ECOSYSTEM

What is an ecosystem?
 All the living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) parts of an
environment as well as the interactions among them
 Ecosystems may be aquatic (water) or terrestrial (land).
 Interactions may include:
- producers (obtain energy by making their own
food; plants -photosynthesis)
- consumers (obtain energy by consuming their
food)
- decomposers ( get energy by breaking down dead
organisms and the wastes of living things); bacteria,
fungi (mold, mushrooms,etc) , some worms, termites,
some beetles, etc.
 Abiotic & Biotic Factors
 Abiotic Factors 
Biotic Factors
(nonliving) (living)
- Food
- water - shelter - grass
- sunlight - soil
- trees
- rocks - nutrients
- animals, insects,
- oxygen/air, nitrogen
- temperature/climate - plants
- space, salinity, pH - bacteria, fungi
- http://www.arkive.org/fungi//
 Worms, termites,
fungi (mold, mushrooms, etc.)

In the diagram,
1. What are the decomposers? Producers? Consumers?
2. What organisms are competing for the same abiotic resources?
3. What is the source of energy that drives or sustains the ecosystem?
(The greatest
amount of energy
is available at the
producer level.)

(With producers and consumers, 90 % of the energy available at each level is

consumed/lost to the environment. Only 10% move up to the next trophic level.
 The sun provides energy
To sustain producers
which are the foundation
of all ecosystems.

Consumers

Only 10% of the energy moves

Produce food through up to the next trophic level.
photosynthesis

http://www.brainpop.com/games/foodchaingame/ “Food Chain Game”

If removed from the food web, which organism (s) would have the greatest impact on the overall food web? Explain.
Can you think of a situation where an organism
could be both a primary and secondary
consumer? (not shown on this food web)

1. What are the producers? primary consumers? secondary consumers? tertiary consumer?
2. What organisms are competing for the same abiotic and biotic resources?
Food Web Analysis Use the diagram to respond to each of
the following.

1. Identify the decomposer. What are the

benefits of decomposers?

2. What other decomposers may be in

every ecosystem but are not shown
on this diagram?

3. Identify the primary consumers.

Show what is being consumed.

4. Identify the tertiary consumer for

each food chain. What does this
consumer eat?

5. Is this a terrestrial or aquatic food

web? Explain.

6. What happens when two or more

organisms coexist in the same niche?

7.Draw an overlapping terrestrial/aquatic

Some worms are primary
food chain using at least one of the
consumers and others (in soil)
are decomposers.)
organisms shown on the diagram. Add
an organism not on this food web.
Relationships Within Ecosystems:
- Coexistence and cooperation
- Competition (predator/prey)
- Parasitism
 SYMBIOSIS
Living things live
together in
relationships called
symbiosis.
 SYMBIOSIS
 There are three types of symbiotic
relationships. At least one organism will
benefit in all types of symbiosis
1. Parasitism
2.Mutualism
3.Commensalism
 Parasitism
A symbiotic relationship where one
organism benefits from the association
and the other is harmed. The organism
that benefits is called the parasite, and
the organism that is harmed is called the
host.
 It is different from a predator, because
it usually does not kill the organism it
feeds on.
 Examples: Fleas, leeches, worms, mites
Parasitism
 Mutualism
A relationship in which both species
benefit.
 From the Desert Giant, the relationship
between the saguaro and the long-nosed
bat is an example of mutualism.
 As you sit in this classroom, You are also
participating in mutualism…
 Mutualism
 At this very moment, you are in a mutualistic
relationship with a population of bacteria in your
large intestine. Escherichia coli lives in most
mammals to break down food that mammals
cannot digest. Bacteria gets food and a place to
live and we benefit as well!
Mutualism
 Commensalism
A relationship in which one species
benefits and the other species is neither
harmed or helped.
 Example: Elf owl creating small hole for
nest in the cactus.
Commensalism