Ecosystem Structure and Function Summary

The biotic and abiotic components form an interacting system called 'ecosystem'. Producers, consumers and decomposers are the various trophic levels, which are linked by their food relationship forming a 'food chain'.

Several food chains are interrelated and interconnected to form a network called 'food web'.

Graphical representation of ecological parameters like number of individuals, amount of biomass and amount of energy results in the trophic structures pyramid of number, pyramid of biomass and pyramid of energy respectively.

The flow of essential nutrients from biotic to abiotic and back to biotic component and vice versa forms the 'Biogeochemical cycles'.

The major biogeochemical cycles operating in nature are carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, oxygen cycle, water cycle, sulphur cycle and phosphorus cycle.

The major terrestrial ecosystems of the world with their groups of climax biotic community are called 'biomes'. The major terrestrial biomes are - tundra, taiga, deciduous forests, tropical rain forests, chapparals, savannah, grasslands and deserts.

Extent of a biome is determined by climatic and edaphic factors, barriers, latitude and altitude.