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Conclusion
295
c. g. green plants45 and purple bacteria 46 (i. e. sulphur bacteria=Saugamdhie); some organisms cannot synthesize their own food from inorganic materials, therefore, they live either at the expense of autotrophs or upon decaying matter.47 They may be called heterotrophs. All animals, fungi (panaga) and most bacteria are heterotrophs.
A study of the mode of nutrition of all organisms including plants, aquatic, terrestrial and aerial beings, and man, etc. as mentioned in the Jaipa Āgamas shows that plants and animals are not independent of other living things but are interacting and interdependent parts of larger units for survival. So their interaction and interdependence bring to light that ecosystem which is a natural unit of living and non-living parts that interact to produce a stable system in which the exchange of materials between living and non-living parts follows a circular path, e.g. aquatic organisms-fish, green plants, like sevāla, etc..and snail (sambūka)48 form a very small ecosystem in their habitat-water in a pond or lake.
outline of ecosystem of Jaina Biology brings to light two basic concepts-the habitat49 and ecologic50 niche useful in describing the ecologic relations of organisms.
There take place the different types of interactions between species of plants and animals in several different ways due to their search for food, space or some other needs, e.g. the relationship of competition51
45. Sulphur bacteria (Saugamdhie ) (Uttaradhyayana and Sūtrakrtanga II. 3.61)
may be identified with purple bacteria of Biology. 46. Sůtrakranga 11, ?, 20, 21, 22-28. All animals live at the expense of auto
trophs in one way or other except some carnivorous animals, Ibid N. 3 16. 47. Fungi and some bacteria feed on the decaying matters, as it is found that some
beings are born in carth, growing there in particles of earth that are the origin: of various things, some issue forth as Aya, Kaya, Kuhada (mushroom). etc,
from the decomposed things in the earth. 48. Tattvärthadhigama Sūtra II 24. 49. Sūtrakstānga II. 3. 1--12, 3 ; ( trees ), 16 (soil ), 17( water ), 18 (trees), 21 (earth),
22 (water), 23 (earth surface, 26 (arial), 27 (animate or inanimate bodies). 50. Ibid., II. 3.2 (liquid substance) of the particles of earth, the bodies of mani
fold movable being, 3-5 (sap of the trees), 20 (sap of trees), 21 (mother's milk) boiled rice, etc.), 22 (mother's humours and plants), 23 both movable and
immovable beings), 24 (wind), 27 (the immovable creatures). . 50. Sūtrakytánga 11. 3.2. 51. Ibid. 11. 3.3.
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