1. Ecological Roles and Relationships

2. Life Functions
All organisms carry out basic life functions, such as growth, repair, and reproduction
To perform these life functions, organisms require food, water, and other nutrients
How organisms meet these needs determines their role in an ecosystem

3. Producers
Also called autotrophs, these organisms make their own food from the sun or other sources of energy
Many producers use photosynthesis, a process that uses light energy from the sun to create sugars that are used by plant cells during cellular respiration

4. Examples of Producers
Producers include algae, single and multicellular plants, as well as photosynthetic bacteria
Microscopic aquatic algae are called phytoplankton
Some organisms are chemosynthetic, and use chemical and thermal energy from the Earth’s interior to produce their own food

5. Phytoplankton are small, plant-like organisms that provide much of the world’s oxygen supply
Kelp forests are also an important supplier of oxygen in our oceans

6. Producers on land include trees, flowers, ferns and other plant species

7. Inside the tubeworms are chemosynthetic bacteria that uses sulfides or elemental sulfur from the vents as a source of energy

8. Consumers
Also called heterotrophs, consumers eat other organisms or biotic waste to survive
Are several different types of consumers based on diet

9. Herbivores Include insects and other animals that eat plants
In aquatic environments, herbivores eat phytoplankton and other algae

10. Carnivores Carnivores eat other consumers
Orcas are classic consumers, eating only other predators, such as seals, sea lions and even other whales

11. Omnivores
Eat both producers and other consumers

12. Detrivores
Are heterotrophs that consume decomposing plant and animal parts as well as feces
Other detrivores include millipedes, slugs, earthworms, sea stars and sea cucumbers
Found on every continent, dung beetles play an important role in nutrient recycling

13. Decomposers
Decomposers, like bacteria and fungi, cause decay of dead organisms and waste material and make the nutrients available to producers through biodegradation
Waste material is broken down into simpler molecules
Fungi are the primary decomposers in most ecosystems.