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Non-living Matter: It is the soil, sediments, leaf litter and other organic matter that does not contain life but
supports life in a passive way.

Types of Ecosystem
There are two kinds of ecosystem: Natural Ecosystem and Artifi cial Ecosystem. Any sub-ecosystem falls under
one of these two headings. Let’s take a look at the ecosystem structure and its types.

Types of Ecosystem

Natural Ecosystem Artifi cial / Man-made Ecosystem

Marine
Terrestrial Ecosystem Aquatic Ecosystem
Freshwater

Forest Desert Grassland Mountain
Wetlands Lotic Lentic

Types of Ecosystem
 Artifi cial Ecosystem: Artifi cial ecosystems are formed in natural regions with the interferences of the
humans. They are artifi cial lakes, reservoirs, townships, cities, etc.
 Natural Ecosystem: Natural ecosystems are basically classifi ed into two major types.

 Terrestrial Ecosystem: Terrestrial ecosystems are those regions where plants and animals live in the
area that surrounds a certain terrestrial space. In these places, it is assumed that living things that
inhabit the ecosystem find everything they need to be able to survive.
For example:
• The forest ecosystem are the ecosystems in which the abundance of fl ora or plants is seen so they
have a big number of organisms which live relatively in small space.
• The desert ecosystem are located in regions that receive very little rainfall. They occupy about 17
percent of all the land on our planet. Due to the extremely high temperature, low water availability
and intense sunlight, the fauna and fl ora are scarce and poorly developed. The vegetation is mainly
shrubs, bushes, few grasses and rare trees.
• The grassland ecosystem are located in both the tropical and temperate regions of the world. The
area mainly comprises grasses with a few trees and shrubs. The main vegetation includes grasses,
plants and legumes that belong to the composite family.
• The mountain ecosystem provide a scattered and diverse array of habitats where some animals
and plants are found. The animals that live there have thick fur coats for prevention from cold and
hibernation in the winter months.
 Aquatic Ecosystem: They are made up of plants and animals that live in water. It encompasses aquatic
flora, fauna and water. These ecosystems differ in relation to the geographic region where they exist
(Antarctica, Sub-Antarctic, tropical and sub-tropical) and their proximity to the land (coastal, oceanic
and estuarine ecosystems). There are two main types of aquatic ecosystem–marine and freshwater.
• The marine ecosystem is the biggest ecosystem which covers around 71% of Earth’s surface and
contains 97% of our planet’s water. Water in marine ecosystem features high amounts of minerals
and salts dissolved in it. Many kinds of organisms live in marine ecosystem. For example, the
brown algae, corals, cephalopods, echinoderms, din fl agellates and sharks.

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