The biological, geochemical and physical processes and components that take place within an ecosystem are collectively called as ecological functions.

1. Functional Components
of an Ecosystem
By Prof. Liwayway Memije-Cruz

2. The Sun as the ultimate source of energy.

4. Diversity
number of
species of
animals
and plants
in a given
community

5. Evolution
 A process of change in
biological systems due
to forces in the
environment.
 populations of living
things can change
genetically over time
and that this change
can lead to a
population that is very
well adapted to its
environment. – Theory
of Evolution

6. Ecological Succession
 progressive changes in community structure through time
 orderly process of community development that involves
changes in species structure and community process with
time

7. Climax community
 an ecological
community in the
final stable
community or final
stage of succession,
in which the species
composition remains
relatively stable until
a disturbance such as
fire occurs.

8. Primary succession
 colonization of new sites by communities of
organisms. It often occurs after a devastating event
has wiped out the organisms that lived in the area, or
with the creation of a new habitat.

9. Secondary succession
 process of regrowth that an ecosystem undergoes after
a destructive event such as a fire, avalanche,
agricultural clearing, deforestation, or disease

10. Cybernetics
 Science of control
 Community interactions

11. Competition
 results when a needed resource is in short supply
relative to the number of organism seeking it.

12. Intraspecific competition
 the conflict over resources
between members of the
same species.
 may result to decreased
retarded growth of
individuals, decreased
density, increased biomass
in individual plants, delayed
reproduction and density-
dependent mortality in
animals brought about by
malnutrition and decline in
immunity to diseases and
parasites.

13. Interspecific competition
 occurs between members of two, or more, different species.
 seeking of the resource in short supply by the individuals of
two or more species, reducing the fitness of both.

14. Exploitative competition
 the one that depletes the resource to the level where it is
of little value to each population.

15. Interference competition
 involves direct aggressive interactions between
competitors.

16. Gause Competitive Exclusion Principle
 similar species cannot coexist for long in the same
ecological niche