DR. FILEMON C.

AGUILAR MEMORIAL COLLEGE

Golden Gate Subdivision, Talon 3, Las Piñas City
General Education Department

Course Code and Title : MST (Environmental Science)

Lesson Number 1 : The Ecosystem
Topic : Component of An Ecosystem

Introduction
An ecosystem has gained much
attention because of the worsening condition
of the environment which is thought to be
caused by human activities influenced by an
imbalance between population size (demand)
and the available resources and services
(supply) and a materialistic concept of
economic development which focuses on
quantity of material goods acquired and
neglects the quality of life (Rabago, 2010).
What is the scope of ecological
studies? What is the meaning of an
ecosystem? What is it composed of? These
https://www.zmescience.com/ecology/ecosystems-what-they-are-and-
questions are answered in this module. It
why-they-are-important/ opens with the scope of ecological studies
starting from the simplest to the most complex
ecosystem (organism to biosphere). It ends with the interaction of the biotic and abiotic components
of an ecosystem.

Learning Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the student should be able to:
1. Differentiate how organism ecology differs from biotic community and biosphere.
2. Appreciates the balance of the ecosystem through the interaction of its components.
3. Classify the biotic components of an ecosystem based on their ability to produce food.

Pre-Assessment
Choose the letter of the best answer.
1. The organisms in which these biotic communities would you consider the most versatile.
a. Carabao, lizard, snake in a grassland
b. Orchid, spider, butterfly on a large tree

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 c. Shark, fish, jellyfish in the sea
d. Sea urchin, sea star, brittle star in a tidal pool

2. In what kind of soil do garden plants grow best?

a. Nutrient rich
b. Highly acidic
c. Water-logged
d. Regularly sprayed insecticide

3. Which of the two ecosystems are richest in terms of the number of species?
a. Dipterocarp forest and coral reef
b. Mangrove forest and fishpond
c. Pine forest and natural park
d. Grassland and wetland

4. The following organisms, EXCEPT one can manufacture their own food from raw materials
in the environment. Which may be omitted from the list?
a. Mushroom
b. Corn
c. Coconut
d. Grass

5. The biological hierarchy that describes the earth occupied by living organisms, you are
referring to:
a. Biosphere
b. Ecosystem
c. Community
d. Population

Lesson Presentation
The topics discussed in this module starts with the scope of ecological study arranged
according to the level of biological organization from simplest form to the most complex. It is
followed by the characterization of the components of the ecosystem divided into biotic and abiotic.

LEVEL OF BIOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION

We start this module by exploring the scope of the study of ecology. Ecologists work at
different levels of biological hierarchy, from individual organisms to the biosphere.

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BIOTIC COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM
Biotic components refer to the different kinds of organisms that interact with the
environment. They can be distinguished through their ability to produce their own food (producers),
those that cannot make their own food (heterotrophs), and those that feed on organic matter
(detritivores).

Table 1. Biotic of an Ecosystem

Producers Consumers Decomposers

1. Chlorophyll-bearing
1. Herbivores
plants
2. Carnivores
2. Photosynthetic bacteria Mostly bacteria and fungi
3. Omnivores
3. Chemosynthetic
4. Detritivores
bacteria

ABIOTIC COMPONENT OF AN ECOSYSTEM

Every environment on earth is characterized by a mosaic of small-scale differences in
chemical and physical attributes such as temperature, light, water, and nutrients. These are non-living

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factors (abiotic) that influence the distribution and abundance of organisms (Campbell, 2017).
Consider the following direct observations from nature:
1. Grasses grow well in abundant sunlight while ornamental herbs grow well in shade.
2. Pine trees grow well in cold places like Baguio at high elevations while bananas thrive in
tropical areas.
3. Most crops grow better in loam which generally has higher moisture content than other types
of soil.
4. Certain plants and animals are found only in high elevations and grasses grow abundantly in
lowland.
Based on the observations above, certain aspects of the physical environment determine the
distribution of plants. Three of these aspects considered are climate (light, moisture, temperature,
and wind), soil, and topography.

Reference:
1. What is an ecosystem?
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPHqUxxyLsY
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Gmx8vXQEjc

2. What are the components of an ecosystem?

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWPj2IkeklI

Activity
The ecosystem is the basic unit of the environment. It has components that interact in such a
way that the balance is created and maintained. Recall the folk song ‘Bahay Kubo’. Analyze the lyrics
and answer the following questions:
1. In the folk song Bahay Kubo, does it describe a biotic community or an ecosystem? Explain

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 your answer.
2. Name 5 producers mentioned in the song.
3. What are the nonliving factors that influence the producers implied in the song?

Reinforcement
Biotic components refer to the different kinds of organisms that interact with the
environment. They can be grouped according to their ecological niche in a biotic community. Some
are producers, others are consumers, and decomposers.
The next module will discuss the trophic structure of an ecosystem with each component
arranged in trophic level or hierarchy.