Ecosystems Food Chains/Webs, Energy Pyramids, Symbiotic Relationships Predatory-Prey Interaction, & Competitions James, 2009

Ecology Study of how organisms INTERACT with each other and their environment. James, 2009

Life Levels and Organization James, 2009

Biosphere The biosphere is the outermost part of the planet’s shell — including air, land, surface rocks, and water — within which life occurs, and which biotic processes in turn alter or transform. James, 2009

Biome A biome is a major regional group of distinctive plant and animal communities best adapted to the region's physical natural environment, latitude, elevation, and terrain. Examples of biomes include the desert, rain forest, arctic tundra, grassland, coniferous forest, deciduous forest, and oceans. James, 2009

Coral Reef Ecosystems James, 2009

Yellowstone National Park Ecosystem James, 2009

Ecosystems All the biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) factors that will INTERACT with each other in some subset of the biosphere. Abiotic factors: soil, water, temperature, elevation, and location on the earth. James, 2009

Explain Community –Groups of many different species of organisms interacting in a particular area (predator prey relationships) –Only the biotic factors that interact between different species of organisms Population –A group of organisms of ONE species that interbreed and live in the same place at the same time. James, 2009

Producer (autotroph) Producers (autotrophs) are always at the base of the chain. Producers are organisms that make their own food. Plants are producers. James, 2009

Herbivore Herbivores are animals that only eat plants. Ex. Cow & deer James, 2009

Omnivore An omnivore eats both plants and animals. Ex. Humans & bears James, 2009

Carnivore Animals that eat meat are carnivores. Ex. Lion & wolf James, 2009

Decomposer A decomposer eats dead or dying organisms. James, 2009

Producers and Consumers So…producers make their own food (e.g., photosynthesis) and consumers don’t. Is a dog a producer or a consumer? Is a termite a producer or a consumer? James, 2009

Food Chain A food chain shows how the energy in food is passed from one organism to another in an ecosystem. James, 2009

Describe the Food Chain James, 2009

Describe the Food Chain James, 2009

Food Webs Many food chains interacting with each other. The arrow always points away from the organism being eaten to the organism doing the eating. Shows the movement of energy and matter in an ecosystem. James, 2009

Energy Pyramid Sun major supplier of the earth’s energy. Sun major supplier of the earth’s energy. Most of the energy released Most of the energy released is lost in the form of heat. James, 2009

The Flow of Energy Producers - Plants capture the sun’s energy and store it in food Primary Consumers (herbivores) - Animals that receive their energy directly from plants Secondary Consumers (carnivores) - Consumers that feed on primary consumers Energy flows from the sun to the producer, then to the primary consumer, then to the secondary consumer, third level consumers, forth level consumers, etc... James, 2009

Pyramid of Numbers Carnivore populations are smaller in comparison to the rest of the ecosystem. They require more food to sustain their lives than the lower organisms. The amount of usable energy that is transferred from trophic level to trophic level only 10%. James, 2009

Explain Competition for limited food, water, and space resources, which results in some organisms not being able to get enough resources for survival Predator-prey interaction occur when a predator captures and eats prey for food. Symbiosis which are long-term, close relationships between species. James, 2009

Symbiotic Relationships Mutualism is a relationship in which both species mutually benefit. Commensalism is a relationship in which one species benefits while the other species is affected. Parasitism is a relationship in which one species benefits while the other is harmed. James, 2009

PowerPoint information provided by Xtreem Science at and Gateway to Science – Grade 8 Created By: Makayla James McCowan Middle School James, 2009