Types of Ecosystem

An ecosystem can be as small as an oasis in a desert, or as big as an ocean, spanning thousands of

miles. There are two types of ecosystem:

 Terrestrial Ecosystem
 Aquatic Ecosystem

Terrestrial Ecosystem
Terrestrial ecosystems are exclusively land-based ecosystems. There are different types of
terrestrial ecosystems distributed around various geological zones. They are as follows:

1. Forest Ecosystem
2. Grassland Ecosystem
3. Tundra Ecosystem
4. Desert Ecosystem

Forest Ecosystem
A forest ecosystem consists of several plants, particularly trees, animals and microorganisms that
live in coordination with the abiotic factors of the environment. Forests help in maintaining the
temperature of the earth and are the major carbon sink.

Grassland Ecosystem
In a grassland ecosystem, the vegetation is dominated by grasses and herbs. Temperate grasslands
and tropical or savanna grasslands are examples of grassland ecosystems.

Tundra Ecosystem
Tundra ecosystems are devoid of trees and are found in cold climates or where rainfall is scarce.
These are covered with snow for most of the year. Tundra type of ecosystem is found in the Arctic or
mountain tops.

Desert Ecosystem
Deserts are found throughout the world. These are regions with little rainfall and scarce vegetation.
The days are hot, and the nights are cold.

Aquatic Ecosystem
Aquatic ecosystems are ecosystems present in a body of water. These can be further divided into
two types, namely:

1. Freshwater Ecosystem
2. Marine Ecosystem

Freshwater Ecosystem
The freshwater ecosystem is an aquatic ecosystem that includes lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and
wetlands. These have no salt content in contrast with the marine ecosystem.
Marine Ecosystem
The marine ecosystem includes seas and oceans. These have a more substantial salt content and
greater biodiversity in comparison to the freshwater ecosystem.

Biogeochemical cycle
The term biogeochemical is derived from “bio” meaning biosphere, “geo” meaning the
geological components and “chemical” meaning the elements that move through a cycle.

This cyclic exchange of nutrient material between the living organisms

and their non-living environment is called biogeochemical cycle.

Elements within biogeochemical cycles flow in various forms from the nonliving (abiotic)
components of the biosphere to the living (biotic) components and back. In order for the living
components of a major ecosystem (e.g., a lake or a forest) to survive, all the chemical elements
that make up living cells must be recycled continuously.

Common Biogeochemical Cycles are:

(1) Water Cycle or Hydrologic Cycle:
The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle or the hydrological cycle, describes the

continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth.

In this cycle;

(a) Water from the transpiring plants, oceans, rivers and lakes
evaporates into the atmosphere

(b) These water vapours subsequently cool and condense to form

clouds and water.

(c) Water returns to the earth as rain and snow.

Why is water cycle important?
Water cycle has a huge impact on determining the global climate. It is also an integral part of other
biogeochemical cycles. It affects all life processes on Earth either directly or indirectly.

(2) Carbon-Cycle:
Carbon cycle is the process where carbon compounds  are interchanged
among the biosphere, geosphere, pedosphere, hydrosphere, and
atmosphere of the earth.
Most of the carbon dioxide enters the living world through
photosynthesis. The organic compounds synthesised are passed from
the producers (green plants) to the consumers (herbivores and
carnivores). During respiration, plants and animals release carbon
back to the surrounding medium as carbon-dioxide. The dead bodies
of plants and animals as well as the body wastes, which accumulate
carbon compounds, are decomposed by micro-organisms to release
carbon dioxide.

Carbon is also recycled during burning of fossil fuels.

Importance of Carbon Cycle
Even though carbon dioxide is found in small traces in the atmosphere, it
plays a vital role in balancing the energy and traps the long-wave radiations
from the sun. Therefore, it acts like a blanket over the planet. If the carbon
cycle is disturbed it will result in serious consequences such as climatic
changes and global warming.

Carbon is an integral component of every life form on earth. From proteins

and lipids to even our DNA. Furthermore, all known life on earth is based
on carbon. Hence, the carbon cycle, along with the nitrogen cycle and
oxygen cycle, plays a vital role in the existence of life on earth.

Carbon Cycle is an important aspect of the survival of all life on earth. From
an environmental perspective, carbon provides insulation by trapping the
sun’s heat. From a biological perspective, carbon is the building block of life
and forms stable bonds with other elements necessary for life.
(3) Nitrogen Cycle:

“Nitrogen Cycle is a biogeochemical process which transforms the inert

nitrogen present in the atmosphere to a more usable form for living
organisms.”

Nitrogen of the atmosphere is in the elemental form and cannot be

used as such by living organisms. It has to be “fixed” i.e. combined
with other elements such as hydrogen, carbon or oxygen to become
usable for the green plants.

Nitrogen is continuously entering into the air by the action of

denitrifying bacteria and returning to the cycle through the action of
lightening and electrification.

Why is nitrogen important for life?

Nitrogen constitutes many cellular components and is essential in many
biological processes. For instance, the amino acids contain nitrogen and
form building blocks that make up various components of the human body
such as hair, tissues and muscles.
Phosphorus Cycle Definition
“Phosphorus cycle is a biogeochemical process that involves the
movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere and
biosphere.”

What is Phosphorus Cycle?

Phosphorus is an important element for all living organisms. It forms a significant part of the
structural framework of DNA and RNA. They are also an important component of ATP. Humans
contain 80% of phosphorus in teeth and bones.
Phosphorus cycle is a very slow process. Various weather processes help to wash the phosphorus
present in the rocks into the soil. Phosphorus is absorbed by the organic matter in the soil which is
used for various biological processes.
Since phosphorus and phosphorus-containing compounds are present only on land, atmosphere
plays no significant role in the phosphorus cycle.
Let us have a brief look at the phosphorus cycle, its steps and the human impact on phosphorus
cycle.

Steps of Phosphorus Cycle

Following are the important steps of phosphorus cycle:

1. Weathering
 2. Absorption by Plants
3. Absorption by Animals
4. Return to the Environment through Decomposition

Weathering
Phosphorus is found in the rocks in abundance. That is why the phosphorus cycle starts in the
earth’s crust. The phosphate salts are broken down from the rocks. These salts are washed away
into the ground where they mix in the soil.

Absorption by Plants
The phosphate salts dissolved in water are absorbed by the plants. However, the amount of
phosphorus present in the soil is very less. That is why the farmers apply phosphate fertilizers on
agricultural land.
The aquatic plants absorb inorganic phosphorus from lower layers of water bodies. Since phosphate
salts do not dissolve in water properly, they affect plant growth in aquatic ecosystems.

Absorption by Animals
The animals absorb phosphorus from the plants or by consuming plant-eating animals. The rate of
the phosphorus cycle is faster in plants and animals when compared to rocks.

Return of Phosphorus Back to the Ecosystem

When the plants and animals die they are decomposed by microorganisms During this process, the
organic form of phosphorus is converted into the inorganic form, which is recycled to soil and water.
Soil and water will end up in sediments and rocks, which will again release phosphorus by
weathering. Thus, the phosphorus cycle starts over.

Human Impact on Phosphorus Cycle

A number of human activities, use of fertilizers, artificial eutrophication, etc. has a great impact on
the phosphorus cycle.
The phosphorus fertilizers increase the level of phosphorus in the soil. Overuse of these fertilizers
reduces the fertility of the soil and is also harmful to the microorganisms present in the soil. When
these are washed away into the nearby water bodies, they are hazardous to aquatic life.
During the shipping of food from farms to cities, the amount of phosphorus that is washed away in
water causes eutrophication. This leads to the growth of algae. These form algal blooms or die,
which is toxic to the aquatic ecosystem.

Importance of Biogeochemical Cycles

These cycles demonstrate the way in which the energy is used. Through the ecosystem, these
cycles move the essential elements for life to sustain. They are vital as they recycle elements and
store them too, and regulate the vital elements through the physical facets. These cycles depict the
association between living and non-living things in the ecosystems and enable the continuous
survival of ecosystems.
It is important to comprehend these cycles to learn their effect on living entities. Some activities of
humans disturb a few of these natural cycles and thereby affecting related ecosystems. A closer look
at these mechanisms can help us restrict and stop their dangerous impact.

Types of Ecosystem 
1. Natural ecosystem  

 Terrestrial ecosystem Forest, desert, grassland etc.

 Aquatic ecosystem Fresh water, ponds, river, lake, marine, mangrove ecosystem
etc.

2. Artificial Ecosystem

Agro ecosystem, village ecosystem, town ecosystem etc.

Agro ecosystem 

Interactive of agriculture and living organism with environment is called agro ecosystem.

Components of Agro ecosystem 

Primary producer: Crops and weeds of the field are the primary producer of agro
ecosystem. e.g. In a Rice  field, there are many producer like durba, mutha, syma etc
also present with rice.

Consumer: Among consumer grasshoppers, aphids, bugs, ants, rats, birds, man etc
are macro consumer and  frog, snake, hack are micro consumer.

Properties of Agro ecosystem 

1. Productivity- It is net increment of values products per unit resources (land, labour,
energy, capital) and  is commonly measured as annual yield /hectare.

2. Stability  It  is  the  degree  to  which,  productivity  remain  constant,  inspite  of 
normal  small  scale  fluctuation in environmental variables such as climate or in the
economic condition in market.
3. Sustainability- It is defined as the ability of the system to maintain its productivity
when subject to stress or perturbation.  A  stress  is  defined  as  regular,  sometimes 
continues,  relatively  small  and  predictable disturbance. E.g. Affect of growing soil
salinity. A perturbation by contrast is an irregular, in frequent relatively long and
unpredictable disturbance such as drought or flood or a new pest.

4. Equitability- It is a measure of how evenly the produce of Agro ecosystem is

distributed among its human beneficial. The more equitable the system, the more
evenly are the products to fed shared among the population of the farm, village, regions
or nation.