Ecosystems

Individual Population Community Ecosystem

Individual A single organism

Population Several individuals of the same kind in the same environment **Population density is the number of animals in an area.

All of the populations in a certain environment Community All of the populations in a certain environment

A community and its environment Ecosystem A community and its environment

The place where a population lives. Habitat The place where a population lives.

Niche A population’s role in its habitat. Ex) Eagles and owls both hunt mice. Eagles hunt during the day, and owls hunt at night. They have similar roles, but different niches.

Ecosystems Healthy ecosystems have different populations that are interdependent on one another. Different ecosystems thrive in different environments, depending on: Soil, temperature, and rainfall The types of plants in an area The amount of food available

Energy in Food Producers Plants produce their own food from the sun through photosynthesis.

Organisms that consume another organism for food. Energy in Food Consumers Organisms that consume another organism for food. Herbivores eat plants Carnivores eat animals Omnivores eat both

Energy in Food Decomposers A type of consumer that breaks down the tissues of dead organisms. Ex) Mushrooms and bacteria

How consumers are connected to one another in an ecosystem. Food Chain How consumers are connected to one another in an ecosystem.

The mouse is the second level consumer. The insect in this food chain is a first level consumer. Herbivores are always the first level consumer. The mouse is the second level consumer. The owl is the third level consumer.

Relationship between different food chains in one ecosystem. Food Web Relationship between different food chains in one ecosystem.

Energy Pyramids Energy is lost as it moves further from the producer. For this reason, the top animals (third consumers) have smaller populations than the bottom producers.

Insects Owl 3rd level consumer Mouse Grass (Plants) 2nd level consumer The grass uses most of its energy from the sun for its own food, so it only passes on 10% of its energy to the insects. The insects also only pass on 10% of its energy to the mouse. The mouse only passes on 10% of its energy to the owl. By the time the owl gets to eat, most of the energy from the sun has been used by the lower level consumers. Owl 3rd level consumer Mouse 2nd level consumer Insects 1st level consumer Grass (Plants) Producers

Competition

Competition for Limited Resources Many ecosystems have limited resources, so animals have to compete with each other: Food Shelter Water

A predator is an animal that hunts other animals. The prey is the animal that is being hunted. Both use camouflage, or patterns of color, to help them. How can both use this?

Adaptations Plants and animals make adaptations to help them survive: Cheetah’s are fast to hunt and capture prey Hyenas hunt prey in packs to chase away other predators Other Examples

Sharing Resources The same type of tree, plant, or animal can feed multiple animals.

Symbiosis A long-term relationship between different kinds of organisms. Can benefit both organisms (mutualism), or just one of them. Cleaner fish and sharks Flowers and bees Sea anemones and clown fish Clip

Instinct vs. Learned Behavior An instinct is a behavior that is inherited. A learned behavior is a behavior that must be taught. Lions Summary