What is an ecosystem ? An ecosystem is made up of all the living things and all the non-living thing components that function together in one place. An ecosystem is made up of a community of living things in a physical environment . ECOSYSTEM = LIVING THING + NON LIVING THINGS (in one place)
ECOSYSTEM IS MADE UP OF: LIVING THINGS PLANTS ( pine , bush ...) ANIMALS ( birds , fish , mammals ...) NON-LIVING THINGS (PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT) WEATHER WATER TYPE OF SOIL AND ROCKS LIGHT HUMIDITY ...
OCEAN
MOUNTAIN
DESERT
TYPES OF PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT: TERRESTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS (ECOSYSTEMS) FOREST ECOSYSTEM GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEM DESERTS ECOSYSTEM AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS (ECOSYSTEMS) FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEM ( rivers and lakes) SALTWATER ECOSYSTEM (sea and oceans)
LIVING THINGS EVERY ECOSYSTEM HAS A PARTICULAR FAUNA AND FLORA .
ECOSYSTEM
NUTRITION The most important relationship in an ecosystem are related to food. The living things are divided into various groups depending on how they feed . PRODUCERS CONSUMERS SCAVENGERS DECOMPOSERS
producers Living things that can make their own food . PLANTS are PRODUCERS ( Terrestrial ecosystem ) ALGAE are PRODUCERS ( Aquatic ecosystem )
consumers Animals cannot produce their own food the way plants do, so they eat other living things. Animals are CONSUMERS. PRIMARY CONSUMERS. Animals that get their energy from the plants. Herbivores are primary consumers because they eat plants . HERBIVOROUS ANIMALS
SECUNDARY CONSUMERS. Animals that get their energy from eating herbivorous animals . Carnivores are secondary consumers. CARNIVOROUS ANIMALS
TERTIARY CONSUMERS. They are carnivorous animals that eat secondary consumers.
scavengers Animals that eat the dead bodies of other animals. Example: Vultures, beetles and worms.
decomposers Microorganism and fungi that decompose the remains of living things, both animals and plants. They decompose them into minerals which return to the soil, keeping it fertile. Example: Bacteria and mushrooms.
Food chains They show how the species in an ecosystem are connected to one another by their food relationships . Food chain always start with PRODUCERS.
FOOD WEBS Food webs are made up of many food chains joined together and interconnected. They show how plants and animals are interconnected because they are a combination of various food chains.
RELATIONSHIPS
MUTUALISm It is the relationship between two species when both benefit.
COMMENSALISM It is the relationship between two species when one benefits and the other remains unaffected.
PARASITISM It is the relationship between two species when one benefits the other suffers.
COMPETITION It is the relationship between different species that have the same needs.