Ecosystem Structure and Function

Ecosystem Definition and Components

An ecosystem is a system consisting of living organisms and the nonliving physical environment with which they interact. Its biotic components include plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and other organisms, while its abiotic components include climate, water, air, soil, minerals, temperature, light, and topography. These components are connected through energy flows and nutrient cycles within the physical space they occupy. Plants and other photosynthetic organisms act as primary producers by converting light energy into organic matter. Animals transfer energy and matter by feeding on plants and other organisms, while decomposers break down dead material, return carbon to the environment, and recycle nutrients for use by plants and microbes. Ecosystems are dynamic and are influenced by external factors such as climate and parent material, as well as internal factors such as species interactions, decomposition, competition, shading, disturbance, and succession.

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Biotic and Abiotic Interactions

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