1. Environmental Systems Topic 2 The Ecosystem
EcoStructure
Assessment Statements:
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2. scope, in terms of levels of organization:
Ecosphere
ecology: study of relationships between organisms & their environment.
scope, in terms of levels of organization:
organism: any form of life
population: a group of interacting individuals of same species
community: populations of different species in given area
ecosystem: community + non–living environment
ecosphere: (=biosphere) all of Earth's ecosystems
Realm of
Ecology

3. Ecosystem
Definition: a community of different species interacting with one another & with…
Examples?

4. So what the heck is a Trophic Level?
The Biotic Components of an ecosystem can be separated into what are known as Trophic Levels
So what the heck is a Trophic Level?

5. A Trophic Level is….
The position that an organism occupies in a food chain, or a group of organisms in a community that occupy the same position in food chains.

6. Two Main Categories of Trophic Levels
1. Producers (also called ____________ = "self–feeders") make their own food from compounds obtained in the environment
Usually by what process?
Some bacteria use what other process?
2) Consumers (also called _____________ "other–feeders") get their energy & nutrients by feeding on other organisms or their remains.
Use what process to make energy?

7. Types of Consumers
primary consumers: (=herbivores) feed directly on ________________;
secondary consumers: (=carnivores) feed on __________________;
tertiary consumers: (=top carnivores)feed only on carnivores;
omnivores: consumers that feed on _____________________
scavengers: feed on _________ organisms

8. More Consumers
detritivores: feed on detritus (partially decomposed organic matter, such as leaf litter & animal dung) (ex: worms, beetles, etc.)
decomposers: consumers that complete the breakdown & recycling of organic materials from the remains & wastes of other organisms (ex: Fungus, Bacteria)
What is the difference between these?

9. Model of the Trophic Levels
Producers
1oConsumers
2oConsumers
3oConsumers
Detritivores &Decomposers

10. Food Chains and Food Webs What is the difference?

11. Food Chains are models that show the movement of energy in an ecosystem

12. Food Webs: Interconnections between food chains.
Why is a food web
more accurate than
a food chain?
Because most organisms usually eat a varied diet.
ie: they don’t just eat one type of organism.

13. Habitat vs Niche habitat: the actual location where an organism lives.
habitat is like "address" of an organism;
Niche: the functional role of a species in an ecosystem. Includes:
interactions with living (biotic) & nonliving (abiotic) components of ecosytem;
role in flow of energy & cycling of matter.
Niche is like the occupation of an organism

14. Population Interactions
Predation –
Symbiosis –
Parasitism - Interaction in which one species (a parasite) lives in or on another (host) and obtains nourishment from it.
Ex:
Mutualism - an association in which both species derive benefit.
Commensalism - one member benefits and the other neither benefits or is harmed.

15. Competition A common demand by two or more organisms.
Organisms compete for…?

16. Two Types of Competition
Intraspecific Competition - Competition between members of the same species.
An example?
Interspecific Competition - competition between different species
Which type of competition is the most intense? Why?

17. What is a Biome?
Region inhabited by certain types of plants and animals due to which two abiotic factors?
Examples of Biomes?