Ecosystems

Postcard Launch Lab Look at the picture on your card. Answer the flowing questions about it. How is the environment different from the one you live in? What types of living organisms will you see? How are these organisms suited to this environment? Explain.

Ecosystems Biotic Factors Living or once-living things in an ecosystem Plants Dead animals Fungi/algae/moss Humans Dead plants

Ecosystems Abiotic Factors Nonliving parts of an ecosystem Sunlight (energy for photosynthesis; warmth) Temperature Air (nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide) Water (supports life) Soil (plants, homes)

Ecosystems Ecosystem All the living and nonliving things in an area

Ecosystems Habitat The place within an ecosystem that provides food, water, shelter, and other biotic and abiotic factors an organism needs to survive and reproduce

Ecosystems Biome Group of ecosystems with similar climates and types of plants

Ecosystems Ecosystem All the living and nonliving things in an area

Ecosystems Community Population All the populations living in the same area at the same time Population All the organisms of the same species that live in the same area at the same time

Ecosystems Species (Individual) Closely related organisms that can reproduce

Ecosystems Biodiversity The variety of organisms in an ecosystem Can indicate health of an ecosystem

Ecosystems Population Density The size of the population compared to the amount of space available

Ecosystems Population Change Caused by changes in the biotic or abiotic factors in an ecosystem

Ecosystems Overpopulation Occurs when a population becomes so large that it causes damage to the environment Temporary situation

Ecosystems Niche The way a species interacts with abiotic and biotic factors to obtain food, find shelter, and fulfill other needs Cannot be shared by two species

Ecosystems Competition The demand for resources, such as food, water, and shelter, in short supply Limits population size

Ecosystems Invasive Species Any kind of living thing that is not native to an ecosystem Causes harm to the environment, the economy, or even human health

Ecosystems Predation Predator Prey The act of one organism feeding on another organism Predator Organism that hunts or kills other organisms for food Prey Organisms hunted or eaten by a predator

Ecosystems Symbiosis Close long-term relationship between two species that involves exchange of food/energy

Ecosystems Mutualism A symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit Example: Fish and shrimp Fish eat tiny organisms off shrimp

Ecosystems Parasitism A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is harmed Example: Mosquitoes

Ecosystems Commensalism A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits but the other is neither harmed nor helped Example: Moss growing on a tree

Ecosystems Energy cannot be created; only converted from one form to another.

Ecosystems Food Chain A model that shows how energy flows in an ecosystem through feeding relationships

Ecosystems Food Web A model of energy transfer that can show how the food chains in a community are interconnected

Ecosystems

Ecosystems Producers Organisms that use an outside energy source (sun) to make their own food Example: plants

Ecosystems Consumers Organisms that cannot produce their own food Example: humans, animals

Ecosystems Types of Consumers Herbivores Eats only plants or other producers Example: panda

Ecosystems Types of Consumers Omnivores Eats producers and consumers Example: bears, dogs, humans

Ecosystems Types of Consumers Carnivores Eats herbivores and other consumers Example: lion, eagle

Ecosystems Decomposers Breaks down dead organisms Example: earthworms, bacteria, fungi

Ecosystems

Ecosystems Biomagnification: Chemicals become more concentrated at each level

Lethal Links Read “Bad for Bees” in the Science World magazine. List three ways pesticides are bad for organisms. Define biomagnification in your SNB.

Lethal Links Describe how the pesticide in your model first entered the food chain. Which animals-caterpillars, mice, or eagles-had the highest amount of pesticides in their bodies? The lowest? Use your model to explain how biomagnification occurs in a food chain. Include a diagram to show this process.