1. Niche and competition

2. Re-cap - Ecosystems
An ecosystem consists of all the living in a particular and the
components with which the organisms interact
An ecosystem is a community of , animals and smaller organisms that live, , reproduce and interact in the same habitat or environment.
The non-living components include ,
pH, , CO2 , O2 and other chemicals.
plants, temperature, habitat, light, feed, non-living, organisms,

3. Today we are learning about niche and competition
Does any one know what the word niche means?
A niche is the role that an organism plays within a community.
A niche includes the use organisms make of the resources in their ecosystem, including light and nutrient availability.
The interactions include other organisms in the community including competition and predation and the conditions the organism can tolerate such as different temperature ranges.

4. All organisms in an ecosystem have a particular niche.
What is the role of plants in an ecosystem?
Plants are the producers.
This means they can photosynthesise and make their
own food.
There are exceptions to this and some plants supplement the poor nutrient levels in their ecosystem by digesting insects.
Can you name any plants that do this?
Butterwort, Sundew, Venus fly trap

5. Animals have a variety of niches in an ecosystem often
associated with their feeding level.
These levels are primary consumer, secondary consumer,
tertiary consumer, etc..
Primary consumers are animals that feed directly on the
plants and would be called herbivores
Secondary consumers are animals that feed on the
primary consumers.
Tertiary consumers are animals that feed on the
secondary consumers.

6. Organisms are often grouped in a niche in relation to
where they get their energy (food).
This includes herbivores, carnivores, omnivores and
decomposers.
You should know the difference,
test yourself?
Herbivores
Carnivores
Omnivores
Decomposers

7. Relationships between organisms
Organisms in an ecosystem are influenced by their
relationships with each other.
If organisms require the same or similar resources or resources are in short supply then they will need to ‘fight’ for them.
This is called competition.
Plants will often compete for light, space and available
nutrients.
Animals will often compete for food, space and
reproductive mates.
As a result of competition between organisms their
success and numbers in the ecosystem will be affected.

8. Competition
There are 2 types of competition
Interspecific – between members of different species
Such robins and blue tits for insects in a garden.
They require similar but not exactly the same resources.
Intraspecific – between members of the same species
Such as all the robins getting insects in a garden.
They all require the same resources to survive.
Which of these types of competition will be the
most intense and why?

9. Relationships between organisms
Another relationship that will affect how successful
organisms are is that between predators and their prey.
Predators get their food by eating other animals.
The numbers of predators will affect the numbers of
their prey (the animal being eaten).
Examples of predators include pine marten, eagles,
wolves and bears.
Take a look at the graph and think about how the
predators and prey affect each other, what do you notice?

11. What did you notice?
As the prey numbers increase the predator numbers increase.
As the predator numbers increase the prey numbers decrease.
As the prey numbers decrease the predator numbers decrease.
Can you explain this?
Could there be other factors affecting the populations?

12. We have been learning about niche and competition
What is a niche?
A niche is the role that an organism plays within a community.
What kind of resources will organisms be using in their
ecosystem?
Light, temperature and nutrient availability.
What types of interactions occur between organisms in
a community?
Competition and predation.

13. We have been learning about niche and competition
What are the 2 types of competition?
Intraspecific and interspecific
Which one of these is between members of the same species?
Which one of these is between members of different species?
How will they affect the different organisms involved?
What is predation?
How do prey and predators affect the numbers in each population?

14. Investigation
You are going to Plan and Carry out an investigation
into competition between cress seeds
for space to germinate
The teacher will introduce and discuss the investigation
with the class.
There will be an initial planning phase that must be
completed before carrying out the investigation.
The investigation will then be carried out.