Pond ecosystem
It is a shallow water lentic (standing water) ecosystem with self sufficient interacting and interdedepedant biotic and abiotic components.
Structure:
On the basis of depth and type of vegetation ponds can be divided into three zones.
a.Littoral zone:
- shallow water zone near the shore of pond with abundance of macrophytes is called littoral zone.
b. Limnetic zone:
- Open water zone at the centre of the pond.
- It has free floating macrophytes and phytoplankton.
c. Profundal zone:
- It is the zone beneath the limnetic zone.
- It is poor in biodiversity
Like others ecosystem, the structure of pond ecosystem has also interacting abiotic and biotic components.
I. Abiotic components:
Physical factors e.g. light, temperature, atmospheric pressure etc. inorganic chemicals like water, mineral compounds, dissolved oxygen etc. and
Organic substances and wastes constitute abiotic components.
II.Biotic components:
The living components of the ecosystem includes type, number and distribution of different living organisms.
It is of three types-
Producers:
- They are the autotrophic components of ecosystem.
- They are of two types-
Phytoplankton:
They are microscopic plants of pond e.g. Spirogyra, Nostoc, Chlamydomonas, Volvox etc.
Macrophytes:
- They are the large plants of pond and are of three types.
i. Rooted plants e.g. Ranunculus, Sagittaria, Typha etc.
ii. Free floating e.g. pistia, Eichornia, Azolla etc.
iii. Submerged plant e.g. Hydrilla, Vallisnaria etc.
Consumers:
They are heterotrophic animals and are of three types-
i. Primary consumers:
- Plant feeders i.e. herbivores-
- They may be zooplankton- microscopic lower animals e.g. Cyclopes, Daphnia etc.
- Benthos- comparatively larger animals of pond e.g. insects larvae, beetle, crustaceans etc.
ii. Secondary consumer(primary carnivorous) - They feed on herbivores e.g. crabs, small fishes etc.
iii. Tertiary animals (secondary carnivorous)- Feed upon primary carnivorous e.g. large fishes, snakes, birds etc.
Decomposers:
- Bacteria and fungi of pond are called as decomposers because they break down the dead body of plants and animalsinto minerals.
- They are very important because they play role in cycle back minerals elements to be used again by producers.
Structure:
On the basis of depth and type of vegetation ponds can be divided into three zones.
a.Littoral zone:
- shallow water zone near the shore of pond with abundance of macrophytes is called littoral zone.
b. Limnetic zone:
- Open water zone at the centre of the pond.
- It has free floating macrophytes and phytoplankton.
c. Profundal zone:
- It is the zone beneath the limnetic zone.
- It is poor in biodiversity
Like others ecosystem, the structure of pond ecosystem has also interacting abiotic and biotic components.
I. Abiotic components:
Physical factors e.g. light, temperature, atmospheric pressure etc. inorganic chemicals like water, mineral compounds, dissolved oxygen etc. and
Organic substances and wastes constitute abiotic components.
II.Biotic components:
The living components of the ecosystem includes type, number and distribution of different living organisms.
It is of three types-
Producers:
- They are the autotrophic components of ecosystem.
- They are of two types-
Phytoplankton:
They are microscopic plants of pond e.g. Spirogyra, Nostoc, Chlamydomonas, Volvox etc.
Macrophytes:
- They are the large plants of pond and are of three types.
i. Rooted plants e.g. Ranunculus, Sagittaria, Typha etc.
ii. Free floating e.g. pistia, Eichornia, Azolla etc.
iii. Submerged plant e.g. Hydrilla, Vallisnaria etc.
Consumers:
They are heterotrophic animals and are of three types-
i. Primary consumers:
- Plant feeders i.e. herbivores-
- They may be zooplankton- microscopic lower animals e.g. Cyclopes, Daphnia etc.
- Benthos- comparatively larger animals of pond e.g. insects larvae, beetle, crustaceans etc.
ii. Secondary consumer(primary carnivorous) - They feed on herbivores e.g. crabs, small fishes etc.
iii. Tertiary animals (secondary carnivorous)- Feed upon primary carnivorous e.g. large fishes, snakes, birds etc.
Decomposers:
- Bacteria and fungi of pond are called as decomposers because they break down the dead body of plants and animalsinto minerals.
- They are very important because they play role in cycle back minerals elements to be used again by producers.
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