ECOSYSTEM

ECOSYSTEMthe interactions between living and non-living things in a particular environment

vary in size and complexity.include living organisms, the dead organic matter produced by them, the abiotic environment within which the organisms live and exchange elements (soils, water, atmosphere), and the interactions between these components.

COMPONENTS OF ECOSYSYTEM

1. BIOTIC COMPONENTSthe life forms that occupy a given ecosystem.

the life forms of an ecosystem aid in the transfer and cycle of energy

Examples: producers, consumers, decomposers

2. ABIOTIC COMPONENTSthe properties of the environmentconsist of the nonorganic aspects of the environment that determine what life forms can thrive.

Examples: temperature, average, humidity

COMPONENTS OF ECOSYSTEM

TYPES OF ECOSYSTEM1.There are many types of ecosystems on earth.

2. Major classes of relatively contained ecosystems are called Biomes.

3.There are 3 Major classes of ecosystems Freshwater Ecosystems Terrestrial Ecosystems Ocean Ecosystems

Freshwater ecosystems: Relatively small in area ~ 1.8% of earth's surface Support many species of life including fish,

amphibians, insects and plants. Base of food-web is found in freshwater Plankton

(small microscopic organisms) The ecosystems are habitats to reptiles,

amphibians and around 41% of the world’s fish species. The faster moving turbulent waters typically contain a greater concentrations of dissolved oxygen, supporting greater biodiversity than slow moving waters in pools.

Terrestrial Ecosystems

Many & diverse types of ecosystems. There are seven major types.

Location usually dependent on the latitude of the area, and amount of precipitation

TYPES:1. Tropical Rain ForestPrecipitation - 250cm/year Little temp. variation/abundant moisture

Contains more species than other biomes.

Tropical Rain Forest

TYPES:2. SavannasPrecipitation 90-150cm/year Open, widely spaced trees, seasonal rainfall

Parts of Africa, South America & Australia

Savannas

TYPES:3. Deserts Precipitation 20cm/year Dry, sparce vegetation; scattered grasses

Parts of Africa, Asia, Australia, North America

Deserts

TYPES:

4. Temperate GrasslandsPrecipitation: 10-60cm/year Rich soil; tall dense grasses Central North America; Central Asia

Temperate Grasslands

TYPES:5. Deciduous forests75-250cm/year Warm summers, cool winters Europe; NE United States;Eastern Canada

Deciduous Forest

TYPES:

6. Coniferous forest:20-60cm/year Short growing season, cold winters.

Northern Asia; Northern North America

Coniferous Forest

TYPES:

7. Tundra25cm/year Open; wind swept; dry; ground always frozen

Far northern Asia; Northern North America

Tundra

Ocean Ecosystems Very large amount of Earth is covered by ocean (~75%) 40% of all photosynthesis occurs in oceans. 3 types of oceanic ecosystems Shallow ocean waters Deep ocean water Deep ocean surface.

Photosynthetic plankton is base of food chain. Only occurs in Deep ocean surface & Shallow ocean

ecosystems No photosynthesis can occur in deep ocean because light

cannot penetrate deeply into water.

PRODUCERSProducers are organisms, like green plants, that produce organic compounds from inorganic compounds. These are also a type of autotroph.

Producers use cellular respiration to supply the energy to live.

AUTOTROPHan organism that makes

its own food from inorganic substances. It is then eaten by a consumer if it is a plant for example.

CONSUMERSA consumer is the organisms that obtain nutrients from other organisms. This is also a heterotroph.

Consumers are those who do not make their own food, but get it from eating plants or animals.

HETEROTROPHSan organism that cannot

synthesize their own food and must obtain it

ready made.

DECOMPOSERS

A decomposer is an organism of decay. These are also called saprobes. They break down the remaines of dead animals and plants, releasing the substances that can be used by other members of the ecosystem.

FOOD CHAINA series of steps in which organisms transfer

energy by eating or being eaten.Trophic Levels:

The trophic level of an organism is the position it holds in a food chain.

1. Primary producers (organisms that make their own food from sunlight and/or chemical energy from deep sea vents) are the base of every food chain - these organisms are called autotrophs.

2. Primary consumers are animals that eat primary producers; they are also called herbivores (plant-eaters).

3. Secondary consumers eat primary consumers. They are carnivores (meat-eaters) and omnivores (animals that eat both animals and plants).

4.Tertiary consumers eat secondary consumers.

5.Quaternary consumers eat tertiary consumers.

6.Food chains "end" with top predators, animals that have little or no natural enemies.

FOOD CHAIN

FOOD WEBA food web (or food cycle) is the natural

interconnection of food chains and generally a graphical representation (usually an image) of what-eats-what in a community.

Food web, energy is lost each time one organism eats another. Because of this, there have to be many more plants than there are plant-eaters.

There are more autotrophs than heterotrophs, and more plant-eaters than meat-eaters. Although there is intense competition between animals, there is also an interdependence.

FOOD WEB

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FOOD WEB AND FOOD

CHAIN FOOD CHAINS FOLLOW A SINGLE PATH AS ANIMALS EAT EACH OTHER.

EXAMPLE:

2. The GRASS is eaten by a GRASSHOPPER FOOD WEBS SHOW HOW PLANTS & ANIMALS ARE

INTERCONNECTED BY DIFFERENT PATHS.

EXAMPLE:

1. TREES produce ACORNS which act as food for many MICE and INSECTS. FOOD WEBS show how plants and animals are connected in many

ways to help them all survive. FOOD CHAINS follow just one path of energy as animals find food.

INTERACTION

IN

ECOSYSTEM

SYMBIOTIC/SYMBIOSISSymbiosis - When two species live cosely together in a relationship that lasts over time symbiosis occurs. There are three forms of symbiosis:

1. Mutualismoccurs when there is a relationship between two different organisms, in which each partner benefits from the relationship.

classified in terms of the closeness of association, the closest being symbiosis, which is often confused with mutualism

MUTUALISM

2. Parasitismoccurs when there is a relationship between two different organisms, in which one partner benefits from the relationship, while the other partner is harmed. Typically, the partner that benefits (the parasite), lives on or in the other organism (the host) and feeds on it.

PARASITISM

3. COMMENSALISMoccurs when there is a relationship between two

different organisms, in which one partner benefits from the relationship, while the other neither benefits, nor is harmed.

EXAMPLE:

1. An orchid plant will attach itself high up a tree trunk to have a safe, sheltered place to grow and receive water dripping down the tree trunk. (The tree trunk which provides the habitat for the orchid seems to neither be harmed nor benefit from the relationship)

COMMENSALISM

PREDATION/PREDATOR-PREY RELATIONSHIP

winner-loser relationship but it is not symbiosis

The predator benefits and the prey is harmed lethally, but it is a short-term interaction. In parasitism, the parasite does not usually kill its host, but just feeds on it for a long time while it is living.

PREDATOR-PREY RELATIONSHIP

COMPETITIONinteresting example of interactions. When two organisms compete or fight for the same

limited resource such as food, shelter, a mate, or sunlight, there is usually a winner and a loser (+ -), but if the competitors fight literally to the death and kill each other, the interaction has become negative for both (- -).

Competition also occurs between humans for resources, even mates! Interactions between organisms, including humans, are the nature of life and have tremendous impact on the functioning and health of ecosystems.

COMPETITION