DEFINITIONS AND KEY POINTS FOR ECOSYSTEM
| TERMS | DEFINITIONS |
| Ecosystem | A community with its non-living environment is called ecosystem. |
| Decomposers | The microorganisms which decompose the bodies of dead animals and plants are called decomposes. |
| Ecological energetic | The flow of energy through an ecosystem is called ecological energetic. |
| Productivity | The rate at which food is manufactured by the producers in unit area and in unit time, is called productivity. |
| Gross primary
productivity |
Gross primary productivity:The total rate of photosynthesis or the total amount of organic matter Fixed is called gross primary productivity. |
| Net primary
productivity |
Net primary productivity: The organic matter stored in plant tissues is called net primary productivity. |
| Trophic level | Each level in the food chain in a natural community is called as trophic level. |
| Food web | The combination of different food chains is called food web. |
| Ecological pyramids | The representations of flow of energy through an ecosystem in the form of pyramids are called ecological pyramids. |
| Pyramids of numbers | The pyramid which shows the relationship between the number of producers. herbivores and carnivores at successive trophic. levels is called pyramid of numbers. |
| Pyramids of
biomass |
The pyramid which shows the relationship between the biomass of producers, herbivores and carnivores at successive trophic levels is called pyramid of biomass. |
| Pyramids of
energy |
The pyramid which shows the relationship between the energy successive trophic levels is called pyramid of energy. |
| Biogeochemical cycle | The cyclic exchange of different chemical elements between the living and non-living component of the biosphere is called biogeochemical cycle. |
| Nitrogen cycle | The process by which limited amount of nitrogen is circulated and re-circulated throughout the world of living organisms is known as the nitrogen cycle. |
