ECOSYSTEM

VOCABULARY

INTERACTIONS IN ECOSYSTEMS

OUR GOALS FOR THIS UNIT• I will be able to recognize consumers, producers, and

decomposers.• I will be able to recognize how changes in populations effect

the balance of an ecosystem.• I will be able to recognize carnivores, omnivores, and

herbivores.• I will be able to recognize different types of ecosystems and

the organisms living in them.• I will be able to analyze both positive and negative effects on

ecosystems.• I will be able to explain how a food chain and food web

interact. • I will be able to order animals in a food web/food chain.

ECOSYSTEM• Short for “ecological system”• Includes all of the living and nonliving

organisms existing together in a particular area

• Complex set of relationships among the living resources, habitats, and residents of an area; includes plants, trees, animals, fish, birds, micro-organisms, water, soil, and people

NICHE• The role of an organism in its

habitat

HABITAT• The natural environment

where an organism lives

Symbiosis

• A close, long lasting relationship between two species

POPULATION

• All the members of the same type of organism living in the same ecosystem

ECOSYSTEM PYRAMID

PREDATOR

• An animal that hunts and eats other animals

PREY• An animal that is hunted and

eaten by a predator

PREDATOR? PREY?

Energy and Matter in Ecosystems

EXTINCTION •The dying out of all the members of a species

Endangered Species•A species that is close to extinction

Pollution•The addition of harmful things to the environment

Threatened Species• A species that is close to

becoming endangered

FOOD CHAIN• The description of how energy in

an ecosystem flows from one organism to another

FOOD WEB• The description of all the food

chains in an ecosystem

ROLES IN A FOOD CHAIN/WEB

PRODUCER• An organism that uses the Sun’s

energy to make its own food

CONSUMER

• An organism that eats other organisms

DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONSUMERS

• Carnivore- An animal that eats other animals• Herbivore- An animal that eats only plants• Omnivore- An animal that eats both plants and

animals

LEVELS OF CONSUMERS• Primary consumer- an animal that gets all its

energy from plants (herbivore)• Secondary consumer- an animal that eats

primary consumers (carnivore)• Tertiary consumer- an animal usually at or

near the top of the food chain; eat other consumers (carnivores or omnivores)

WHICH IS WHICH?

DECOMPOSER• An organism that breaks down

dead plants and animals into simpler materials that enrich the soil

ENERGY PYRAMID• Shows how energy moves to each

level of an ecosystem

TEST PREPWhich would have the same effect on a zebra population

as increasing the number of lions in the habitat?

A. The grass-eating insects die from disease.B. No fires occur during the dry season.C. Antelopes and wildebeests move into the area.D. Trees are uprooted during a summer storm.

TEST PREPA cat eats a mouse. Which is the cat?

A.ParasiteB.PopulationC.PredatorD.Prey

TEST PREPA tick is an animal that takes blood from its

host. Which type of symbiosis does this describe?

A.CommensalismB.MutualismC.NicheD.Parasitism

TEST PREPTwo species of birds share an island and depend on the

same food source. Which would likely happen if food became scarce?

A. The birds would all fly away.B. Both birds would become extinct.C. The island’s bird population would decrease.D. The smallest bird species would become extinct.

TEST PREPWhich of these is a predator/prey relationship?

A.A mouse eats a seed.B.A plant gets energy from the Sun.C.A spider eats a cricket.D.An owl uses a cactus for a home.

TEST PREPWhich is a role of lions in an ecosystem?

A. Lions help keep the population of trees under control.B. Lions help keep the population of zebras under

control.C. Lions help keep the population of wolves under

control.D. Lions help keep the population of grasses under

control.

TEST PREPA town used pesticides to control mosquitoes in thearea. Scientists later observed that the population ofone type of bat had decreased. Which is the BESTconclusion you can draw from this information?

A. People overhunted the bats.B. This type of bat ate mosquitoes.C. The bats’ habitat was destroyed.D. The bats died from disease spread by the mosquitoes.

TEST PREPThe zebra mussel was introduced into a lake ecosystem. Within a few years, the zebra mussel population soared, and it showed no sign of declining. Which conclusion can you draw?

A. The mussels will soon become extinct.B. The mussels are not adapted to freshwater.C. The mussels play a vital role in the lake’s ecosystem.D. The mussels have no natural predators in the lake.

TEST PREPIn the last several years, the number of rabbits in aMississippi forest has remained the same. Which of thefollowing would MOST LIKELY cause the number of rabbitsto decrease?

A. Plant more tress in a forest.B. Increase the size of the rabbits’ habitat.C. Increase the number of decomposers in the habitat.D. Introduce carnivores, such as hawks and bobcats, into the

habitat.