The structure of an ecosystem. What is the biosphere and the ecosphere?

Biosphere - Ecosphere Biosphere: is the life zone of the Earth. It includes all living things and organic matter. Biosphere is the living component or the ecosphere. Ecosphere includes the large-scale ecosystems of the world. An ECOSYSTEM is a section of the biosphere formed by living organisms, the relationships between them and the physical environment.

Biomes - ecosystems Biomes are the large-scale ecosystems of the world. An ecosystem can be as small as a puddle or as large as an ocean.

Components Ecosystems have two components: 1. Biocoenosis: the set of lliving beings in the ecosystem: animals, plants, fungi, and all types of microorganisms. Biotic factors are the effects which other organism have on a living being in its environment.

Ecosystem: biocenosis + biotope

Components 2.- Biotope: is the inorganic part of the ecosystem, the physical environment. Abiotic factors are the physical and chemical elements in an ecosystem which affect living organisms. It includes: temperature, humidity, soil, energy, pollution… Tolerance limits are the values of a particular abiotic factor which must not be exceeded if a species can survive. Living organisms can resist some variations in those factors, but sometimes a change in a factor can be vital and can be the reason for desappearing. Ex: temperature or humidity. The factor is called LIMITING FACTOR and has less tolerance

Components Ecosystems have two components: 1. Biocoenosis: the set of lliving beings in the ecosystem: animals, plants, fungi, and all types of microorganisms. Biotic factors are the effects which other organism have on a living being in its environment.

How do living things obtain food? Living organisms can be classified according to the way they obtain food. It determines their trophic level, that is their place in a food chain.

Producers: They are the living beings which make their own organic matter from carbon dioxide, water and mineral salts (inorganic matter).They use the energy of the Sun during photosynthesis. This is autotrophic nutrition. Plants, algae and some bacteria.

Producers

Consumers: They are living beings that cannot produce their own organic matter. They feed on organic matter produced by other living beings. This is heterotrophic nutrition. Primary consumers: Feed on producers: Herbivores. Secondary consumers: carnivores Tertiary consumers: feed on primary and secondary consumers and producers.Omnivores Decomposers: They decompose organic matter into inorganic matter.

Consumers

Habitat and niche Habitat is the physical place where a species lives. An ecological niche is the way a species relates to the biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem. Giraffes and zebras live in the same habitat, but they occupy different ecological niches.

Habitat and niche

Trophic dynamics Is the system which describes the position of a living being in a food chain. It is the system that explains what an organism eats or is eaten by. It is represented by a food web.

Food web:

Food web

Energy and matter in an ecosystem Matter is always recycled. From inorganic matter to organic matter (plants) and from organic matter to inorganic matter (decomposers). But energy can’t be recycled. Energy flows from one step of the food chain to another, but most of it is lost as heat. Matter is a closed cycle. Energy has a one-way flow.

Trophic pyramids: It is a graphic representation or a particular characteristic at each trophic level. Types: 1. Number pyramid. It represents the number of individuals at each trophic level. 2. Biomass pyramid: the amount of organic matter which forms a trophic level. 3. Energy pyramid: it represents the energy stored at each trophic level at a certain time.

Biotic relations: The interactions among the living beings in an environment. There are two types: Interspecific Intraspecific

Interspecific: Interactions among organisms of different species. 1. Mutualism. Two organisms for mutual benefit. (Bees and flowers) 2. Commensalism: One benefits and the other is not affected. (Beetles and mammal excrements) 3. Inquilinism: One organism uses the other for housing (crabs and shells) 4. Parasitism: A parasite lives at the expense of a host and harms it. (Cochineals on plants) 5. Depredation: A predator kills and eats a prey.

Mutualism

Commensalism

Inquilinism

Parasitism

Depredation

Intraspecific relations Interactions among organisms of the same species. 1. Gregarious: Groups of individuals that live together for some time to provide mutual help. (migrating birds) 2. Colonial: Related individuals live together. Coral 3. Social: Groups of individuals organized in a hierarchy. (Ants) 4. Familial: Groups of related individuals which live together to procreate and protect the young.

Gregarious

Colonial

Social

Familial

Examples of abiotic factors: Temperature Light Humidity Pressure Salinity Oxygen Water Soil Climate zones Levels of plants in a forest

ADAPTATIONS Adaptations refers to the adjustment which species make over millions of years of evolution in order to manage their relationship with the environment. Types of adaptations: -Morphological: relate to the body structure (size) -Physiological: affect the internal management of the organism (body temp.) -Behavioural: relate to behaviour ( migration…) Living organisms have to adapt to: temperature, humidity and to light.

ADAPTATIONS Living organisms adapt to their invironment: -Plants transform some leaves into spines, or store water or have a hard leaf cover to avoid transpiration… - Animals store fats under the skin for protection, or reduce the ear size to minimize the heat loosing, or ….do you imagine any other adaptation?

Biomes: A biome is a set of terrestrial ecosystems that, due to sharing similar climatic conditions, have a similar biocenosis. 1.Frigid zone: cold zones from the Poles to the polacr circles. 2.Temperate zones: between the polar circles and the Tropics. 3.Torrid zone: between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. 1.Frigid zone: cold zones from the Poles to the polacr circles. 2.Temperate zones: between the polar circles and the Tropics. 3.Torrid zone: between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

Biomes: A biome is a set of terrestrial ecosystems that, due to sharing similar climatic conditions, have a similar biocenosis. 1.Frigid zone: cold zones from the Poles to the polacr circles. 2.Temperate zones: between the polar circles and the Tropics. 3.Torrid zone: between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. 1.Frigid zone: cold zones from the Poles to the polacr circles. 2.Temperate zones: between the polar circles and the Tropics. 3.Torrid zone: between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

Frigid zone: Tundra: Permanently frozen soil Mosses, lichens Reindeer, white foxes, lemmings Taiga: Long, dark, cold winter Short humid summers Pine and fir trees Bear, lynxes, wolves

Temperate zone: (SPAIN) Deciduous forest or atlantic Cold and warm seasons, abundant rainfall, and mild temperatures Oak, beech, chestnuts trees (deciduous species with large leaves) Bears, foxes, squirrels, mountain lions, roe, genet, tritons, etc Mediterranean forest: Warm dry summers, low rainfall, droughts Holm oaks, cork oaks (perennail leaves, which are small and hard), aromatic plants Rabbits, reptiles, wild boars, birds Mediterranean shrubs : Modification of the forest in extremely hot temperatures. Types: Maquis (rockrose, mastic and myrtle) and garriga (palm, thyme, lavender)

Aquatic biomes: Creatures can live surrounded by water. Abiotic factors: Light: it decreases as the water gets deeper. Temperature: it varies with distance from the coast and the depth of water Pressure: increases as the water gets deeper Salinity: it varies in aquatic ecosystems Oxygen: A E have less oxygen and fewer gases Photic ZONE: area closest to the surface Bathyal ZONE: not much light and higher pressure ABYSSAL PLAIN: high pressure, temperature around 2-3 ºC. Little food and very little light reaches the sea floor

Aquatic biomes: Freshwater 0.3 % of the surface is contained in fresh water ecosystems. Salinity: 0.18 g/L TYPES: Lentic : still water Lotic: running water Marine: About yhe 97% of water on Earth. Temperature in tropcal areas: 32 ºC, polar regions: -2ºC Salinity: 35 g/L Classification according to depth and distance from the coast.