ECOSYSTEM

An ecosystem is a structural and functional unit of ecology where the living

organisms interact with each other and the surrounding environment. An ecosystem
consists of both biotic and abiotic components, such as plants, animals, and
microorganisms, as well as water, land, and air.

BIOTIC COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM

What are Biotic Components?

 The biotic components of the ecosystem are the living organisms that make up
the ecosystem.
 Plants, animals, protist and algae, fungi, and bacteria are examples of biotic
factors.
 These biotic components can be further classified into producers, consumers,
and decomposers based on the energy requirement source.

(insert a pic/illustration ng biotic component/factors)

Biotic Components of Different Ecosystems

Biotic Components of Terrestrial Ecosystem

 Plants: The optimum growing conditions for aquatic plants are found in lakes
and ponds.
 Fungi: Fungi serve an important part in maintaining the equilibrium of the lake
and pond ecosystems, as well as serving as food for higher species. Some pond
fungus develops on amphibians' skin, providing protection from the elements.
 Animals: Ponds are ideal habitats for a wide range of animals. This habitat is
home to fish, frogs, insects, polliwogs, snakes, turtles, birds, lizards, and more.
 Bacteria: The biotic ecosystems of ponds and lakes also provide an ideal setting
for bacteria to thrive. Different types of bacteria can be found at various depths in
the pond.

Biotic Components of Desert Ecosystem

 Plants: Drought-tolerant plants such as cactus, succulents, grasses, shrubs, and

willows grow in the desert habitat.
 Desert Animals: Desert animals such as coyotes, bobcats, mule deer, bears, kit
foxes, and others can be found in the desert ecosystem.
 Birds: Owls, hawks, woodpeckers, buzzards, and cactus wrens are some of the
birds that can be found in deserts.
 Reptiles and Amphibians: Thick-skinned amphibians and reptiles such as
lizards, rattlesnakes, and tortoises live in the desert.
 Insects: Ants, bees, mosquitoes, wasps, and a variety of other spiders and
insects can all be found in this type of environment.
CATEGORIES OF BIOTIC COMPONENTS

Producers (Autotrophs)

 Plants that can synthesize their own food and energy requirements through
photosynthesis in the presence of sunshine and chlorophyll are referred to as
producers.
 PHOTOSYNTHESIS is a process by which phototrophs convert
light energy into chemical energy, which is later used to fuel cellular
activities. The chemical energy is stored in the form of sugars,
which are created from water and carbon dioxide. Photosynthetic
organisms produce most of the organic nutrients for biosphere.
 All other living organisms rely on plants for their energy as well as food in the
form of oxygen.
 Producers can be further divided into two categories:
o Phototrophs are organisms that use the sun's energy to convert carbon
dioxide into carbohydrates.
o Chemotrophs get their energy mostly from carbon dioxide and other
inorganic compounds, which they get through a process known as
chemosynthesis.

Consumers (Heterotrophs)

 Consumers are the organisms that eat the food that the producers have
prepared.
 Simple inorganic substances cannot be used to prepare food by consumers.
They fall under one of the following categories:
o Primary Consumers: These species are known as herbivores since they
only eat plants. Primary consumers, such as cows, goats, deer, rabbits,
and others, are directly dependent on plants. They are part of the food
chain's second trophic level.
o Secondary Consumers: Carnivores are another name for these
species. They eat primary consumers and are found at the third trophic
level of the food chain. Foxes, dogs, cats, and other animals are
examples.
o Tertiary Consumers: Tertiary consumers are animals that eat carnivores.
In the food chain, it is indeed in a tertiary trophic level. A good example is
a wolf that eats a fox.
o Quaternary Consumers: These are animals that are capable of killing
tertiary consumers. Like lions, tigers, vultures, and other predators. Top
carnivores is another name for them. They are at the top of the food
chain.

Decomposers (Saprotrophs/Micro Consumers)

  Decomposers, also known as saprophytes and Micro Consumers, are fungi and
bacteria that decompose organic matter.
 They eat dead plants and animals and use a variety of chemical reactions to
convert them to nitrogen and carbon dioxide.
 Saprophytes are an important part of the ecosystem because they recycle
nutrients that can then be utilized by producers who are planted to generate their
own energy.

(insert illustration/picture of the different decomposers)

CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES

 A chemical substance is any material that has a definite chemical

composition.
 The existence of the biotic components is also dependent on the chemical
substances, which constitute the earth’s surface and are part of the abiotic
components in ecosystem

Two (2) Substances

1. Inorganic Substances these are various chemical substances found in the

ecosystem in the form of acids, bases, salts, water and carbon dioxide which are
also important and have an effect on the organisms’ function in the ecosystem.

a. Acids are important inorganic substances that are requisites in biological

systems, hence necessary as components of ecosystem to sustain life to
some organisms.

Acids Characteristics:

 Corrosive
 Sour taste
 Contains Hydrogen ions (H+) when dissolve in water
 Has pH less than 7
 Turn blue litmus to red
 Reacts with bases to form salt and water
 Reacts with metals to form hydrogen gas
 Reacts with carbonates to carbon dioxide, water and salt
b. Bases are alkaline substances known to buffer acidic conditions.

Bases Characteristics:

 Corrosive
 Giving a soapy feel
  Having pH more than 7
 Turning red litmus paper to a blue color
 Many alkalis (soluble bases) containing hydroxyl ions (OH−)
 Reacts with acids to form salt and water
c. Salts are ionic compounds that results from the neutralization reaction of
an acid and a base.
They are composed of cations (positively charged ions) and anions
(negative ions)
 These components ions can be inorganic such as chloride
(Cl−), as well as organic such as acetate (CH3COO−) and
monatomic ions such as fluoride (F−), as well as
polyatomic ions such as sulfate (SO₄²⁻).

Varieties of Salt

 Basic salt – salt that hydrolyze to produce hydroxide ions when

dissolved in water
 Acid salt – salt that hydrolyze to produce hydronium ions in water
 Neutral salt – are those that are neither acid nor basic salt
d. Water is the most essential components of life. Hydrosphere consists
about 71% of water. The protoplasm of all cells constitutes about 70-90%
of water.

Water Characteristics:

 Universal Solvent it acts as a medium of transport because of its

properties as a solvent.
 Ionizing Power, it can produce ions when in solution with other
substances.
 Higher Specific Heat, it has great capacity for absorbing heat with
only minimal change in temperature.
 Latent Heat of Fusion which is define as the quantity of heat required
to convert one gram of ice at 0°C into water. It has 80 calories.
 Latent Heat of Vaporization which is the quantity of heat required to
convert one gram of water at 100°C to steam. It has 540 calories.
 It has highest surface tension than any other liquids except Mercury.
e. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is a naturally occurring chemical compound
composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon
atom. It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure and exists in
Earth’s atmosphere in this state, as a trace gas at concentration of
0.039% by volume. It’s also by-product of combustion; emitted from
volcanoes, hot springs, and geysers; and freed from carbonate rocks by
dissolution.
2. Organic Substances are materials that do contain large amounts of carbon in
combination with hydrogen and oxygen.
Four (4) Major Organic Substances
a. Carbohydrates is an organic compound with the empirical formula
Cm(H2O)n (where m could be different from n) that is, it consists only of
carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, with a hydrogen:oxygen atom ratio of 2:1.
It is also termed as saccharides, are divided into four chemical
groupings: monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and
polysaccharides.
 Monosaccharides and Disaccharides are smaller
carbohydrates with lower molecular weights, thus commonly
referred to as sugars.
 Polysaccharides serve as the storage of energy (e.g.,
starch and glycogen), and as structural components (e.g.,
cellulose in plants chitin in arthropods).
b. Proteins are made of amino acids arranged in linear chain and joined
together by bonds. Many proteins are the enzymes that catalyze the
chemical reactions in metabolism.

Two (2) Main Types of Amino Acids

 Essential Amino Acids cannot be produced by the body
and must be brought in through the diet.
 Non-essential Amino Acids can be made by the body, and
it is therefore not required in the diet.

Two (2) Main Types of Protein

 Complete Proteins are those that contain all of the

essential amino acids
 Incomplete Proteins lack one or more of essentials amino
acids
c. Lipids are the molecular organic compounds composed largely of carbon
and hydrogen that are essential for cell growth. It is commonly
synonymous with the word “fats” in terms of personal health, and though
all fats are lipids, not all lipids are fats.

Three (3) Major Purpose of Lipids

 Energy storage
 Cell membrane development
 Serving as a component of hormones and vitamins in the body

Lipoproteins is the medical term used to define a combination of fat and

protein.

Cholesterol is a naturally occurring substance in the body and is

comprised of lipids.
 Two (2) Types of Cholesterol

 High-density lipoprotein
 Low-density lipoprotein
d. Nucleic Acids are biological molecules essential for life and include DNA
(deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). It makes up the most
important macromolecules, where they function in encoding, transmitting
and expressing genetic information.
 DNA contains the “programmatic instructions” for cellular activities.
 RNA is involved in the synthesis of proteins.