What is an Ecosystem?
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What is an Ecosystem? An ecosystem is made up of the interactions amon the populations in a community and the physical surroundings. Community – groups of species that live in the same habitat & interact with each other
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An ecosystem is made up of the interactions among the populations in a community and the physical surroundings. What is an Ecosystem?. Community –groups of species that live in the same habitat & interact with each other. What are Limiting Factors?. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of What is an Ecosystem?
What is an Ecosystem?
An ecosystem is made up of the interactions among the populations in a community and the physical surroundings.Community –groups of species that live in the same habitat & interact with each other
What are Limiting Factors?
What factors would limit these ecosystems?
TWO Kinds of Factors1. Abiotic Factors
Wind & Air Currents
Moisture
Rocks & SoilLight
Temperature Abiotic = NON-living
TWO Kinds of Factors
2. Biotic Factors
Biotic = Living
Biodiversity – why does it matter?
• Importance to nature
• Importance to YOU!• Oxygen• Diet• Medicines
Threats to Biodiversity• Habitat Loss• Habitat Fragmentation• Biotic Issues• Abiotic Issues• Habitat Degradation• Water Pollution• Land Pollution• Invasive Species
What is Succession & what causes it?Changes to a community Biotic & Abiotic Factors
Primary SuccessionGrowth that occurs in areas where plants have NOT grown before
Ex: volcano, receding glacier
Secondary SuccessionStarts with an event to an already established ecosystem (forest fire, harvesting, hurricane) Then, growth occurs on that pre-existing soil
Pioneer Species
• Species that colonize barren habitats• Lichens - small plants with brief life cycles• Improve conditions for other species who then replace them
Pioneer Stage Climax Community
The Trend of Succession
Auto vs. Hetero Troph refers to food.
◊ Auto means – self ◊ Hetero means – other
o Autotroph = self feeder (makes its own)
o Heterotroph = eats others for foodAutotroph = producerHeterotroph = consumer
Autotroph
Heterotroph
Carnivore
Herbivore
Omnivore
• Omni means “all”.
• So, what is an omnivore?
• Yeah, we eat it ALL!
Scavengers
Don’t kill for food - they just eat what has already died or been killed.
Vultures Buzzards Ants Beetles
They eat roadkill!
Detritovores (Decomposers) Break down and absorb nutrients
from dead organisms.
Bacteria Fungi Some protozoans
Energy and Trophic Levels
What is this called?
Food Chain• Illustrates how matter and energy
move through an ecosystem.• Arrows show direction that energy is
transferred.
Food Web
Just a bunch of food chains
Food Web Lab Activity
They can become very complex!
Energy Pyramid
Energy Pyramids = ONE way path…NOT a cycle!• Shows how much energy flows into each
trophic (energy) level in a given time.• Always pyramidal (energy cannot be created!)• Always shallow since the energy transfer from
one level to the next is very inefficient (only 10% flows from one energy level to the next).
• The energy released in the transfer is eventually lost as heat!
On a need 2 know basis… Ecosystem Community Abiotic & Biotic Factors Pioneer Species Succession Primary & secondary Food Chains & Webs
Autotroph (producer) & heterotroph (consumer)
Herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, scavenger, detritovore (decomposer)
Pyramids Energy & Biomass
