Forest as an ecosystem

a) Abiotic components: In a forest ecosystem soil,. moisture, air and sunlight from the abiotic or physical component.

b) Biotic components: Three important biotic components include producers, consumers and decomposers and transformers.

A. Producers:

• All the green plants of a forest are producers.
• They are the main sources of food for angiospermous and gymnospermous trees.
• These plants utilize radiant energy of sum to a greatest extent.
• Below the level of trees there is a layer of shrubs which consume light energy of low intensity coming through trees.
• Just below the shrubs there are grasses, herbs, lichens and mosses. These also manufacture food. These plants get least light.

B. Consumers:

• Consumers of first order in the forest are grasshoppers, rabbit, deer, monkey, birds and many other wild herbivorous animals which utilize plants directly as their food.
• Secondary consumers are wolfs, pythons, jackals etc which consume the flesh of herbivores.
• Lion, tiger, hawks are the consumers of top level.

C. Decomposers and Transformers:

• There are microorganisms, chiefly bacteria and fungi which attack dead bodies of producers and consumers and convert complex organic compounds into simpler inorganic compounds and elements.
• These free elements again return to the abiotic components are re-utilized by producers in their nutrition.