UNDERSTANDING ECOSYSTEMS AND ECOSYSTEM COMPONENTS

Understanding Ecosystems and component ecosystem is a system formed by the reciprocal relationship between living things and their environment. In another sense, the ecosystem is the order of unity among all the biotic and abiotic components affect each other.

Based on this definition, an ecosystem is formed by the components of living (biotic) and not living (abiotic) that interact to form an entity that regularly. The regularity is due to the flow of material and energy flows controlled by the transport and transformations among components of the ecosystem. Each component has a function (niche) specific. During each fixed component performs its functions and work well together, the regularity of the ecosystem will be maintained.

Based on the functions and aspects of preparation, ecosystems can be divided into two components, as follows.

 
1. Abiotic components, ie components which consist of materials do not live (non-biological), which includes the physical and chemical components, such as soil, water, sun, air, and energy.

 
2. Biotic components, ie components which consist of materials that are living organisms that include autotrophs and heterotrophs.

a. Autotrophs organisms are all organisms that can make or synthesize their own food, such as organic materials and inorganic materials with the help of solar energy through the process of photosynthesis. All organisms that contain green chlorophyll of plants, especially leaves called autotrophs organisms.

b. Heterotrophs are organisms that all organisms can not make their own food, but it looked faat organic material from other organisms as a food ingredient.

Heterotrophic organisms consists of three parts, as follows.

1) Consumers, the heterotrophic organisms that directly consume other organisms, such as humans and    animals.

 
2) Decomposers (perombak or decomposers), which heterotroph organisms that get food in the form of organic material by way of overhauling the remains of dead organisms or products of living organisms, such as bacteria and fungi;

 
3) Detritivor, the heterotrophic organisms that eat organic particles or crushed decaying organic tissue, such as earthworms, snails, and sea cucumbers.