1. WHAT IS AN ECOSYSTEM? www.pwssc.org

2. What is an ecosystem? A community that includes all living and nonliving things in a certain area. Abiotic: All the non-living things in an ecosystem Mountains, lakes, soil, climate, etc. Biotic: All the living things in an ecosystem Animals, plants, bacteria, etc. www.pwssc.org

3. Habitat is formed from abiotic elements www.pwssc.org Landscape Water Weather/Climate Soil Altitude

4. Biotic elements form a food web www.pwssc.org What abiotic elements are in this ecosystem?

5. Trophic Pyramid www.pwssc.org Primary Producers (Autotrophs) Create their own energy, usually from the sun Plants and phytoplankton Primary Consumers (Herbivories) Get energy by consuming autotrophs Zooplankton, small fish, cattle, etc. Secondary Consumers Omnivores and Carnivores Energy from other organisms Tertiary Consumers/Apex Predators Omnivores and Carnivores Bears, lions, humans, etc. Decomposers Gain energy by breaking down nutrients in dead organisms Fungi, worms, bacteria Consumers and Decomposers are Heterotrophs. This means that they cannot produce their own energy; they must consume other organisms.

6. Energy Flow www.pwssc.org Primary Producers (Autotrophs) Primary Consumers (Herbivories) Secondary Consumers Tertiary Consumers Decomposers Sun Energy moves up the trophic pyramid and into decomposers when an organism dies. Only 10% of energy is transferred between trophic levels! 1,000 units 100 1 10

7. Nutrient Flow www.pwssc.org Primary Producers (Autotrophs) Primary Consumers (Herbivories) Secondary Consumers Tertiary Consumers Decomposers Consumers gain nutrients by eating food. When consumers die decomposers use those nutrients and make them available to producers.

8. Name the things that are biotic or abiotic in this picture. www.pwssc.org