Components of an ecosystem :– 

An ecosystem is formed of two major components:– 

(a) Biotic components 

(b) Abiotic components 

(a) Biotic components – All the living organisms present in the ecosytem from the biotic components. It is categorized into three groups– 

(i) Producers 

(ii) Consumers 

(iii) Decomposers 

(i) Producers – These components include those living organisms which manufacture their own food from inorganic substances. These include green plants, photosynthetic bacteria, cyanobacteria, etc. they are autotrophic. 

(ii) Consumers – As they consume the producers directly or indirectly they are called consumers. They are heterotrophic. These are of three types – Primary consumers, secondary consumers and tertiary consumers. 

(iii) Decomposers – These are decomposers or saprotrophs or reducers which decompose the complex organic compounds of dead bodies of both plants and animals. They include bacteria and fungi. 

(b) Abiotic components – Abiotic components of an ecosystem consists of nonliving substances and factors. They are broadly classified into edaphic and climatic factors. The edaphic factors include those connected with soil like topography, mineral, elements, background. pH (Hydrogen ion concentration) etc. Climatic factors include those formed by interaction of solar radiation with various constituents of hydrosphere, lithosphere, altitude and latitude. Abiotic factors limit the distributions behaviour and relationship with other organisms.