Glossary Terms Sustainable Ecosystems. What is an Ecosystem? What makes up an ecosystem?

Glossary TermsGlossary Terms

Sustainable EcosystemsSustainable Ecosystems

What is an Ecosystem?What is an Ecosystem?

What makes up an ecosystem?

EcosystemEcosystem

• interactionsinteractions between the between the bioticbiotic (living(living) organisms and the ) organisms and the abioticabiotic (non-living(non-living) materials and how ) materials and how materialsmaterials and and energyenergy are are transferredtransferred. .

EcosystemEcosystemi)i)BioticBiotic• livingliving or or deaddead

organisms; made organisms; made up of up of cellscells. .

• examples: examples: plants, plants, animalsanimals

ii) Abioticii) Abiotic• non-livingnon-living

materials; basic materials; basic unit is unit is elementselements also includes also includes energyenergy

• examples: examples: plastic, plastic, oxygen, water, oxygen, water, rocks, light, heatrocks, light, heat

ProducersProducers vs vsConsumersConsumers• turn radiant turn radiant

((light)light) energy energy intointo chemical (food)chemical (food) energyenergy by the by the processprocess of of photosynthesisphotosynthesis

• examples: examples: plants, plants, algae, bacteriaalgae, bacteria

• can not makecan not make their their own own foodfood ((chemical chemical energyenergy) )

• examples: examples: cows, cows, fish, birdsfish, birds

ConsumersConsumers• Primary ConsumerPrimary Consumer

– FirstFirst consumingconsuming organism organism in a food chainin a food chain

– SecondSecond trophic trophic levellevel– Examples:Examples: herbivores or herbivores or

omnivoresomnivores• Secondary ConsumerSecondary Consumer

– Second consumingSecond consuming organism in a food chainorganism in a food chain

– Third trophic Third trophic levellevel– ExamplesExamples: : carnivores or carnivores or

omnivoresomnivores• Tertiary ConsumerTertiary Consumer

– Third consumingThird consuming organism organism in a food chainin a food chain

– Fourth trophicFourth trophic levellevel– ExamplesExamples: : carnivores or carnivores or

omnivoresomnivores

EcosystemEcosystem

• Trophic levelTrophic level– feeding levelfeeding level

AnimalsAnimals

• i) Herbivoresi) Herbivores– Only eat producersOnly eat producers

• ii) Carnivoresii) Carnivores– Only eat consumersOnly eat consumers

• iii) Omnivoresiii) Omnivores– Eat producers and Eat producers and

consumersconsumers

Put it all together!!!Put it all together!!!

• Food ChainFood Chain – starts with a starts with a producerproducer and and only connectsonly connects

with with single linkssingle links to the to the consumersconsumers..

• Now it is time to create your own!!Now it is time to create your own!!

Last but not least!Last but not least!• ScavengersScavengers

– FeedFeed on on bodiesbodies of of larger animalslarger animals– Examples: Examples: vultures; bold eagles; ravens; vultures; bold eagles; ravens;

hyenas; some ants and beetleshyenas; some ants and beetles• DetrivoresDetrivores

– FeedFeed on on bodiesbodies of of smaller dead animalssmaller dead animals and and plantsplants and and dungdung (feces) (feces)

– Examples: Examples: crabs; earthworms; wood beetles; crabs; earthworms; wood beetles; carpenter antscarpenter ants• DecomposersDecomposers

– FeedFeed on any on any remaining dead plantremaining dead plant and and animal matteranimal matter; ; break downbreak down the the cellscells and get the and get the last remaining energylast remaining energy

– Examples: Examples: bacteria; fungibacteria; fungi