An ecosystem is a complete community of biotic and its abiotic environment. An ecosystem can be as large as the Sahara Desert or as small as a puddle. Ecosystems are interactions between plants, animals, microorganisms and their environment; working together as a functional unit.

Ecosystems will fail if they do not remain in balance. No community can carry more organisms than its food, water, and shelter can accommodate. Food and territory are often balanced by natural phenomena such as fire, disease, and the number of predators. Each organism has its own niche or role, to play.

3 groups: based on how organisms obtain their food Energy in Ecosystems 3 groups: based on how organisms obtain their food Producers “Photosynthesis” are organisms that make their own food through photosynthesis. Example: Plants

Consumers “Eat” Types of Consumers are organisms that consume (eat) producers and other consumers to get energy. Examples: Animals Types of Consumers Herbivores are animals that eat only plants. Carnivores eat mainly other animals. Omnivores eat a significant amount of both plants and animals.

Decomposers “Break Down” are organisms that break down dead matter or animal wastes to get energy. Examples: Fungus and Bacteria

Decomposer (bacteria) Food Chains are diagrams that show the transfer of energy. All food chains begin with producers. A food chain starts with what gets eaten and the arrows point towards what does the eating. Food chains only go in one direction. The food chain below is an example of one that you might find in an ecosystem. Producer Primary consumer Decomposer (bacteria) Tertiary consumer Secondary consumer

Food Web In the wild, animals may eat more than one thing, so they belong to more than one food chain. A food web shows how the food chains in an ecosystem connect to one another. To get the food they need, small herbivores may eat lots of different plants, and carnivores may eat many different animals.

Food Web The arrows in the diagram show the direction of energy flow in each food chain.

Name the parts of this food chain. Tertiary consumer Primary consumers 4. 2. 1. 3. Producer Secondary consumer

Breaking the Chain Organisms living in a habitat depend on each other. If one part of a food chain dies out or is greatly reduced, the consumers have to find alternative food, move away, or starve.

Earth's Biomes A biome is a large region on Earth characterized by a specific type of climate and the biotic things that live there. Climate is the average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time. Forests Grasslands Deserts Tundra Freshwater Marine Water Climate Zones: Tropical Zone Temperate Zone Polar Zone

3 Major Types of Ecosystems Terrestrial Ecosystems Freshwater Ecosystems Marine Ecosystems

Terrestrial Ecosystems Temperate Deciduous Forests Coniferous Forests Tropical Rain Forests Chaparral Temperate Grasslands Tropical Savanna Tropical Deserts Temperate Desert Artic Tundra Alpine Tundra

Freshwater Ecosystems Lakes Ponds Rivers Streams Wetlands

Marine Ecosystems Oceans

Identifying Ecosystems I. Objective: In this activity students will identify the characteristics of ecosystems and how different ecosystems support different organisms. II. Procedure: On a construction paper create a model of an ecosystem that will be assigned to your group. Drawings, pictures, cut outs and or natural materials such as grass or leaves can be used to create your model. Fill in the following with the appropriate information: Description: a brief summary of what the ecosystem is. Name of Ecosystem Average Temperature Average Precipitation Soil Characteristics (ex. Rocky) Examples of Plants (at least 3) Examples of Animals (at least 3) Type of Biome (ex. Desert) Example of a Place where this ecosystem is found (ex. Southern California)