12.

2 Ecosystem concept
- Describe the following ecosystem structures
 OBJECTIVES
Students should be able to:

Describe the lake ecosystem

Describe the terrestrial ecosystem of
tropical rainforest
A lake ecosystem

A terrestrial ecosystem
 Lake Ecosystem
Lakes are standing bodies of freshwater
produced by geologic processes, as when an
advancing glacier carves out the land beneath it.

Abiotic factor in a lake ecosystem

- sum of light
- type of substrate and habitat
- nutrient
SUM OF LIGHT
How much sunlight can penetrates through
the water
Factor sum of light depends on
i. Duration of light
ii. Present of particle in water
iii. Present of particle in air and cloud
Sum of light can make phenomena which is
importance
i. compensation point
ii. lake zonation
iii. thermal layering
COMPENSATION POINT
Point of balance between respiration and
photosynthesis, as determined by intensity of
light at a given temperature.
Limit of effective light penetration
Limit of sea or lake depth below which plants
lose more by respiration than they gain by
photosynthesis
 Lake Ecosystem
Based on light penetration.
A lake can be divided into these main zones:
i. Photic zone
- the upper layer where light is sufficient
for photosynthesis.

ii. Aphotic zone

- the lower layer that receives little light
and no photosynthesis occurs.
 Lake Ecosystem
Based on distance from shore and water depth.
A lake can be divided into these main zones:
i. Littoral zone

ii. Limnetic zone

iii. Profundal zone

iv. Benthic

v. Pelagic
 Lake Ecosystem
Based on distance from shore and water depth.

i. Littoral zone
- shallow-water area along the shore of a lake
- rooted & emergent vegetation such as cattails and
burrreds plus several deeper-dwelling aquatic plants
and algae
-Photosynthesis is greatest here stimulate the growth
of plant and algae
-Animals of littoral zone include frogs, turtles, worms,
crayfish and other crustaceans.
-Diversity is the greatest here.
 Lake Ecosystem
Based on distance from shore and water depth.

ii. Limnetic zone

-Open water beyond the littoral zone, that is away
from the shore
-It extends down as far as sunlight penetrates to
permit photosynthesis
-The main organism are microscopic phytoplankton
and zooplankton
--Larger fish also spend some of their time in the
limnetic zone , although they may visit the littoral
zone to feed and reproduce
 Lake Ecosystem
Based on distance from shore and water depth

iii. Profundal zone

- deeper waters where light does not
penetrate ( [O2] )
- Detritus sinks through this zone to
bottom sediments.
- Communities of diverse bacterial
decomposers live in and on bottom
sediments, and they enrich the water
with nutrients.
 Lake Ecosystem
Based on distance from shore and water depth

iv. Benthic
- the sediments at the soil, water
interphase
- zone of decomposition where plants
materials either decay or sink to the
bottom and accumulates.
- dominated by bacteria and fungi.
 Lake Ecosystem
Based on distance from shore and water depth

v. Pelagic
- limnetic and profundal zones
Lake zonation

Compensation point
 Terrestrial Ecosystem
E.g: tropical rain forest
more complex
Sunlight is a major factor
Can be stratified into these layers:
i. emergent layer
ii. canopy layer
iii. shrub layer
iv. herb layer
v. thaloid layer ( forest floor )
Terrestrial Ecosystem

emergent strata

canopy strata

shrub strata

herb strata

taloid strata
Terrestrial Ecosystem
A terrestrial ecosystem have many
physical variation such as

a) climate temperature, density of light,

moisture and wind
b) heterogen of soil type of soil, edaphic
and profile of soil
c) topography hill, mount, sea side
 Terrestrial Ecosystem
Strata Example of plants Example of animals

Emergent Tualang trees Large Birds, eagle

Canopy Petai plants, epiphytes Monkeys, birds

Shrub Hibiscus Small Birds, honey

bees
Herb Ferns Reptiles, ants

Thaloid Bryophytes Millipedes, termites