Connected Ecosystem

Michele Kissinger Moorea Coral Reef Long Term Ecological Research Program

What is an Ecosystem?

An Ecosystem is all the living and non-living things

in an area working together.

Fish breathe Oxygen

Algae use Carbon Dioxide

Fish compete against one another for food

Algae use Sunlight

(Algae is like a plant, it does photosynthesis)

The FishFish and AlgaeAlgae are the living components of the ecosystem that are interacting.

The SunlightSunlight, OxygenOxygen, and Carbon DioxideCarbon Dioxide are the non-living components of the ecosystem that these animals and algae need to survive.

Scientists call living things BIOTIC,

and non-living things ABIOTIC.

Can you identify the biotic parts of this coral reef ecosystem?

FishFishCoralCoral

AlgaeAlgae

PlanktonPlankton

Can you identify the abiotic parts of this coral reef ecosystem?

NutrientsNutrients

SedimentSediment

OO22

COCO22

CurrentsCurrents

Sunlight

Sunlight

SpaceSpace

TemperatureTemperature

Animals have to adapt to the biotic influences in an ecosystem…

This fish is camouflaged

This fish is hiding in the coral

Can you see me?

These fish are hiding from their predators.

…and they must adapt to the abiotic influences in an ecosystem.

This seastar is holding on tight. This fish is hiding in this hole.

These animals are protected against waves.

Most animals are adapted to live in only certain types of environments

like ecosystems that are either cold or hot.

Polar bears would not do

very well in the desert!

They must make trade-offs…

This coral grows low and strong

=

• Maximize space

• Wave protection

• Less sunlight

This coral grows tall before it

spreads out

=

• Use less rock space

• Grow toward sun

• Less wave protection

Animals and plants in an ecosystem have to share the abiotic resources available.

…or they must adapt to use different resources.

Some fish eat algae off the rocks

Some animals filter plankton from the water

Some fish eat other fish

These animals all eat different foods.

We have been talking about coral reef ecosystems,

but there are a lot of interesting animals in the

water off our California coast

Most of the biotic components in the kelp forest ecosystem are the same

as in the coral reef…

•Plankton•Fish •Algae

Competitors

PredatorsPrey

Herbivores

CarnivoresOmnivores

Decomposers

(the water off CA is too cold for big, reef-building

corals, but there are some small, soft corals)

Bio

tic

…but some abiotic components of kelp forest ecosystems are different.

•Sediment•Nutrients•Currents/Waves•CO2•O2•Sunlight•Temperature•Space

there can be more nutrients in the water

there can be more organisms living

near waves

there can be less sunlight deep

in a kelp forest

the water is colder

Can you guess what some of them are?

Abi

otic

And just like in coral reef ecosystems, animals and plants in kelp forests must adapt to the conditions in this ecosystem they call home.

• Colder water• Darker water• Different food• More waves (if living

in tidepools)

These mussels live in tide pools.

Can you guess how they are adapted?

Mussels have strong byssal threads

that hold on to the rock like cement

when waves hit.

Shells close tightly to keep in water that is the right temperature

and salinity.

Kelp has these air bladders. Can you guess what they might be used for?

Kelp uses air sacs to lift their leaves

toward the surface because

they need sunlight for photosynthesis

SUNLIGHT!

Is sunlight biotic or abiotic?

Abiotic!

Is kelp (algae) a producer or a consumer?

A Producer

What about kelp?

Biotic!

Can you think of some abiotic problems organisms might face in these tide pools?

Air and no sun protection can dry them out

Small pools can warm up in the

sun

Pools can get more salty as

water evaporates

Strong waves can wash them

out to sea

SUNLIGHT!

WAVES!

TEMPERATURE! SALINITY!

Remember, humans are connected to these ecosystems too

(through food webs!).

Our actions can affect the resources that our ecosystem produces for us

(like food, clean water, and clean air).

This lesson covers California State Science Content Standards:

4th Grade Life Science• 2b

– producers and consumers (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and decomposers) are related in food chains and food webs and may compete with each other for resources in an ecosystem

• 3a– Ecosystems can be characterized by their living and non-

living components.

• 3b– In any particular environment, some kinds of plants and

animals survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.

Credits

This Lesson Was Developed By:

Michele Kissinger

Education and Outreach Coordinator

Moorea Coral Reef LTER

Funding By: