Biotic Components Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Biotic Components - Essay Example The beginner of the pond ecosystem is sun. Producers use sunlight and convert carbon dioxide and water into organic compounds and oxygen through a process called photosynthesis. Other most important nutrition for plants is nitrogen and phosphorus. Wandering plants or the phytoplankton (Volvox, Oscillatoria, Diatoms, Spirogyra, Zygnema, Hydrodictyon, Desmids, etc) go through the process of photosynthesis and release oxygen in the water which can be used by bacteria and animals in the pond. Likewise, the Periphytic algae (attached to the rocks and other substances) carry out photosynthesis and provide oxygen in the bottom of the pond so the decomposers can use it. The submerged plants and the Floating plants (Nelumbium, Nymphea, Blixa, Eicchornia, Pistia etc) provide oxygen to the pond and the emergent plants, to the environment outside the pond. This is the first level. Herbivores and carnivorous belong to the second level and are called consumers. Herbivores feed on plants and get en ergy whereas the carnivores feed on herbivorous and get energy. But whenever an animal or a plant is not consumed by any other animal, that matter is decomposed by decomposers, which are on the 3rd level. The tissues are broken down into much simpler compounds which are again used by the plants for nutrients. As energy is converter, some of it is released in the form of heat in the water to maintain the inner functions of the cells in every organism. Nutrient cycle Carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen are really important for a cell. The process through which these substances pass from on organism to another or from on cell to the other is called nutrient cycle. Change over time The health of an ecosystem can be endangered by several changes over time. If specie is killed in the pond, it can be highly dangerous for other living in the pond as many animals might feed on that specie for nutrients and the whole system might crash. Due to the climate change, excessive heat in the environment, d rought can appear killing all the species living there. The growth of thick trees around the pond can block the passage of sunlight to the pond, resulting in death of plants and thus the animals. Besides this, natural succession can occur which can totally change the biotic community. It actually occurs due to the changes in the plants, animals or other a-biotic factors, and so a new eco cycle can begin How humans may have affected biogeochemical cycles in that ecosystem. There are many ways a human might affect the pond ecosystem. Nitrogen cycle affected: During transportation, ammonia is released in the atmosphere, which is absorbed in the pond. Fertilizers are highly harmful for the fishes as it contains nitrites and nitrates and thus can affect the nitrogen cycle. Ammonia is extremely toxic to fish and should be removed or converted into harmless matter. If the level of ammonia increases in the pond, fishes can die. New agricultural practices have highly disturbed the nitrogen c ycle of the pond. In order to fulfill the agricultural demands for food, there is an extensive usage of nitrogen gas in the green house which enters the pond through different means. Carbon cycle affected: Accumulation of Carbon dioxide in the pond is highly dangerous for the fish species living in it. If the carbon dioxide amount is high in the pond, it would be difficult for the fishes to remove their internal carbon dioxide in the water, resulting in accumulation in fish blood. This inhibits and endangers the ability of hemoglobin in the fish blood, and thus causes suffocation for fishes.