Ecosystem

Living things (organisms) live everywhere on this earth. They live deep inside the oceans where no light reaches and it is totally dark. They also live in high mountains which are always covered with snow. They live all around our house and also inside your house. In fact, several organisms even live inside our bodies too! Plants and a958nimals living in different places are different from each other. They adjust themselves to their surroundings. All organisms, both plants and animals, need food and other materials from their surroundings to survive. Air, water and soil form an essential part of our surroundings. The life of an organism is, thus, affected by the Living and non-Living things around it.

Everything surrounding and affecting an organism is known as its environment. The study of the relationship between Living things and their environment is called ecology. All of them interact with each other.

The living or biotic components include all living organisms. These constitute the biotic or biological, environment

The non-living or abiotic components include air, water, soil, sunlight, temperature, etc. These constitute the abiotic or physical environment. These factors affect the living organisms found in the area.

Biotic and abiotic components constitute the natural environment.

Human beings are also a part of the environment. We can change the environment to suit our needs. Today we do not live in the natural environment, such as a forest. The cities or villages we live in have a human made environment.

Even though in different areas, such as deserts, hilly or coastal areas have different environment but the basic components are the same.

An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants, animals and microorganism (biotic factors) in an area functioning together with all of the physical (abiotic) factors environment. For example, a forest is a natural ecosystem, while an aquarium or a field is an artificial ecosystem.

Plants make their own food by the process of photosynthesis and are called as producers. Animals feed on plants or other animals and are called as consumer. It means a food relationship exists between plants and animals. This relationship is shown by a food chain.

Food	Primary food	Secondary food	Tertiary food
(Producer)	(Consumer)	(Consumer)	(consumer)
Grass $rightarrow$	Grasshopper $rightarrow$	Hen $rightarrow$	Fox
Algae $rightarrow$	Water flea $rightarrow$	Guppy $rightarrow$	Anglefish
Fruit $rightarrow$	Fruit fly $rightarrow$	Toad $rightarrow$	Snake

Food Webs : A food web is a system of interconnected and interdependent food chains. It can also be defined as a network of food relationship of through which nutrients and energy are passed from one living organisms to another.

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Sample Questions

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Question : 1

A non - renewable resource is ________________
A. Forest	B. Coal	C. Water	D. Wild life
Right Option : B
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Question : 2

The term ecosystem was given by ____________________
A. Odum	B. Koestler	C. Tansley	D. Mobius and forbes
Right Option : C
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Question : 3

Organisms in an area interact with the non - living constituents of the environment, to form a/an _______________
A. Ecosystem	B. Biome	C. Trophic level	D. Biotic factor
Right Option : A
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