(IPPM) in Vegetables - Vegetableipmasia.org

Resource Manual on IPPM in Rice
World Education Philippines, Inc.
An ecosystem consists of a number of living organisms and their physical
environment. The living organisms and their non-living environment are interrelated
and interact with each other. There is a flow of energy from the non-living organisms
to the living organisms. There are a number of material cycles that is, the exchange
of materials between living and non-living elements of the ecosystem.
The ecosystem is also defined as the complex interaction between non-living/physical
(abiotic) and living organisms (biotic). The earth in itself is an example of a
functioning ecosystem.
An Agroecosystem is a unit composed of the total complex of organisms in an
agricultural area in relation with the environment that may further be modified by the
farmers own agricultural practices.
The word agroecosystem traces its origin from Greek and Latin root words presented
below.
Agro Latin word ager which means agriculture
Eco Greek word oikos which refers to house or the earth
System means grouping of parts that function together as a whole
A. Components of the Ecosystem
The ecosystem is composed of non-living or abiotic and living or biotic components.
Specific examples of each component appear below.
1. Non-living (Abiotic)
a. water
b. soil
c. climate
d. sun
e. temperature
f. inorganic/organic compounds
g. other physical factors
2. Living Organisms (Biotic)
PART II. THE ECOSYSTEM
a. Producers are plants and microscopic forms called phytoplanktons. They are
plants, which have green leaves containing chlorophyll. They produce food
(carbohydrate) for themselves and for all other living things by using sun
energy and by absorbing nutrients (water, carbon dioxide, etc).
b. Consumers are animals which feed on producers. They are divided into 4
groups:
1) Herbivores (first order) - insects that directly eat the products of producers
2) Second order predators - natural enemies of herbivores, examples include
spiders and frogs, parasites and parasitoids and microscopic entomophagus
pathogens that consume mainly animals of the first order
3