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THE CONCEPT OF ECOSYSTEM
The ecosystem is the basic unit of ecological study. It is any spatial or organizational unit, which includes organisms and non-living substances interacting to produce an exchange of materials between the biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living parts).
An ecosystem has structural and functional components. The structural components of the mangrove ecosystem, for instance includes the biological resources (plants, animals and microorganisms); the physical areas of coastal land in which said organisms live and the human populations living near the mangrove ecosystem. The functional components include the roles of operations, interactions and interrelationships of the biotic and abiotic parts of the mangrove ecosystem.
Ecosystems can be natural or man-made. A tropical rainforest (TRF) and a lake are ecosystems. The mangrove ecosystem is unique, in the sense that it is found between the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Ecosystems whether natural or man-made consist of the biotic (living) and the abiotic (non-living) components. These components interact by way of energy flow and material (e.g. nutrient cycling). The change in the ecosystem is known as succession.