HARAMAYA UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES
Crop Ecology and Cropping System (PLAG 522)
Ecosystem Structure and Productivity
By
Demissie Alemayehu
Instructor: Abdulatif Ahmed (PhD)
June, 2015
Point of Discussion
What is ecosystem Structure?
Components of Ecosystem structure
Productivity
Type of Productivity
Gross and Net Primary Production
Factor Affecting Productivity
Distribution of World Productivity
Summary and Conclusion
The Objective of this topic is to give highlight of the Ecosystem
structure and productivity
Ecosystem Structure
composition of biological community including:
Species
Specie Number
Life History and
Distribution in space , etc.
the quantity and distribution of non-living material like nutrients,
water etc.
the conditions of existence such as temperature, light etc.
Generally, ecosystem structure is a network of interactions between
components of the system ( F. Golley, 2000)
o The structure of an ecosystem is characterized by the organization of
abiotic and biotic components.
Cont’d
1. Abiotic Components
Climatic Inorganic Organic
Factors Substance Substances
Lipid
Sunlight Carbon Cycle
-Ssu Cc Protein
Li
Precipitation Nitrogen Cycle Carbohydrates
Humidity Water Cycle etc.
Wind
Cont’d
2. Biotic Components
Consumers
Producers Decomposer
Fungi
Plants Bacteria
Herbivores Carnivores Omnivores
Different approaches can be taken:
I. Ecosystem structural components
II. Trophic structure
III. Structure in space
I. Ecosystem structural components
A. organisms present = species richness
B. Resources : physical material (organic and inorganic) of the
environment, that is exchanged among organisms.
C. Regulators: physical conditions of the ecosystem : water
availability, topography, temperature, light
II. Trophic structure
The food relationships between the structural components of the
ecosystem: producers, consumer, decomposer.
These relationships facilitate the transfer of matter and energy
between the living components of the system and between them
and non-living environment.
III. Structure in space
A. Vertical structure
Stratification of the organisms, which is a result of different
environmental conditions (light, water ability, etc.)
Example: woodland, where vertical structure consist different
strata.
In aquatic ecosystems, the main factor that has an influence on
vertical location is light availability, so in upper layers we have
photosynthetic organisms, while in darker parts – heterotrophs which
use generated matter.
III. Structure in space Cont….
A. Horizontal structure (area distribution)
Gives a location of each individual of all species in a two-
dimensional framework.
The study of horizontal patterns is attempted only for small
areas, usually to monitor short-term change
Cont’d
Inorganic Substance
These include elements such as carbon, nitrogen, Oxygen etc.,
used in synthesis of complex substances and involved in various
material cycle.
Examples: Carbon Cycle, Nitrogen cycle etc.
Organic Substance
These include Lipids, Proteins, Carbohydrates
Which are formed by biotic components and
that are linked with biotic components.
They have a strong influence on structure,
behavior and inter relationship of various
organisms in an ecosystem.
Productivity
Productivity is the rate at which chemical energy is produced in
an ecosystem – expressed as ‘gram of organic matter per square
metre per year’.
Cont’d
Primary productivity is the rate of energy capture by producers.
= the amount of new biomass of producers, per unit time and
space
Cont’d
production of organic matter from inorganic carbon
sources.
occurs through photosynthesis.
Gross and Net Primary Production.
Total primary production is known as
gross primary production (GPP).
This is the amount of light energy that is
converted into chemical energy.
The net primary production (NPP) is equal
to gross primary production minus the energy
used by the primary producers for respiration
(R):
NPP = GPP – R
Cont’d
i.e. is the rate at which energy for use by consumers is stored in
new biomass.
Cont’d
Primary production can be expressed in
terms of energy per unit area per unit time,
or as biomass of vegetation added to the
ecosystem per unit area per unit time.
This should not be confused with the
total biomass of photosynthetic
autotrophs present in a given time,
called the standing crop.
Secondary Production
the rate of production of new biomass by consumers,
i.e., the rate at which consumers convert organic material into new
biomass of consumers.
Note that secondary production simply involves the repackaging of
energy previously captured by producers. No additional energy is
introduced into the food chain.
And, since there are multiple levels of consumers and no new energy
is being captured and introduced into the system, the modifiers gross
and net are not very appropriate and are not usually used.
Cont’d
Generally ecosystems with the highest net productivity are
those with the greatest accumulated producer biomass
The higher the net primary production of an ecosystem, the
more food is available for consumer organisms and the
greater the biomass of consumers living in that ecosystem.
More producer
biomass
More
photosynthesis More chemical
energy stored in
organic matter
Factor affecting Productivity
1. Temperature: regulates the rate of Physiological processes and
influencing growth and development of plant.
2. Water: H2O is required by all living organisms. Plant can be
stressed by Lack of moisture as well as an excess moisture.
3. Light: Plants are dependent on light for survival. On the other
hand, decrease in light can become limiting factor to plant
growth for it shows the rate of photosynthesis.
4. Nutrient: Nutrient deficiencies in the soil resulted in reduced
Crop production, modified vegetation composition and altered
nutrient content of crop.
5. Atmosphere: The atmosphere contains gases required for
Photosynthesis(CO2) and respiration(O2) is the source of
nitrogen.
Distribution of World Productivity
Different ecosystems differ greatly in their production as well as in
their contribution to the total production of the Earth.
Productivity in land ecosystems generally rises with temperature up
to about 30°C, after which it declines, and is positively correlated
with moisture.
On land primary productivity is highest in warm, wet zones in the
tropics where tropical forest biomes are located.
In contrast, desert scrub ecosystems have the lowest productivity
because their climates are extremely hot and dry (Fig. below).
Cont’d
Production in Marine ecosystems.
Light and nutrients are important controlling factors for
productivity in Marine Ecosystem.
Light penetrates only into the uppermost level of the oceans(photic
zone), so photosynthesis occurs in surface and near-surface waters .
Cont’d
Marine primary productivity is high:
near coastlines and
other areas where upwelling brings nutrients to the
surface, promoting plankton blooms.
Runoff from land is also a source of nutrients in estuaries and
along the continental shelves.
Among aquatic ecosystems, algal beds and coral reefs have the
highest net primary production, while the lowest rates occur in the
open due to a lack of nutrients in the illuminated surface layers.
Cont’d
Cont’d
Summary and Conclusion
Ecosystem structure is a network of interactions between
components of the system . This includes different approaches.
- Ecosystem structural components
-Trophic Structure
- Structure in space
Gross Productivity
Varies across the surface of the earth
Generally greatest productivity
• In shallow waters near continents
• Along coral reefs – abundant light, heat, nutrients
• Where upwelling currents bring nitrogen & phosphorous to the surface
Generally lowest
• In deserts & arid regions with lack of water but high temperatures
• Open ocean lacking nutrients and sun only near the surface
Net Productivity
Some of GPP used to stay alive, grow and reproduce
NPP is what’s left
Most NPP
• Estuaries, swamps, tropical rainforests
Least NPP
• Open ocean, tundra, desert
Open ocean has low NPP but its large area gives it more NPP
total than anywhere else
Agricultural Land
Highly modified, maintained ecosystems
Goal is increasing NPP and biomass of crop plants
Add in water (irrigation), nutrients (fertilizer)
Nitrogen and phosphorous are most often limiting to crop growth
Despite modification NPP in agricultural land is less than many
other ecosystems
Thank you!!
