Post on 31-Dec-2015
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Ecosystems
The community of organisms that live in a particular area (biome) along with their nonliving surroundings or environment.
Living Things Depend on Their Environment/Biome.
Each animal must have a specific temperature and specific food to survive.
What do ecologists call living and non-living things? Abiotic: Non-Living Things in an
Ecosystem
Biotic: Living Things in
an Ecosystem
Examples of Abiotic Things that you can
see and feel Things that you
cannot see, touch or feel
TemperatureAir
How Energy flows through Ecosystems
Producers, Decomposers, and Consumers all play an important role in ecosystems.
What is a Producer? Plants are the most
common producer in an ecosystem
Producers can make their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.
What is a Consumer? Consumers must get
their energy from eating other organisms
Consumers are classified by their position in a food chain
Cows are considered primary consumers because they eat grass
How would human beings be classified?
Decomposers Decomposers break dead
plant and animal matter down into simpler compounds.
Decomposers are considered the “clean up crew” of an ecosystem.
These mushrooms are feeding off of dead plant matter.
Decomposers release the last bit of energy from once-living matter.
Classifications of Consumers Quaternary Consumers: eat tertiary consumers
(Hawk) Tertiary Consumers: eat secondary consumers
(Snake) Secondary Consumers: eat primary consumers
(Mouse) Primary Consumers: eat producers (Grasshopper) Primary Producer: make their own food (Grass)
Food Chain The feeding
relationship between producers and consumers in an ecosystem
It shows only “one” possible pathway for energy.
Food Web This shows many
possible pathways for energy.
Each consumer and producer captures and uses energy
A few definitions…… Herbivore: A consumer that eats plants Carnivore: A consumer that eats meat Omnivore: A consumer that eats both plants and
meat. Niche: An organism’s job or role in an
ecosystem. Scavenger: Eats only dead animals Parasite: An organism that lives on or in another Host: An organism that is infected by a parasite.
What is a Biome? A region on Earth that has a particular
climate with certain types of plants, vegetation, and animals.
Types of Biomes Desert Grasslands Temperate Forests/Deciduous Forest Tropical Forests/Rain Forests Aquatic Tundra Taiga/Coniferous Forest/Boreal Forest
Levels of EnvironmentThe Environment can be divided into four
main levels:
1. Biome
2. Community
3. Population
4. Organism
Communities A group of
populations living in a particular area
Each species has a role or niche. These ants are tending to aphids, feeding on the "honeydew" that the aphids secrete, and protecting them from potential predators..
Populations The same species
living in the same area.
Habitat: the physical location where they live.
Niche: their role within the habitat
Population and Competition Populations of living
things compete for space, light, nutrients, and food.
Animals compete for territory and food.
The Constantly Changing Ecosystem Our surroundings change constantly due
to:1. Limiting factors
2. Carrying Capacity
3. Succession
4. Pioneer Species
Limiting FactorA limiting factor is
something that an organism needs to survive like:
Food
Water
Shelter
Carrying Capacity The maximum
number of individuals that an environment can hold due to the limited amount of food and space
Each population will be different
Human Impact on EcosystemsChapter 3
Garbage Depletion of natural
resources Depletion of living
space Water Pollution Air Pollutioln