Ecology – Ecosystem  Animals

The meaning of the word ecology  Microorganisms in soil, etc.

was given by German Biologist
Haeckel in 1869. Ecosystem

The word ecology is derived The term Ecosystem was first

from Greek words ‘Oikos’ proposed by A.G. Tansley in 1935.
meaning house, habitat or An ecosystem consists of the
place of living and ‘Logos’ biological community that occurs in
meaning to study. some locale, and the physical and
After that…..Danish botanist, chemical factors that make up its non-
living environment.
Eugenius Warming
elaborated the idea of There are many examples of
Ecology. ecosystems - a pond, a desert, a
forest, an estuary, an ocean.
Definition

 Ecology is the study of

interactions among organism
or group of organisms with
their environment. The
environment consists of both
biotic components (living
organisms) and abiotic
components (non–living
organisms).
Ecosystem is the basic functional
Ecology is study of interactions unit of Ecology.
between
Definition
Non-living components in the
 A group of organisms
environment...
interacting among
 Light
themselves and with environment is
 Water known as ecosystem. Thus an
ecosystem is a community of different
 Wind species interacting with one another
and with their non living environment
 Nutrients in soil
exchanging energy and matter.
 Heat
 Ecology is the study of
 Solar radiation ecosystems.

 Atmosphere, etc. Example

Living organisms...

 Plants
Animals cannot synthesis their food Ex: All green plants, trees.
directly but depend on the plants
Photosynthesis
either directly or indirectly.
The green pigment called
chlorophyll, present in the leaves of
plants, converts CO2 and H2O in the
presence of sunlight into
carbohydrates.
6CO2 + 6H2O- > C6H12O6 + 6O2
This process is called
photosynthesis
STRUCTURE OF AN ECOSYSTEM
The term structure refers to the
various components of an ecosystem.
An ecosystem has two major
components

 Biotic (living) components

 Abiotic (non living)

components
Biotic components
The living organisms (or) living
members in an ecosystem collectively
called biotic components (or) biotic
community.
Ex: Plants, Animals, Microorganisms
Classification biotic components
The members of the biotic 2. Consumers also called as
components of an Heterotrophs:
ecosystem are grouped into three Classification of
based on how they get food.
consumers
 Producer (Plants)
Consumers are
 Consumer (Animals)
further classified as:
 Decomposers (Micro-
A. Primary consumers or
organisms)
Herbivores or Plant eaters:
1. Producers (Autotrophs)
 Primary consumers are also
Producers synthesise their food called herbivores, they
themselves through photosynthesis directly depend on the plants
 for their food. So, they are
called plant eaters.
Examples: Insects, rat, goat, 3. Decomposers
deer, cow etc. Decomposers attack the dead
B. Secondary consumers bodies of producers and consumers
(primary carnivores) (Meat and decompose them into simpler
compounds.
eaters):

 Secondary consumers are During the decomposition, inorganic

primary carnivores, they nutrients are released.
feed on primary
The inorganic nutrients together with
consumers. They directly
other organic substances are then
depend on the herbivores
utilized by the producers for the
for their food. Ex: Frog,
synthesis of their own food.
cat, snakes, small birds,
Abiotic
etc.,
(non-living)
C. Tertiary consumers components
(Secondary carnivores) (Meat-
The non-living components (physical
eaters)
and chemical) of ecosystem
 Tertiary consumers are collectively form a community called
secondary carnivores, abiotic components (or) abiotic
they feed on secondary community.
consumers. They depend
Ex: Climate, soil, water, air, energy
on the primary carnivores
etc.,
for their food. Ex: Hawk,
Eagle, Tiger, Lion, etc., 1. Physical components: Include
the energy, climate, nutrients and
living space that the biological
community needs. They are useful
for the growth and maintenance of
its member.
Ex: Air, water, soil, sunlight, etc.,

2. Chemical Components:
They are the sources of
essential nutrients.
Organic substances: Protein, lipids,
Omnivore: Organisms that feed both carbohydrates, etc.,
on plants and animals. Ex: Human,
rat, birds. Inorganic substances: All micro
(Al, Co, Zu, Cu) and macro elements
Detritivore: They feed on dead (C, H, O, P, N, P, K) and few other
organisms, wastes of living elements.
beings, and partially
decomposed matter. Ex:
Termites, earthworm, ants etc.
 1. Primary function: The
primary function of all
ecosystem is
manufacture of starch
(photosynthesis).
2. Secondary function: The
secondary function of all
TYPES OF ecosystem is distribution
ECOSYSTEM energy in the form of food
Natural ecosystem: These operate to all consumers.
themselves under natural conditions. 3. Tertiary Function: All
Based on habitat types, it can be living systems diet at a
further classified into three types. particular stage. These
dead systems are
Terrestrial ecosystem: This decomposed to initiate
ecosystem is related to land. Ex: third function of
Grassland ecosystem, forest ecosystems namely
ecosystem, desert ecosystem, etc., “cycling”.
Aquatic ecosystem: This The functioning of an ecosystems
ecosystem is related to water. It is may be understood by studying the
further sub-classified into two types following terms.
based on salt content.
 Energy and material flow.
 Fresh water ecosystem  Food chains
a) Running water  Food webs
ecosystems. Ex:  Food pyramids
Rivers, Streams...
b) Standing water ENERGY FLOW
ecosystems Ex: Pond, IN THE
lake... ECOSYSTEMS
 Marine ecosystem  Energy is the most
(a) Ex: Seas and sea essential requirement for
shores... all living organisms.
Man-made (or) Artificial  Solar energy is the only
ecosystems: Artificial ecosystem is source to our planet
operated (or) maintained by man earth.
himself. Ex: Croplands, gardens...  Solar energy is
transformed to chemical
FUNCTION OF AN energy in photosynthesis
ECOSYSTEM by the plants (Primary
The function of an ecosystem is to producers).
allow flow of energy and cycling of  Some amount of chemical
nutrients. energy is used by the
plants for their growth and
Functions of an ecosystem are of the remaining is transferred
three types: to consumers by the
 process of eating.
 Thus, the energy enters the
ecosystems through
photosynthesis and passes
through the different tropic
levels or feeding levels.

FOOD CHAINS
Definition

“There sequence of eating and being

eaten in an ecosystem is known as
The flow of energy in an food chain” (or) “Transfer of food
ecosystem follows the laws of energy from the plants through a
thermodynamics. series of organisms is known as food
chain”
I. law of thermodynamics -
“Energy neither can be created nor  A food chain always starts
destroyed, but it can be converted with plant life and ends with
from one from to other”. animal. When the organisms
die, they are all decomposed
Energy for an ecosystem comes
by microorganism (bacteria
from the sun. It is absorbed by
and fungi) into nutrients that
plants, it is converted into chemical
can again be used by the
energy. This chemical energy
plants.
utilised by consumers transform into
 At each and every level,
heat.
nearly 80-90% of the
II. law of thermodynamics - potential energy gets lost
“Whenever energy is as heat.
transformed, there is a loss of
energy through the release of
heat”.
Energy is transferred between tropic
levels in the form of heat as it
moves from one tropic level to
another tropic level. The loss of Tropic Levels (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5) (or)
energy takes place through Feeding levels The various steps
respiration, work, running, hunting through which food energy passes in
etc., an ecosystem is called as tropic
levels. The tropic levels are arranged
in the following way,
 The green plants or
 producers represent decomposer food chain through
the first tropic level T1, herbivores and carnivores.
 The herbivores or primary
consumers represent
second tropic level T2.
 The carnivores or
secondary
consumers
represent third
tropic level T3.
 The tertiary consumers
are fourth tropic level
T4.
 Finally, decomposers
represent last tropic level FOOD WEB
T5.
The interlocking pattern of various
food chains in an ecosystem is
known as a food web.
In a food web many food chains are
interconnected, where different types
of organisms are connected at
different tropic levels, so that there
are a number of opportunities of
eating and being eaten at each tropic
level.
Grass may be eaten by insects,
rats, deer's, etc., these may be
Food chains are classified into two eaten by carnivores (snake, fox,
main types tiger). Thus there is a interlocking of
 Grazing food chain various food chains called food
 Detritus food chain webs

Grazing food chain: Found in

Grassland ecosystems and pond
ecosystems. Grazing food chain
starts with green plants (primary
producers) and goes to
decomposer food chain or detritus
food chain through herbivores and
carnivores.
Detritus food chain: Found in
Grassland ecosystems and forest Difference between food chains
ecosystems. Detritus food chain and food web:
starts with dead organic matter
(plants and animals) and goes to In a linear food chain if one species
gets affected (or) becomes extinct,
then the species in the subsequent
tropic levels are also affected. But,
in a food web, if one species gets
affected, it does not affect other
tropic levels so seriously. There are
number of options available at each
tropic level.

ECOLOGICAL
PYRAMIDS

 “Graphical
representation of
structure and function
Significance of food chains and of tropic levels of an
food webs: ecosystem, starting with
 Food chains and food webs producers at the bottom
play a very and successive tropic
important role in the levels forming the apex
ecosystem. Energy flow and is known as an
nutrient cycling takes place ecological pyramid.”
through them.  In food chain starting from
 They maintain and the producers to the
regulate the population consumers, there is a
size of different tropic regular decrease in the
levels, and thus help in biomass and number of the
maintaining ecological organisms.
balance.  Since energy is lost as heat
in each tropic levels, it
They have the property of bio- becomes progressively
magnification. The non-biodegradable smaller near the top.
materials keep on passing from one
tropic level to another. At each Types of Ecological pyramids
successive tropic level, the
 Pyramid of numbers.
concentration keep on increasing.
 Pyramid of energy.
This process is known as bio-
magnification.  Pyramid of biomass.

1. Pyramid of numbers

A pyramid of numbers can be used

to show the number of organisms at
each stage of a food chain.
 organism)
A pyramid of biomass is a
graphical representation of
biomass present in a unit area of
various trophic levels. It shows
It represents the number of
the relationship between biomass
individual organisms present in each
and trophic level quantifying the
tropic levels.
biomass available in each trophic
Ex: A grassland Ecosystem level.

 The producers in the

grasslands are grasses,
which are in size and large
in numbers. So the
producers occupy lower
tropic level (1St tropic
level).
 The primary consumers
(herbivores) are rats, the
2nd tropic level. Since the
number of rats are lower
Compared to the grasses,
the size is small.
 The secondary consumers
(carnivores) are snakes,
which occupy the 3rd tropic
level. Since the number of
snakes are lower when
compared to the rats.
 The tertiary consumers It represents the total amount of
(carnivores) are eagles, biomass (mass or weight of
which the next tropic level. biological material or organism)
The number and size of the present in each tropic levels. Ex: A
last level is till smaller. forest ecosystem

The above figure shows that there is

a decrease in the biomass from the
lower tropic level to the higher tropic
level. This because the trees
(producers) are maximum in the
forest, which contribute a huge
biomass. The next tropic levels are
herbivores (rabbit, deer) and
carnivores (snakes, fox). Top of the
tropic level contains few tertiary
2. Pyramids of biomass consumers (lion, tiger), the biomass
(mass of tissue of living of which is very low.
3. Pyramid of Energy FOREST ECOSYSTEM

 This pyramid indicates not A forest is an area with a high

only the amount of energy density of trees. A forest ecosystem
flow at each level, but more is one in which tall trees grow that
importantly, the actual role support many animals and birds.
the various organisms play The forests are found in
in the transfer of energy. undisturbed areas receiving
 An energy pyramid moderate to high rainfall. The forest
illustrates how much energy occupies nearly 31% of the world’s
is needed as it flows land in
upwards to support the next India it is only 19% of total land area.
trophic level. Types of forest ecosystem
 Always there is a huge Based upon the climate conditions,
loss of energy. forests are classified into:

 Tropical Rain forests.

 Tropical deciduous forests.
 Tropical scrub forests.
 Temperate rain forests.
 Temperate deciduous forests.
Characteristics of forest
ecosystems

 Forests are characterised

by warm temperature and
adequate rainfall, which
make the generation of
number of ponds, lakes
etc.,
 The forest maintains climate
and rainfall.
 The forest support
many wild animals
and protect
biodiversity.
 The soil is rich in organic
matter and nutrients
which support the growth
of trees.

Since penetration of light is so poor,

the conversion of organic matter into
nutrients is very fast.
 Elephants, Deer,
giraffes, etc.

Structure and Function of forest

ecosystem

I. Abiotic components
 Secondary consumers
The abiotic components include (primary carnivores):
basic inorganic & organic They directly depend on
compounds present in the soil & the herbivores for their
atmosphere. In addition, minerals, food. Ex: Lizards,
the occurrence of litter is snakes, birds, fox.
characteristic features of majority of  Tertiary consumers:
forests. They depend on the
II. Biotic components primary carnivores for
their food. Ex:
1. Producers: In a forest, the Animals like tiger, lion,
producers are etc.,
mainly trees produce food 3. Decomposers: They
by photosynthesis. Apart decompose the dead plant
from trees, climbers, and animal matter. Ex:
epiphytes, shrubs and Bacteria and fungi.
ground vegetation. It provides numerous
Dominant species of trees in environmental services like;
forest are Dalbergia,
Tectona grandis, Lichens,  Nutrient cycling,
Fern, Pine, Cedar.  Maintaining biodiversity
2. Consumers  Providing wildlife habitat
 Primary consumers  Affecting rainfall patterns
(herbivores): They  Regulating stream flow
directly depend on the  Storing water
plants for their food. Ex:  Reducing flooding
Ants, flies, insects, mice,  Preventing soil erosion
deer, squirrels. Larger  Reclaiming degraded land &
animals such as many more....
 Apart from environmental Features of different types of
values, forest ecosystems grassland
have some traditional values
as well. Tropical grasslands

 Fire Wood & Timber. They are found near the borders of
 Fruits. tropical rain forests. Characterized by
 Gums. high temperature and moderate
 Herbs & drugs. rainfall (40 to 100 cm). It is also
known as Savanna type. Tall grasses
with scattered shrubs and stunted
trees and animals like zebras,
giraffes, antelopes, etc., are observed
here.

Temperate grasslands
They are usually found in the centres
of continents,
highly sloped hills. They are
characterized by very
cold winters and hot summers:
Intense grazing
and summer fires, do not support
shrubs or trees to grow.

Polar grasslands
GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEM
They are found in arctic polar regions.
Grassland occupies about 20% of They are characterized by severe
earth’s surface. In cold and strong winds along with ice
and snow. In summers several small
addition to grass some trees and
annual plants grow. There are
shrubs are/also present in grasslands.
animals like arctic wolf, weasel, arctic
Limited grazing helps to improve the
net primary production of the fox, etc.,
grasslands. But, overgrazing leads
degradation of these grasslands Characteristics of Grassland
resulting in desertification. Ecosystems
 Grassland ecosystem is a plain
Types of grassland ecosystem
land occupied by grasses.
Depending upon the climate  Soil is very rich in nutrients and
conditions grassland are classified organic matter.
into three types  Since it has tall grass, it is ideal
place for grazing animals.
 Tropical grasslands
 Temperate grassland  It is characterized by low or
 Polar grassland uneven rainfall.
 Importance:
 Grasslands are of vital
importance for raising livestock
for human consumption and for
milk and other dairy products
 Grasslands provided home to
many different animals that were
hunted and domesticated
Structure and function of the  They are used as grazing area for
grassland Ecosystems cattle
Abiotic components: Nutrients, H, 0,  They Maintain Biodiversity
N, P, S, etc.,  Protects restored habitat for
These abiotic components are many plants and animals
supplied by C02, H2O, C, Nitrate, including pheasant, ducks,
phosphates and sulphates. songbirds and endangered
Biotic Components species
Producers: They produce food.
Ex: Grasses, Herbs and shrubs. DESERT ECOSYSTEMS
Consumers: Introduction
Primary consumers (herbivores): Desert occupies about 14% of our
They depend on grasses for their food world’s land area. It is characterized
Ex: Insects, cows, buffaloes, deer, by less than 25 cm rainfall. The
sheep, etc., atmosphere is dry and hence it is a
Secondary consumers (carnivores): poor insulator.
They feed on herbivores.
Examples: Lizards, birds, Snakes, Types of desert ecosystems
jackals, fox, etc., Based on the climatic conditions,
Tertiary consumers: They feed on deserts are classified into three
secondary consumers types.
Ex: Hawks, eagle, etc., • Tropical deserts.
Decomposers: They decompose the • Temperate deserts.
dead organic matter • Cold deserts.
Ex: Fungi and bacteria.
Features of different types of deserts
Tropical desert is an environment of
extremes, it is the driest and hottest
place on earth. Rainfall is sporadic
and, in some years, no measurable
precipitation falls at all.
 Africa: Sahara Desert.
 Rajasthan: Thar desert.
Temperate desert is a barren area of
land where little precipitation occurs
(less than 10%), characterized by
very hot summer and very Winter on the outside to protect them from
time. Ex: Atacama, Mojave. being eaten.
Cold deserts have hot summers but Ex: Succulents, Shrubs, bushes,
extremely cold winters. These are some grasses and few trees.
found in high, flat
areas, called plateaus. Ex: Gobi Consumers: These animals dig holes
Desert, Ladakh. in the ground to live in. They come
out at night to find food. Most of the
Characteristics of Desert ecosystem animals can extract water from the
The desert air is dry and the climate is seeds they eat.
hot. Annual rainfall is less than 25 cm. Ex: Locust, scorpions, snakes, camel,
The soil is very poor in nutrients and elk etc.
organic matter, Vegetation is poor.
Decomposers: Desert has poor
Structure and functions of the desert vegetation with a very low amount of
ecosystems dead organic matter. They are
I. Abiotic Components decomposed by few fungi and
Intense solar radiation, lashing winds, bacteria.
and little moisture Ex: Fungi and bacteria
i.e. less than 10 inches (25 cm) of
rainfall. The nutrient cycling is also
very low. The characteristic feature of
the abiotic component is lack of
organic matter in the soil and scarcity
of water.

AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
The aquatic ecosystem deals with
water bodies. The major types of
organisms found in aquatic
environments are determined by the
water’s
salinity.
Types of aquatic life zone
Desert Ecosystem
Aquatic life zones are divided into two
II. Biotic Components
types.
Producers: In deserts mostly
1. Fresh water life zones
Succulent (e.g., cacti) plants are
Eg. Ponds, streams, lakes, rivers.
found available. They have water
2. Salt water life zones
inside them to stay alive, waxy
Eg. Oceans, estuaries.
coating to prevent intense heat, thorn
 FRESH WATER ECOSYSTEM Ex: Floating plants and
POND ECOSYSTEMS submerged plants like hydrilla,
Introduction
Jussiaea, wolfia, demna.
A pond is a fresh water aquatic
ecosystems, where water Consumers
is stagnant. It receives enough water
during rainy season. Primary consumers
(Zooplanktons): These are
It contains several types of algae,
microscopic animals which
aquatic plants, insects,
freely float on the surface of
fishes and birds.
water.

Characteristics of pond Zooplanktons are found along

• Pond is temporary, only seasonal. with phytoplankton. They feed
• It is a stagnant fresh water body. on plants (phytoplankton).
• Ponds get polluted easily due to
Ex: Protozoa, very small fish,
limited amount of water.
ciliates, flagelaltes and
• Pond ecosystems are lentic protozoans.
ecosystems – i.e. they
involve stagnant or standing water. Secondary consumers
(Carnivores): They feed on
Structure and functions of zooplankton
pond ecosystems
Ex: Insects like water beetles
Abiotic components and small fish.
Ex: Temperature, light, water Tertiary consumers: They feed
and organic and inorganic on smaller fish
compounds
Ex: Large fish like game fish.
Biotic Components
Decomposers: They
• Producers decompose the dead plant and
animal matter and their nutrients
These include green
are released and reused by the
photosynthetic organism. They
green plants.
are of two types.
Ex: Fungi, bacteria and
• Phytoplankton: These are
flagellates
microscopic marine plants,
which freely float on the surface
of water.

Ex: Floating plants like Nostoc,

Anabena, Consmarium.

• Microphytes are microscopic

algae
 Oligotrophic lakes: They have
low nutrient concentrations

Eutrophic lakes: They are over

nourished by nutrients like N
and P

Dystrophic lakes: They have

Importance of pond low pH, high humid and content
ecosystems. and brown waters.
1. Biodiversity: Pond Volcanic lakes: They receive
ecosystems are very important water from magma after
habitats for so many different volcanic eruption.
types of fish, birds, plants and
crustaceans as well as insects Zones of Lake
such as dragonflies, damsel
Depending upon their depth and
flies and pond skaters.
distance from the shore, likes
2. Ubiquity: Pond ecosystems consists of four distinct zones.
can be found on every continent
• Littoral zones: It is the top
on the planet.
layer of the Lake. It has a
3. Abundance: Pond shallow water.
ecosystems are very abundant.
• Limnetic zone: Next to the
Not only can they be found
littoral zone is limnetic zone,
almost everywhere, they can be
where effect penetration of
found plentifully.
solar. light takes place.
4. Source of hydration: A
• Profundal zone: The deep
watering hole in a prairie or
open water, where it is too dark.
desert many species of animals
will come to pond. Humans can • Benthic zone: This zone is
also use these ecosystems as a found, at the bottom of the lake.
source of water.

5. Beauty: Pond ecosystems

are very beautiful as well.

LAKE ECOSYSTEM

Lakes are large natural shallow

water bodies. Lakes are used
for various purposes. Lakes are
supplied with water from rainfall,
melting snow and streams. Characteristics of lake
ecosystem
Types of lakes
• Lake is a shallow fresh water
Some important types of lake body;
are
• It is a permanent water body Ex: Large fishes like game fish.
with large Water resources.
Decomposers: They
• It helps in irrigation and decompose the dead plants and
drinking. animals Ex: Bacteria, fungi and
aclinonrcetes.
Structure and function of lake
ecosystem RIVER (or)
STREAMECOSYSTEM
I. Abiotic components
Introduction
Temperature, light, proteins and
lipids, O2 CO2 The running water of a stream
or a river is usually well
II. Biotic Consumers oxygenated, because it absorbs
Producers: They are green oxygen from the air. The
plants, may. be submerged, free number of animals are low in
floating ad amphibious plants. river or stream.

Examples: Phytoplankton, algae Characteristics of River or

and flagellates. Stream.

It is a fresh water, and free

flowing water systems. Due to
mixing of water, dissolved
oxygen content is. more. River
deposits large amount of
nutrients.

Structure and function of

River or Stream Ecosystem

Abiotic components

Examples: River, Light,

Temperature, Chemistry,
2. Consumers Substrate

Primary Consumers Biotic Components

(Zooplanktons): They feed on
Producers: Phytoplankton,
phytopankton
algae, water grasses, aquatic
Ex: Ciliates, protozoans, etc. masses other amphibious
plants.
Secondary consumers
(carnivores): They feed on Consumers
zooplankton. Ex Insects and
1.Primary consumers: They
small fishes.
feed on phytoplankton.
Tertiary consumers: They feed
Ex: Water insects, snails, fishes:
on smaller fish
2.Secondary consumers: They Open sea: It is the deeper part
feed on primary consumers of the ocean. It is vertically
divided into three regions.
Ex: Birds
• Euphotic zone: It receives
Decomposers: They abundant light and shows high
decomposes the dead animals photosynthetic activity.
and plants.
• Bathyal zone: It receives dim
Ex: Bacteria and fungi. light and is usually geologically
active.

• Abyssal zone: It is the dark

zone and is very deep (2000 to
meters).

SALT WATER ECOSYSTEMS.

OCEAN (MARINE)
ECOSYSTEMS

Introduction

Oceans cover more than two Characteristics of Ocean

thirds of the earth’s surface. Ecosystem
Ocean environment is
characterized by its high  It occupies a large surface
concentration of salts and area with saline water.
minerals. It supplies huge Since ship, submarines can
sail in ocean, commercial
variety of products and drugs. It
activities may be earned
also provides us iron, out.
magnesium, iron, natural gas.
 It is rich in biodiversity.
Zones of Oceans
 It moderates the-
The oceans have two major life temperature
zones.
Structure and function
Coastal zone: It is relatively Ecosystems
warm, nutrient rich shallow
water. It has high primary Abiotic components
productivity because of high Examples
nutrients and sunlight.
Temperature, light, NaCl, K,
Ca, and Mg Salts alkalinity
Biotic components Introduction

1. Producers: An estuary is a partially

enclosed coastal area at the’
Phytoplankton’s (diatoms, mouth of a river, where sea
unicellular algae, etc.,) and water mixes with freshwater. It
marine plants (sea weeds, is strongly affected by tidal
chlorophycela, phaeophyceae). action. Estuaries are generally:
2. Consumers abundant of nutrients.
Estuaries are useful to human
These are heterotrophic macro beings due to their high food
consumers. They depend on potential. It is essential to
producers for their nutrition. protect the estuaries from
pollution.
Primary consumers
(herbivores): They feed on Characteristics of Estuarine
producers ecosystem

Ex: Crustaceans, molluscs, fish • Estuaries are transition zones,

which are strongly affected by
Secondary consumers tides of the sea.
(carnivores): They feed on
herbivores • Water characteristics are
periodically changed.
Ex: Herring, mackerel, etc.,
• The living organism in
Tertiary Consumers: They are estuarine ecosystems have
the top consumers. They feed wide tolerance.
on small
• Salinity remains highest
Ex: Cod, Haddock, -etc., during the summer and lowest
3.Decomposers: They during the winter.
decompose the dead organic Structure and function of
matter. Estuarine Ecosystem
Ex: Bacteria and some fungi. Abiotic Components

Examples: Temperature, pH,

sodium and potassium salts
and various nutrients.

Biotic Components

Producers

Examples: Marsh grasses,

seaweeds, sea-grasses and
phytoplankton.
ESTUARINE ECOSYSTEM
Consumers
Examples: Oysters, crabs,
seabirds, small fishes

Decomposers

Examples: Bacteria, fungi and

actenomycetous.