Therefore, internal factors not only control ecosystem processes but are also controlled by them.Įcosystems are dynamic entities-they are subject to periodic disturbances and are always in the process of recovering from some past disturbance. While the resource inputs are generally controlled by external processes, the availability of these resources within the ecosystem is controlled by internal factors. Internal factors are controlled, for example, by decomposition, root competition, shading, disturbance, succession, and the types of species present. External factors such as climate, parent material which forms the soil and topography, control the overall structure of an ecosystem but are not themselves influenced by the ecosystem. By breaking down dead organic matter, decomposers release carbon back to the atmosphere and facilitate nutrient cycling by converting nutrients stored in dead biomass back to a form that can be readily used by plants and microbes.Įcosystems are controlled by external and internal factors. They also influence the quantity of plant and microbial biomass present. By feeding on plants and on one another, animals play an important role in the movement of matter and energy through the system. Energy enters the system through photosynthesis and is incorporated into plant tissue. : 458 These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact.
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