifying bacteria and returning to the cycle through the action of lightening
and electrification.
(iv) Oxygen-Cycle:
Oxygen required for respiration in plants and animals enters the body directly
from the surrounding medium (air to water). Oxygen returns to the
surroundings in the form of Carbon-dioxide or water. It also enters the plant
body as carbon dioxide and water during photosynthesis and released in the
form of molecular oxygen as a by-product in the same process for use in
respiration. Thus, the cycle is completed.
Ecosystem is a functional system which in a balanced condition, is self-
sufficient and self-regulating. A balanced ecosystem is essential for the
survival of all living organisms. Organisms at each trophic level in a food chain
are preyed upon by an organism at the next higher trophic level, for example,
herbivores feed on the plants and are in turn eaten by the predators.
Through these interactions in the food web, the population of each species is
held in check by the carrying capacity of the environment i.e., the
environment’s ability to provide space and food to the organisms, and the
ecosystem maintains its balance (ecological balance or balance of nature).
Generally, the ecosystem are named after the type of organism and
habitat condition, e.g:
(i) Grassland ecosystem (ii) Crop ecosystem
Thus the ecosystem has become fragile facing the threat of collapse, in which
case man has to perish along with them. The time has now come for human
intelligence to take over the management of ecosystems with the objective of
ensuring his happy survival and preserving the biosphere for that purpose.
ii. Whereas the natural systems do not have definite goals and evolved by trial
and error and their survival value, the artificial ecosystem is pragmatic with
well-defined goals. Artificial systems are more fragile and are more vulnerable
of failure due to lack of diversity and strong self-regulatory systems,
characterizing the natural systems.
iv. Artificial ecosystems with further improvements in design can enhance the
sustenance capacity of population in a given space and enable the expansion
of human habitat into oceans, outer space, extra-terrestrial bodies and
subterranean spaces.