Ecosystem Model

3.1 Ecosystems

Factors such as food, water, shelter, and space affect populations in an ecosystem.

• Introduction

What is an ecosystem? All living & non-living things

that interact in an environment

Abiotic is nonliving things in an ecosystem.

Ecosystems

Biotic is living things in an ecosystem

What are Some Types of Ecosystems?

• Terrestrial ecosystems are ecosystems on land.

• They can be as big as a continent, or as small as an island!

• They make up about 28% of the entire World’s ecosystems.

Terrestrial Ecosystems

Examples of Terrestrial Ecosystems

• Forests

• Deserts

• Grasslands

Aquatic Ecosystems• There is something special

about aquatic ecosystems.

• There is actually two different types of aquatic ecosystems.

• One type is freshwater –such as pond , rivers and streams

• The other type is saltwater.

• Both types, however, are ecosystems that are in the water.

Saltwater Ecosystems• Saltwater ecosystems are

again in the water, but unlike freshwater ecosystems, saltwater ecosystems have very salty water.

• They also make up the vast majority of the Earth’s ecosystems.

• They are the world’s largest ecosystems.

• Some examples of saltwater ecosystems are oceans and coral reefs.

What Do Organisms in an ecosystem need?

Organisms in an ecosystem need…

food

Organisms in an ecosystem need…

food shelter

Organisms in an ecosystem need…

food shelterAIR

Water

Organisms in an ecosystem need…

food shelterAIR

WaterSpace

LIMITING FACTORS

What are limiting factors?• Limiting factors are things that can

limit the size of a population• Food• Water • shelter • space

What are the rules of an ecosystem?

1.Everything is connected to everything else.

2. Everything must go somewhere in an environment

Organisms live together in many different levels and classifications.

Levels of Organization in Ecosystems

• Species: An organism that creates a viable, fertile offspring through the process of reproduction.

• Population: A group of organisms of the same species living at the same place at the same time.

Levels of Organization in Ecosystems

• Community: Different populations of organisms interacting with each other in the same habitat.

Levels of Organization in Ecosystems

• Habitat: The place and conditions in which a population and biological community exist.

Levels of Organization in Ecosystems

Organization Pyramid •

BiosphereEcosystems

CommunitiesPopulation

SpeciesOrganisms

Organ SystemOrgansTissuesCells

OrganellesMolecules

Atoms

Importance of the habitat

Organisms need to satisfy all of their needs for life within their habitats.

They compete for

FoodWater ShelterSpace

Competition- interaction between individuals or populations for available resources. This usually has a negative effect for all organisms.

Importance of the habitat

Niche An organism’s role, or “job” within the habitat and ecosystem.

This includes…..

- The specific area an organism inhabits

- The role or function of an organism or species in an ecosystem.

- The interaction of all biotic and abiotic factors relating to it.

Importance of the habitat

Biotic Abiotic Species Community Habitat

• Definition

• Example

Draw and complete chart!

8L 3.2

• Summarize the relationships among produces, consumers, and decomposers including the positive and negative consequences of such interaction.

Food Chains and Food Webs

1 What is energy?

2 Why is energy important?

3 What is the ultimate source of all energy?

4 What are producers and autotrophs? Examples

5. How do organisms make their own food?

6. What are consumers and heterotrophs?

Food Chains and Food Webs

7. What is a primary consumer? Examples

8. What is a secondary consumer? Example

9. What are decomposers?

10. How is energy moved through an ecosystem?

11.What are trophic levels?

12. What is a food chain?

13.

What is energy?

• The ability to do work.

• All living things need energy to survive.

Why is energy important to an ecosystem?

• All organisms require energy for cell function: growth, maintenance, reproduction, locomotion, etc..

• For all organisms there must be:

1. A source of energy 2. A loss of usable energy

What is the ultimate source of all energy in any

ecosystem?• The SUN

• Without the sun most basic forms of life would not exist

Plants, algae, and some Bacteria convert energy fromthe sun into food.

Food Chains & Food Webs• Because of this need for energy

organism in an ecosystem are connected by feeding relationships.

• Energy flows from the sun to organism to organism

• AutotrophProducerHeterotrophConsumer

OmnivoreDecomposerHerbivoreCarnivore

Food ChainFood webTrophic levelBiomass

What are producers?

• Organism that make their own food by capturing energy from the sun.• Lowest part of the cycle• Also called autotrophs

• EX: Plants, green algae, some bacteria

How do some organisms make their own food?

• Photosynthesis is the process that organisms use to make their food (glucose) from the sun’s light, carbon dioxide and water.

What are consumers?• Consumers are organisms that feed

on other organisms. • Cannot make their food or acquire

the energy from the sun directly.• Also called heterotrophs

Different types of heterotrophs:• Herbivores - Vegetation • Omnivores - Meat and Vegetation • Carnivores – Meat• Scavengers – meat and decaying

meat • Detritivores - Decaying organic

matter

What is a primary consumer?

• A primary consumer is an organism that eats the producer. Like a rabbit that eats a carrot.

• Also called Herbivores – only eats plants

What are secondary consumers?

Organisms that feed on primaryconsumers are secondary consumers.

Also called Carnivores

Ex. A wolf that eats a rabbit

Consumers can be further divided into groups:

• quaternary consumer (top)• tertiary consumer• secondary consumer• Primary consumer

The last consumer in a chain, which is not usually eaten by any other consumer, is often referred to as the top consumer.

What are decomposers?• organisms that feed on dead

organism, break them down into simple nutrients or fertilizers.

• Also called Detritivores

• EX: fungi and bacteria • Earthworms and some• insects

What do you think?

Consumer or producer?

Consumer or producer?

What are they also called?

Primary or secondary consumers?

What are they also called?

Primary or secondary consumers?

What are they also called?

Primary or secondary producer?

Producer, consumer, or decomposer?

How is energy move through an ecosystem?

• Energy moves from one organisms to another when it is eaten.

What are Trophic Levels• Each step in this transfer of energy is

know as a trophic level– The main trophic levels are producers,

consumers, and decomposers

What is the Food Chains ?• The energy flow from one trophic

level to the other• A food chain is simple and

direct• It involves one organism at each

trophic level– Primary Consumers – eat producers– Secondary Consumers – eat the primary

consumers– Tertiary Consumer-eat the secondary

consumer– Decomposers – bacteria and fungi that

break down dead organisms and recycle the material back into the environment

Food Chain

What is a Food Web• Most organisms eat

more than JUST one organism

• When more organism are involved it is known as a FOOD WEB

• Food webs are more complex (not direct) and involve lots of organisms

Transfer of Energy

• When a zebra eats the grass, it does not obtain all of the energy the grass has (much of it is not eaten)

• When a lion eats a zebra, it does not get all of the energy from the zebra (much of it is lost as heat)

Law of Thermodynamics2nd Law of Thermodynamics: energy is not transferred from one object/organism to the next with 100% efficiency.

Some of the energy is lost to the environment.

Energy Pyramid shows the amounts of energy that moves from one level to the next

Ecological Pyramidonly 10% of energy is

passed on through consumption

Energy Flow• The ecological

pyramid shows the relative amounts of energy or matter.

• Producers make up the first level

• Consumers make up the second, third and higher

Energy Flow • Only about 10% of the

energy available within one trophic level is transferred to organisms at the next trophic level.

• The other 90% is used

by the organism to carry out its life processes or it is lost to the environment

• Biomass is the total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level.

Ecological Pyramid

Energy Flow

Food Web: land and water connected

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NcJ_63z-mA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YRM0sy3xIY

Food Web

• Notice that the direction the arrow points the arrow points in the direction of the energy transfer, NOT “what ate what”

Ecological Pyramid

• An ecological pyramid shows the relationship between consumers and producers at different trophic levels in an ecosystem

• Shows the relative amounts of energy or matter contained at each trophic level

• The Pyramid shows which level has the most energy and the highest number of organisms

Energy Transfer

• Only about 10% of energy is transferred from one level to the next

• The other 90% is used by the organism to carry out its life processes or it is lost to the environment

Food Web

Ecological Pyramid

• Which level has the most energy?• Which level has the most organisms?• Which level has the least organisms?• Which level has the least energy?