What are the functions of the ecosystem? What is meant by ecological succession? What are its different types? What is meant by Homeostasis in the ecosystem? Read further to know more.

Ecosystems are ecological structural and functional entities in which a sequence of interactions between species and their surroundings takes place. Ecological functions in the food chain include the exchange of energy and nutrients. In general, ecosystems maintain a balance of producers, consumers, and decomposers.

Ecological succession is a key concept in ecology. Ecological succession refers to the process through which the species and environment mix in a given area and change over time. These communities gradually supersede one another until a “climax community,” such as a mature forest, forms or a disruption occurs, such as a fire.

Ecosystems are capable of remaining in a state of balance. They can manipulate the structure and functional processes of their own species. Homeostasis refers to the ecosystem’s ability to self-regulate. An ecosystem’s sustainability is dependent on equilibrium balance. Hence, environmental homeostasis refers to the equilibrium of species in an ecosystem.

Also read: Energy Flow Through an Ecosystem

Ecosystem’s Functions

The functional characteristics of the ecosystem keep the components working together. Functions of ecosystem include:

Ecosystem functions are natural processes or energy exchanges that take place in various plant and animal groupings across the globe’s biomes.
Green leaves, for example, prepare food, while roots take nutrients from the earth; herbivores and predators consume the leaves and roots.
Decomposers are responsible for converting complex organic resources into simple inorganic chemicals that producers can use.
The transfer of energy and nutrients in the food chain is the essence of ecosystem operations.
These interactions ensure the survival of plant and animal life on Earth, as well as organic matter decomposition and biomass formation.
All of the ecosystem’s functions are carried out through precisely balanced and regulated procedures.

The following broad categories can be used to study ecological functions:

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Energy Flow
Nutrient cycling
Ecological succession or ecosystem development

The Flow of Energy

Energy flow refers to the movement of energy through living organisms in an environment.
A food chain can be built by dividing all living species into producers and consumers.
A trophic level is a name given to each nutritional level in the food chain.

Nutrient Cycling

The nutrient cycle is a concept that describes the transfer of nutrients from the physical environment to living beings and back again.
The passage of nutrients from the environment to plants and animals and back again is required for life to exist.
This cycle is an essential component of each region’s ecology.
To keep an organism alive for a long time, the nutrition cycle must be balanced and steady in any given environment.

Ecological Succession

Succession is a universal process of directional change in plants on an ecological time scale.
Succession occurs when a number of communities are displaced by large-scale natural or man-made calamities.
This cycle is repeated until a stable, adult community arises, with one group displacing another.
Succession is a chain of circumstances that leads to the establishment of a relatively stable peak community.

Ecological succession refers to the process through which the species and environment mix in a given area changes over time. These communities gradually supersede one another until a “climax community,” such as a mature forest, forms or a disruption occurs, such as a fire.

Ecological succession

Succession is a universal process of directional change in plants on an ecological time scale.

Succession occurs when a series of communities are displaced by a large-scale natural or man-made tragedy.
This cycle is repeated until a stable, adult community arises, with one group displacing another.
The pioneer community is the first plant to settle in a new area. The final stage of succession is the climax community. The seral, or successional, stages are those that precede the climax community.
When an abandoned farm field in midwestern India is left alone for several years, it gradually evolves into a meadow, then a few bushes, and finally trees completely cover the field, resulting in a forest.
Succession is characterised by improved productivity, a movement of resources from reservoirs, greater species diversity with increased niche formation, and a progressive increase in the complexity of food webs.

Ecological succession includes primary succession, secondary succession, autogenic succession, allogenic succession, autotrophic and heterotrophic succession.

Also read: Bioremediation

Primary Succession

Primary succession occurs when there is no plant life on the landscape, such as after a lava flow or glacial retreat.
During primary succession, organisms must begin from the beginning.
Lichens may cling to rocks first, followed by the emergence of a few small plants capable of thriving without soil. “Pioneer species” is what they’re called.
When these plants decompose, soil forms and more and larger plants inhabit the area.
A climax community, akin to a forest, forms after enough soil has accumulated and enough nutrients are available.
If the site is disturbed after this stage, secondary succession occurs.

Secondary Succession

Secondary succession occurs when a disturbance impacts a climax or intermediate community.
The succession cycle has been restarted, but not completely—soil and nutrients remain.
Secondary succession can thus be defined as the development of biotic communities in sequential order following the whole or partial demise of the prior community.
Following a forest fire, for example, that eliminates all of the mature trees on certain terrain, grasses may grow, followed by shrubs and a variety of tree species, until the pre-fire community recovers.

Autogenic and Allogenic Succession

Autogenic succession refers to ecological succession that is driven by biotic factors or living organisms in that specific community.
In contrast, allogenic succession is an ecological succession that is impacted by abiotic or external community forces.
Additionally, biotic variables such as vegetation and organic matter accumulated in the soil influence the ecological community in autogenic succession, whereas exogenous phenomena such as volcanoes, flooding, forest fires, and global warming influence the ecological community in allogenic succession.
Secondary succession starts with autogenic succession and advances to autogenic succession, whereas primary succession starts with allogenic succession and then progresses to autogenic succession.

Autotrophic and Heterotrophic Succession

The term autotrophic succession refers to succession in which green plants predominate at first.
Heterotrophic succession, on the other hand, refers to succession in which heterotrophs are abundant.
The succession would be faster in the area that lies in the middle of the large continent.
This is due to the fact that all pollen grains or seeds of plants from diverse seres would arrive faster, settle, and finally result in a climax community.

Importance of Ecological Succession

Despite popular belief that succession is an out-of-date topic, new investigations and reviews reveal that it continues to play a significant role in modern ecological theory and practice.
Ecological succession is essential for the growth and development of an ecosystem.
It promotes the colonisation of new areas as well as the recolonization of areas damaged by biotic and environmental factors.
As a result, organisms can learn to adapt to changing environments and exist in them.

Homeostasis in Ecosystem

Concept of Homeostasis in Ecosystem

Equilibrium is critical for ecosystem homeostasis. Something is in equilibrium when it is balanced.
They can manipulate the structure and function of their own species. The ability of an ecosystem to self-regulate is referred to as homeostasis.
When an organism strives to maintain a consistent internal (body) environment that permits all biochemical reactions and physiological activities to run as effectively as possible, therefore boosting the species’ overall fitness. This procedure is known as homeostasis.
This consistency could be expressed in terms of ideal temperature or osmotic concentration of body fluids.
Regardless of changing external environmental variables that disrupt the organism’s homeostasis, the organism should strive to maintain a stable internal (within the body) environment (a process termed homeostasis).
Hence, homeostasis refers to an ecological system’s ability to sustain stable system properties in the face of disruptions.

Methods to have homeostasis include regulation, conform, migration and suspension.

Also read: Ecosystem- In layman’s Language

Regulate

Certain species can maintain homeostasis through physiological (or behavioural – migrating to tree shade) techniques that assure constant body temperature, constant osmotic concentration, and so on.
All birds and mammals, as well as a few lower vertebrate and invertebrate taxa, are capable of this regulation (thermoregulation and osmoregulation).
Mammals’ “success’ stems partly from their capacity to maintain consistent body temperature and thrive whether in Antarctica or the Sahara Desert.
Plants, on the other hand, lack such internal temperature-control mechanisms.

Conform

The vast majority of animals and nearly all plants are unable to sustain a stable interior environment. Their body temperature varies with the temperature outside.
The osmotic concentration of bodily fluids in aquatic animals varies with the osmotic concentration of ambient water. These creatures and plants are nothing more than conformists.

Migrate

The creature can temporarily relocate to a less stressful environment and then return after the stressful phase is ended.
Every winter, thousands of migratory birds from Siberia and other extremely cold northern regions visit Rajasthan’s famous Keoladeo National Park (Bharatpur).

Suspend

Several types of thick-walled spores are generated in bacteria, fungi, and lower plants to assist them survive adverse conditions; they germinate when a suitable environment is available.
Seeds and other vegetative reproductive structures in higher plants serve as a means of surviving stressful periods as well as aiding in spreading.
If an organism is unable to move, it may prevent stress by fleeing in time. The well-known example of bears hibernating throughout the winter is an example of a timely escape.
Some snails and fish enter aestivation to avoid the summer’s issues of heat and desiccation.
Several zooplankton species in lakes and ponds are known to enter diapause, a stage of suspended development, under adverse conditions.

Examples of Homeostasis

There are a lot of examples of Homeostasis in the environment.

Hibernation

Hibernation is a voluntary state that an animal enters in order to conserve energy and minimise exposure to the elements during the winter months when food is limited.
Hibernation causes an animal’s body temperature, respiration, heart rate, and metabolic rate to decrease (the rate at which its body uses energy).
Hibernation in grizzly bears is a great illustration of homeostasis.
Bears hibernate during the winter in most regions of the world.
Hence, bears’ hibernation habit is an example of homeostasis.

Osmoregulation

Osmoregulation is another example of homeostasis. Osmosis is the net flow of water molecules from a high-concentration area to a low-concentration area.
To maintain water balance, salmon (a species of fish) regulates osmosis.
Salmon live their full lives in both freshwater and saltwater.
They are born in freshwater but spend most of their life in salt water. When they go from fresh to saline water, the water balance in their bodies changes.
As a result, osmoregulation in salmon is an example of homeostasis.

Thermoregulation

Thermoregulation is an outstanding illustration of human body homeostasis.
It refers to the regulation of the body’s homeostatic temperature.
The human body has a tendency to maintain the set point, also known as the internal temperature, which is approximately 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (98.6 F, equivalent to 37 degrees Celsius).
Its core temperature is regulated by the neurological system, specifically the anterior hypothalamus and the preoptic section of the brain.
When the ambient temperature is lower than the skin temperature, heat loss occurs.
This means that in colder circumstances (such as winter), the body loses heat mostly through the hands and feet.
As a result, the core temperature drops.

Also Read: Environmental Laws in India – ClearIAS

Regulation of Homeostasis

Homeostasis is maintained by three mechanisms:

Effector: The effector is a mechanism that responds to control centre commands. It has the potential to either neutralise or intensify the stimulation.
Receptor: As the name implies, a receptor is a sensory component that monitors and responds to changes in the external or internal environment.
Control centre: The entire process is always attempting to maintain homeostasis.

Conclusion

As people have had a greater impact on the global environment than ever before, the concept of ecological succession is being studied from new angles. When more refinements to the initial concept were incorporated, new insights that are beneficial to humans involved with natural resource management emerged.

Homeostasis is a defining feature of existence. Homeostasis is the term used to describe resistance to change. Hence, homeostasis helps organisms maintain stable internal and external environments in which they can function optimally. Above all, they regulate the internal factors required to support life.

Functions of ecosystem include maintaining a balance of ecosystem-making interactions between species and their surroundings. Even tiny changes in an ecosystem, such as the extinction or introduction of a single species, can have a large impact on the functions of the ecosystem.

These ecosystem disturbances can be induced by both natural changes and human intervention. Pollution, whether on land, in the water, or in the air, is a severe threat to ecosystems. Pollution can threaten or kill ecosystem-critical animals, generating an imbalance in the ecosystem.

Article Written By: Atheena Fathima Riyas

Functions of Ecosystem: Ecological succession and Homeostasis