Biotic Balance of Nature
A nineteenth century Biologist is reported to have expressed, Glory of Britain is due to its old maids He reasoned Healthy Britons are nourished by roast beef beef supplying cattle feed upon grass: grass is pollinated by bees: bee nests are destroyed by field rats: the number of rats depends upon the number of cats and since cats are reared by old maids, the number of old maids determines a availability of beef. Although it appears to be a farfetched conclusion yet it reveals the fact that the life of each organism is significantly influenced by that of all others around it, Thus nature is one vast biotic community. Organisms continuously consume oxygen of the atmosphere and release carbon dioxide in return yet neither oxygen supply is ever depleted nor is the atmosphere polluted by this co2. Similarly, plants continuously consume nitrogen, salts and co2 in photosynthesis, yet this supply continues incessantly and vegetation keeps growing. Animals continuously consume carbohydrates, fats and proteins and yet these are always available to them. How in spite of their continuous consumption by organisms, all these materials are always available in Nature? The reason is not that Nature reserves unlimited, but that plants and animals constantly recycle these materials in their respective modes of consumption: what is needed by plants is supplied by animals by way of defecation, excretion and respiration, and what is needed by animals is supplied by plants. Thus the same amount of material in nature is used and reused, time and again, by animals and plants in a cyclic manner.
Since nutrients produced by green plants are used by both plants and animals, the green plants are the producers of nature of the animals, the larger ones may feed upon smaller ones but. Ultimately, the foods are only the consumers of Nature. In Photosynthesis, green plants take CO2 from atmosphere, and fats. Utilizing these organic compounds, the animals release back nitrogenous by products in urine, and CO2 in respiration, to be used by plants. Thus consuming the limited matter in a cyclic manner, plants and animals maintain the Biotic Balance of Nature.