Hello,

to start with ecosystem function, that deals with large scale processes, the biogeochemical cycles and biological, chemical and physical processes that happen on the scale of a whole ecosystem.

An ecological function can be a small mosaic piece in such a process. As example an organism that helps to degrade leaves fallen from trees occupies an the ecological function of a "decomposer".

Therefore, ecological function and ecosystem function are not necessarily the same.

ecological function is related the tropical level function that is the primary producers, consumers are the ecological parameter It works as a function of the ecology but the ecosystem is covers biotic and abiotic parameters have the function like water and soil do cyclic processes in the ecosystem.

R.Manivanan Manivanan , Can you give an example of ecological function?

Hello,

to start with ecosystem function, that deals with large scale processes, the biogeochemical cycles and biological, chemical and physical processes that happen on the scale of a whole ecosystem.

An ecological function can be a small mosaic piece in such a process. As example an organism that helps to degrade leaves fallen from trees occupies an the ecological function of a "decomposer".

Therefore, ecological function and ecosystem function are not necessarily the same.

Functional ecology sits at the nexus of several disparate disciplines and serves as the unifying principle between evolutionary ecology, evolutionary biology, genetics and genomics, and traditional ecological studies. Using organismal traits and activities to understand community dynamics and ecosystem processes, particularly in response to the rapid global changes occurring in earth’s environment.

You can look at 19 examples of ecosystem functions

http://www.ecosystemservicesseq.com.au/ecosystem-functions.html

they are different

the example of ecological function is fishery management and has been linked implicitly to resource sustainability.

Ecological function seems to pertain well to our needs; especially since humans established the study. Furthermore, defining what's functional or beneficial for humans in the ecosystems we live. For example, when we say things such as, "That oil spill was an ecological disaster!", what we really mean is the ecological situation is unsuitable for our needs or the needs of other organisms which we immediately rely upon, whereas other organisms (bacteria, protists, or fungi) may benefit.

Alternatively, ecosystem function may take a broader view on ecosystems; targeting aspects that exclude human activity, while focusing on the flow of materials and energy between environments and organisms that reside within them. I guess a baseline functional state for that ecosystem and how that function changes through time.

good question to follow

regards

Examples of ecological functions: (i) A predator decimating the population of another species in a community; (ii) Nitrogen fixation in the soil, e.g. by symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria in root nodules of some plants; (iii) Stems (bole or trunk) of big trees providing surfaces for epiphytic growth; (iv) Animals (such as bats, beetles, e.t.c.) that , through their trophic activities, enhance the pollination, dispersal and subsequent survival of certain tropical plants; (v) when certain plants grow well under shade (e.g. the understorey plants of tropical rainforests), the plants that provide the shade play ecological roles or functions, (vi) E.t.c.

functioning of organisms in relation to its ecosystem

we can take a example of a pond ecology simply. in the pond ecology, the functions are primary production, decomposition or releasing of chemicals to the pond, primary consumers, secondary consumers and tertiary consumers and decomposers etc. the tapping of light from the sun converting into carbohydrate, fat and protein is also a function of the pond ecosystem. the aquatic plants producing above materials from the phtosynthesis process also ecosystem function but the ecology function is that the status of the aquatic plants like pollution status, toxicity status are comes under ecology function.

Ecology is a science. The main function of science is to gain new knowledge about the world around us. Accordingly, the main function of the ecology, or ecological function, is the acquisition of new knowledge about ecosystems. Unfortunately, including in the scientific environment, phraseological cliches have been established, in which the term of "ecosystem" is replaced by the term of "ecology". Judging by your question, you are interested in the ecosystem function. Speaking of one main function of ecosystems, this is the transformation of solar energy into living matter on the basis of the inclusion in the circulation of the necessary elements of the environment. All about ecosystem functions in the book by E. Odum "Fundamentals of Ecology"

Functional ecology is a branch of ecology that focuses on the roles, or functions, that species play in the community or ecosystem in which they occur. In this approach, physiological, anatomical, and life history characteristics of the species are emphasized. The term "function" is used to emphasize certain physiological processes rather than discrete properties, describe an organisms role in a trophic system, or illustrate the effects of natural selective processes on an organism. This sub-discipline of ecology represents the crossroads between ecological patterns and the processes and mechanisms that underlie them. It focuses on traits represented in large number of species and can be measured in two ways. The first being screening, which involves measuring a trait across a number of species, and the second being empiricism, which provides quantitative relationships for the traits measured in screening. Functional ecology often emphasizes an integrative approach, using organismal traits and activities to understand community dynamics and ecosystem processes, particularly in response to the rapid global changes occurring in earth’s environment.

Functional ecology sits at the nexus of several disparate disciplines and serves as the unifying principle between evolutionary ecology, evolutionary biology, genetics and genomics, and traditional ecological studies.

An ecosystem function, or ecological function, is a concept commonly used in ecology

Ecological function: represents the potential of an ecosystem to deliver a service that is itself dependent on ecological processes and structures (de Groot et al., 2010).

Ecosystem services represent the benefits that humans have gained from the functioning of ecosystems (Costanza et al., 1997).

Frequent use of the concept of ecosystem function is found in research on the links between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (Schwartz et al., 2000) and the links between ecosystem functioning and ecosystem service provision (de Bello et al., 2010).

The Question is not easy to answer. An ecological function is any process or set of processes that can change (over time) an ecological system. An ecological system could be an ecosystem but can be smaller or larger. An ecosystem function is limited to the ecosystem. An ecological function depends on the scale (reduced or vast as eutrophication in a large watershed or simply a flowerpot affected by frost), or the context (global changes, desertification, ...), or maybe the objective.

I think we should not confuse function and service and the different processes (natural or man-made) to achieve them.

Dr. Dhia Hussain Jassim Al-Delemi: I'm sorry to say that you did not answer Dr. Kuan Kin Pong's question. Your answer is an opinion on another aspect that has nothing to do with the question asked.

Hi all expert. Thanks for the explanation I think I understand it now. Thank you so much.

An ecological function, for example, is the fact that nitrogen fixing bacteria move the nitrogen in the atmosphere to soluble forms of nitrogen that are essential for all living things (incorporated into RNA, DNA and proteins.). Ecosystem services are evidence that the functional parts of an ecological system is operating as anticipated. This could be that a wetland is degrading waste, holding storm-water runoff, and providing nursery habitats (places to thrive) for fish, invertebrates, birds, and mammals.

For another example in Elkhorn Slough near Monterey California, I have seen the keystone species: Enhydra lutris lutris (the California Sea Otter) using the marshes upriver for hauling out and for feeding in that tidal wetland. The otter's ecological function is a keystone species and it can thrive in a tidal wetland that functions to nourish wildlife and fisheries, offer flood protection, capture and recycle essential nutrients. https://myweb.rollins.edu/jsiry/EcosystemServices.html and

https://myweb.rollins.edu/jsiry/keystone-species_site.html

Simple way to understand

Ecosystem function - forest, lake, sea, etc

Ecological function - decomposer, pollinator, pest, predator, etc.

Ecosystem function is often looked at from a human point of view. In other words, how do ecosystem processes provide services for society or the environment. For example forests may act as carbon sinks, while wetlands may filter out heavy metals from water. Such processes can be considered "ecosystem functions".

Ecological functions are more concerned with how a species, clade, or group interact with and affect their environment. For example a bee can be considered a pollinator, while sharks are considered apex predators. Ecological function can be very tightly linked to ecosystem function, however they are different.

The meaning of both terms is slightly different. The ecosystem functions are defined as the habitat, biological or systems properties or processes of ecosystems. In other words, it describes the internal functioning of ecosystems such as the interactions between the abiotic and biotic components (vegetation, water, soil, atmosphere and biota) that transfer energy and matter within and across ecosystems. It's a large scale approach

The ecological function describes, for example, how individuals of different species interact in a lake or a forest, which trends can be found in the long-term dynamics of the different populations, the overall biomass of the system, or the flow of particular substances within it. This is a small part of an ecosystem.