1. Digging A Little Deeper Into Ecosystems

2. Organisms of Ecosystems Producers Consumers Herbivores Carnivores Omnivores Decomposers

3. Producers Organisms that use energy from the sun to make their own food through a process called photosynthesis PRODUCES its own food

4. Consumers Organisms that must get energy by eating other organisms 3 Groups – Herbivores Eat only PLANTS – Carnivores Eat other ANIMALS – Omnivores Eat both PLANTS and ANIMALS

5. Decomposers Get energy by breaking down nutrients in dead organisms Return carbon dioxide and water to ecosystem Think of them as RECYCLERS

6. How can 1 Ecosystem Support So Many Communities? Habitat (home) – The physical space used by a population – Includes the biotic and abiotic parts Biotic – living organisms Abiotic – nonliving parts of the ecosystem Niche – An organism’s lifestyle Habitat, climate, food

7. What happens when different populations occupy the same niche? Competition – Populations compete with each other for food, water and shelter – 1 population is usually better (more efficient) at finding food, water and shelter – The stronger population lives and the weaker population either moves to a new area or dies

8. Can two populations ever live together? YES, if they have partially overlapping niches. Animals ADAPT to their ecosystems – Adapt - to change so as to fit a new or specific use or situation Examples: – Owls and Kestrels eat the same food – Owls hunt at night and Kestrels hunt during the day

9. Predator and Prey Predator – An organism that eats other organisms in order to live Prey – The organism that is eaten

10. Food Chains and Food Webs Food Chain – Shows the path of energy as it flows from one organism to the next Food Web – A diagram of several connected food chains

13. Parasites and Hosts Parasite – Organisms that live on or inside another organism to get energy – Feeds off other organisms, does not eat them – Examples: fleas, ticks, tapeworms, leeches Host – The organisms the parasite infects – Usually harmed by parasite because the parasite takes nutrients