Question

Ecosystem may be defined as
(a)Group of plants which act as energy suppliers
(b)Group of organisms which form population
(c)The functional unit for ecological studies
(d)All the above

Answer 1

Hint: The good ecosystem entails plants plus animal genera which interact with one another and also with the environment. The ecosystem is said to be fit if it has energy sources and the decomposers which will break the dead and decaying plants and animal matter thereby returning vital nutrients back to the soil.

Complete answer:
The ecosystem is functional as well as the structural unit of ecology in which the living organisms will interact with each other and also with the surrounding environment. The ecosystem incorporates plants, animals as well as other organisms in a specified area, which will interact with each other plus it will interact with other non-living things. The ecosystem forms the basis of the biosphere and will regulate the health of the complete earth system.
The ecosystem consists of two main components: the biotic and the abiotic system.
Biotic system: It comprises of the complete living system that exists in this world
Abiotic system: It comprises the basic constituents such as water, soil, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other organic substances.
The above figure represents the various ecosystem components.
The Functions of the ecosystem
-The ecosystem controls various vital ecological processes, sustains life forms, and provides stability.
-The cycling of nutrients and energy amongst biotic and abiotic components is a function of the ecosystem.
-The balance between different trophic levels is maintained by the ecosystem.
-The cycling of minerals in the biosphere is a function of the ecosystem.
-The abiotic constituents will aid the synthesis of organic substances that are engaged in the energy exchange.
So, the correct answer is ‘All the above’.

Note: The various types of the ecosystem are forest ecosystem, terrestrial ecosystem, desert ecosystem, grassland ecosystem, freshwater ecosystem, tundra ecosystem, and marine ecosystem. The largest ecosystem in the earth is the aquatic ecosystem (freshwater, marine ecosystem), which constitutes 70% of the total earth’s surface.