How living things depend on each other and their surroundings
An ecosystem is made of living things, such as plants, animals and microorganisms, and non-living things, such as air, water, soil and sunlight, all interacting together. A pond, a forest and a desert are ecosystems. Green plants are producers because they make their own food using sunlight. Animals are consumers: herbivores eat plants, and carnivores eat other animals. Decomposers, such as bacteria and fungi, break down dead matter and return nutrients to the soil.
A food chain shows who eats whom, such as grass → grasshopper → frog → snake. In nature, many food chains link together to form a food web. Energy from the Sun flows through the chain, but much is lost at each step, which is why food chains are usually short. Nutrients like carbon and nitrogen are recycled through nature. Human activities such as cutting forests, polluting water and overusing pesticides disturb ecosystems and can make species endangered.
Why it matters
Ecosystems give us clean air, water, food and medicines. Understanding food webs shows why killing one type of animal, like frogs or vultures, can cause pest outbreaks or disease. Protecting forests, planting trees and reducing waste help keep ecosystems healthy. This topic grows into the study of ecology and biodiversity in Class 12.
Key terms
- Ecosystem
- A community of living things interacting with their non-living environment.
- Producer
- A green plant that makes its own food by photosynthesis.
- Decomposer
- An organism, like bacteria or fungi, that breaks down dead plants and animals.
- Food web
- A network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem.