Ecosystem: Pond Ecosystem
Ecosystem: Pond Ecosystem
Ecosystem: Pond Ecosystem
Dr Poonam kumari
Associate Professor
Dept Of Zoology
Maharaja college, Ara
(B.Sc Part I Zoology Hons)
Ecosystem, the complex of living organisms, their physical environment, and all
their interrelationships in a particular unit of space.
An ecosystem can be categorized into its abiotic constituents,
including minerals, climate, soil, water, sunlight, and all other nonliving elements,
and its biotic constituents, consisting of all its living members. Linking these
constituents together are two major forces: the flow of energy through the
ecosystem, and the cycling of nutrients within the ecosystem.
An ecosystem can be categorized into its abiotic constituents,
including minerals, climate, soil, water, sunlight, and all other nonliving elements,
and its biotic constituents, consisting of all its living members. Linking these
constituents together are two major forces: the flow of energy through the
ecosystem, and the cycling of nutrients within the ecosystem.
Structure of Ecosystem:
The structure of an ecosystem is basically a description of the organisms and
physical features of environment including the amount and distribution of nutrients
in a particular habitat. It also provides information regarding the range of climatic
conditions prevailing in the area.
From the structure point of view, all ecosystems consist of the following basic
components:
1. Abiotic components
2. Biotic components
1. Abiotic Components:
Ecological relationships are manifested in physicochemical environment. Abiotic
component of ecosystem includes basic inorganic elements and compounds, such
as soil, water, oxygen, calcium carbonates, phosphates and a variety of organic
compounds (by-products of organic activities or death).
It also includes such physical factors and ingredients as moisture, wind currents
and solar radiation. Radiant energy of sun is the only significant energy source for
any ecosystem. The amount of non-living components, such as carbon,
phosphorus, nitrogen, etc. that are present at any given time is known as standing
state or standing quantity.
2. Biotic Components:
The biotic components include all living organisms present in the environmental
system.
From nutrition point of view, the biotic components can be grouped into two
basic components:
(i) Autotrophic components, and
The autotrophic components include all green plants which fix the radiant energy
of sun and manufacture food from inorganic substances. The heterotrophic
components include non-green plants and all animals which take food from
autotrophs.
2. Consumers, and
This is used in respiration by all living things. Algae and other hydrophytes of a
pond, grasses of the field, trees of the forests are examples of producers.
Chemosynthetic bacteria and carotenoid bearing purple bacteria that also assimilate
CO2 with the energy of sunlight but only in the presence of organic compounds
also belong to this category.
Consumers:
Those living members of ecosystem which consume the food synthesized by
producers are called consumers. Under this category are included all kinds of
animals that are found in an ecosystem.
These are the top carnivores which prey upon other carnivores, omnivores and
herbivores. Lions, tigers, hawk, vulture, etc. are considered as tertiary or top
consumers.
Besides different classes of consumers, the parasites, scavengers and saprobes are
also included in the consumers. The parasitic plants and animals utilize the living
tissues of different plants and animals. The scavengers and saprobes utilize dead
remains of animals and plants as their food.
Function of Ecosystem:
An ecosystem is a discrete structural, functional and life sustaining environmental
system. The environmental system consists of biotic and abiotic components in a
habitat. Biotic component of the ecosystem includes the living organisms; plants,
animals and microbes whereas the abiotic component includes inorganic matter
and energy.
Abiotic components provide the matrix for the synthesis and perpetuation of
organic components (protoplasm). The synthesis and perpetuation processes
involve energy exchange and this energy comes from the sun in the form of light or
solar energy.
These three interact and form an environmental system. Inorganic constituents are
synthesized into organic structures by the green plants (primary producers) through
photosynthesis and the solar energy is utilized in the process. Green plants become
the source of energy for renewals (herbivores) which, in turn become source of
energy for the flesh eating animals (carnivores). Animals of all types grow and add
organic matter to their body weight and their source of energy is complex organic
compound taken as food.
They are known as secondary producers. All the living organisms whether plants
or animals in an ecosystem have a definite life span after which they die. The dead
organic remains of plants and animals provide food for saprophytic microbes, such
as bacteria, fungi and many other animals. The saprobes ultimately decompose the
organic structure and break the complex molecules and liberate the inorganic
components into their environment.
These organisms are known as decomposers. During the process of decomposition
of organic molecules, the energy which kept the inorganic components bound
together in the form of organic molecules gets liberated and dissipated into the
environment as heat energy. Thus in an ecosystem energy from the sun, the input is
fixed by plants and transferred to animal components.
Nutrients are withdrawn from the substrate, deposited in the tissues of the plants
and animals, cycled from one feeding group to another, released by decomposition
to the soil, water and air and then recycled. The ecosystems operating in different
habitats, such as deserts, forests, grasslands and seas are interdependent on one
another. The energy and nutrients of one ecosystem may find their way into
another so that ultimately all parts of the earth are interrelated, each comprising a
part of the total system that keeps the biosphere functioning.
(4) After the death of producers and consumers, complex organic compounds are
degraded and finally converted by decomposers and converters into such forms as
are suitable for reutilization by producers.
The principal steps in the operation of ecosystem not only involve the production,
growth and death of living components but also influence the abiotic aspects of
habitat. It is now clear that there is transfer of both energy and nutrients from
producers to consumers and finally to decomposers and transformers levels. In this
transfer there is a progressive decrease of energy but nutrient component is not
diminished and it shows cycling from abiotic to biotic and vice versa.
POND ECOSYSTEM
A pond is either a natural or an artificial body of water that is enclosed. Ponds can
occur naturally in the world or they can be human made (such as a garden pond).
Pond Ecosystem is differs from other water ecosystems. Unlike the river
ecosystem, which is categorized under the Lotic systems, pond ecosystem falls
under the Lentic ecosystem for the reason that the water remains stagnant in ponds
for a relatively longer period time.
MEANING OF POND ECOSYSTEM
Ponds can come in many different forms, and they all have their own
differentiating characteristics. Below, you will find a discussion of some of the key
types of pond ecosystem.
1. Salt ponds.
Salt ponds contain brackish (i.e. salty) water and can occur close to the sea side
where waterlogged ground creates natural pools. Salt ponds can also occur in rocky
areas on the beach, though here they are called rock pools. It is also possible to
find salt ponds inland, thanks to the presence of brackish streams created through
streams flowing through salty rocks.
2. Garden ponds.
These artificially created ponds can contain ornamental plant and animal species
that come from all over the world (i.e. non native species).
3. Freshwater pools.
Freshwater pools can form anywhere inland, either from rainfall or from the
presence of water saturating the soil. They can also be created by rivers flowing in
to a depression in the ground. They can be home to fish, birds, amphibians,
crustaceans and many other kinds of wildlife.
4. Vernal pools.
Vernal pools are seasonal ponds. They form in depressions in the ground, but only
during certain types of the year when the rainfall is heaviest. As a result, they will
attract certain types of animals and birds that are in need of a drink whenever they
appear and at other times of the year will be relatively deserted – one example for
instance is a seasonal oasis in the desert. These types of pond ecosystems are
sometimes referred to as ephemeral pools as well, to reflect the fact that they only
exist at certain times of year.
5. Underground ponds.
Ponds can also form underground, in the rocky environment of caves. Here, a
surprising amount of life can be found, including fish, different bacteria, lichens
and so on.
There are several things that mark pond ecosystems out from other types of
ecosystems. Below, you will find a list of some of the main features of these
ecosystems.
1. Still waters: pond ecosystems are lentic ecosystems – i.e. they involve stagnant
or standing water.
5. Variable in size: some pond ecosystems can be very small (such as a rockpool)
whilst others can be almost as large as a lake.
Pond ecosystems are very important, and for this reason it is vital that we take
steps to protect and nurture them.
1. Biodiversity.
Pond ecosystems are very important habitats for so many different types of fish,
birds, plants and crustaceans as well as insects such as dragonflies, damsel flies
and pond skaters.
2. Ubiquity.
Pond ecosystems can be found on every continent on the planet. That makes them
very important for the life of organisms all over the world.
3. Abundance.
Pond ecosystems are very abundant. Not only can they be found almost
everywhere, they can be found plentifully. That, again, makes them a key habitat
for many different species.
4. Source of hydration.
Even if they do not actually live in the pond ecosystem, many species of animals
will come to pond ecosystems whenever they need a drink. A key example is a
watering hole in a prairie or desert. Humans can also use these ecosystems as a
source of water.
5. Beauty.
Pond ecosystems are very beautiful as well. As we watch the sunlight reflecting off
the surface of a pond we can feel inspired, calm and in touch with nature.