What is ecosystem?

At an NCC camp that Ram's class was attending, John exclaimed, " What a heavy downpour. It reminds me of my home in Kerala.You should come and see how it pours and pours and pours over the lush green fields and coconut plantation." 

      Heera from Jaisalmer exclaimed," We get no rains.We see only ' kikar ' and sand, as far as the eyes can see," " But you also find camels", said Ram.

      Heera says,"Not just camels.If you visit our desert,you will see snakes, lizards and many insects too."

      Ram wondered," Why do the animals, the vegetation and the way people live vary from place to place ? Are they all related to each other?"

     "Oh yes, very much so", the teacher replied.

    All plants animals and human beings depend on their immediate surroundings. Often they are also interdependent on each other. This relation between the organisms and their surroundings from an ecosystem.

There could be an ecosystem of large rain forest, grassland, desert, mountains,lake,river,ocean and even a small pond.

Ecosystem: It is a system formed by the interaction of all living organisms with each other and with the physical and chemical factors of the environment in which the live ,all linked by transfer off energy and material.

           A Ponds Ecosystem