Ecology & Nitrogen Cycle Basics

Ecology & Nitrogen Cycle Basics

Ecology

• Study of the Interrelationship Between Living Organisms and Their Environment

• Environments include both biotic and abiotic factors.

• Various populationsliving in a definite geographical region are called a biotic community.

• The word 'ecosystem' or 'ecological system' was first coined by the scientist namely Tansley.

Every ecosystem is made up of two components –

(A) Biotic component – Living part

(B) Abiotic component – Non-living part

A. Biotic Components

It is divided into three parts –

1. Producer

2. Consumer

3. Decomposers

1. Producer

• Those components that make their own food. Like – green plants.

2. Consumer

Those components that consume the food made by plants. Consumers are of three types –

a. Primary Consumers

• In this category those organisms are included that live on green plants or some parts of them.

b. Secondary Consumers

• In this category those organisms are included that depend on the primary consumers as their food.

• Like – fox, wolf, peacocks, etc.

c. Tertiary Consumers

• In this category are included those organisms that depend on the secondary consumers.

• Like – Tiger, lion, cheetah etc.

3. Decomposers

• Mainly fungi and bacteria are included in this category.

• These decompose dead producers and consumers and change them into physical elements.

B. Abiotic Component

Abiotic components are as follows –

1. Carbonic substance

2. Non-carbonic substance

3. Climatic factor

Example: water, sun-light, temperature, air, humidity, soil, minerals, etc.

Food Chain

• Transfer of energy from the producer through a series of organisms.

• Example: Grass → Goat → Human.

• Where grass is the producer, while goats and humans are primary and secondary consumers.

• Man is a primary as well as a secondary consumer.

Steppe and Bioregions

• The term 'steppe' is associated with bioregion grasslands.

• About 2% of the world’s land area is tropical rainforest.

• Beef is the world's growing appetite for a food product, which is the leading cause of tropical deforestation.

Components of Ecosystem

• Two components of an ecosystem are biotic and abiotic.

• The resources which are obtained by the biosphere and have life are called biotic resources.

• B-Diversity is also known as ecosystem diversity.

Biosphere Reserve

• An ecosystem with plants and animals protected by law to support conservation of natural resources and help in learning as well as research for sustainable development.

• Dr Dhrubajyoti Ghosh is associated with ecology and works on the east Kolkata wetland and its wise use.

Red Data Book

• Deals with plants on the verge of extinction.

Thermosphere

• Lies above the mesosphere, in which region temperatures increase with height.

Lithosphere

• The sphere of living matter together with water and soil on the surface of the earth is called the lithosphere.

Nitrogen Cycle

Nitrogen Fixation

• Nitrogen fixation is a process in which free atmospheric nitrogen is converted by living organisms into nitrogenous compounds that can be used by plants.

Ammonification

• Formation of ammonia from organic compounds like proteins and nucleic acids by microorganisms.

Nitrification

• A process in which ammonia is converted into nitrites and nitrates by Nitrobacteria.

• Plants use nitrogen mostly in the form of nitrate.

Denitrification

• It is the process of converting fixed nitrogen like nitrates, nitrites and ammonia into free nitrogen by denitrifying bacteria, e.g., Pseudomonas.

Final Thoughts

The study of ecology helps us understand how living organisms interact with each other and their environment. An ecosystem includes both biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components that work together to maintain balance in nature.

Producers like green plants make food, consumers depend on them for energy, and decomposers recycle nutrients back into the soil. The nitrogen cycle plays a vital role by converting atmospheric nitrogen into forms plants can use through processes like fixation, nitrification, and denitrification.

Understanding ecology and the nitrogen cycle helps us protect biodiversity, manage natural resources wisely, and sustain life on Earth responsibly.