Functional Units of Ecosystem
The ecosystem’s function is to maintain its various parts working together. It is a natural process of a transfer of energy in different biotic and abiotic elements of the world. Ecosystems maintain all the important ecological processes, including nutrient cycling. Ecosystems have different functional units those are:
- Production: Any ecosystem must have a consistent supply of solar energy to survive and function. Primary production is influenced by the types of plants that live there. Green leaves act as food preparators, while roots draw nutrients from the soil. Herbivores consume the plants, which then provide food for carnivores.
- Decomposition: Decomposition is the breakdown of complex organic matter by decomposers into inorganic components such as carbon dioxide, water, and nutrients. The decomposers break down garbage and dead organic material. The primary decomposers in many ecosystems are fungi and bacteria.
- Energy flow: Radiant energy from the sun is the primary source of energy in all ecosystems. The ecosystem’s autotrophic, or self-sustaining, creatures utilize the energy of the sun. Plants use the sun’s energy to change carbon dioxide and water into simple, energizing carbohydrates. The more complex chemical substances, like proteins, lipids, and starches are produced by autotrophs.
Energy goes unidirectionally from the sun to producers, herbivores, and carnivores. Decomposers convert the dead autotrophs and heterotrophs into nutrients, which are energy sources for plants. - Nutrient cycling: Chemical substances known as nutrients are substances that organisms need for growth and the maintenance of life. A vast range of chemical compounds is created when bio-elements interact. The organisms catch them, concentrate and combine them in different ways in their cells, and release them during metabolism and death.
What is Ecosystem? Definition, Structure, Types, and Functions
The ecosystem term was first coined by an ecologist Arthur Tansley in 1935. The ecosystem is a balance or equilibrium between living and non-living factors of the ecosystem where they tend to interact with each other. All living things, including plants, animals, and microorganisms, depend on non-living substances to survive and maintain the equilibrium of the natural environment.
This relationship between the living and nonliving elements is studied by the study of ecosystems. In this article, we will discuss ecosystem structure, function, and types of ecosystems.
Table of Content
- What is an Ecosystem?
- Structure of Ecosystem
- Functions of Ecosystem
- Types of Ecosystem
- Functional Units of Ecosystem
- Ecosystem Diversity
- Concepts of Ecosystem