Transcript Unit 3 Ecosystems - Exploits Valley High

Unit 4: Ecosystems
3.1.1 Define Ecosystem
Ecosystem = the network of relationships
(interactions) among plants, animals (living) and
the non-living parts in an environment.
3.2.1 Producers
Other examples:
Grasses
Trees shrubs
Water lilies
Flowers
Vegetables
Fruits
Producer = a plant which can synthesize carbohydrates
using carbon dioxide and the sun’s energy.
“Produce” their own food AND food for the rest of the
ecosystem
3.2.1 Consumers
Consumers = All those organisms that have
to eat (consume) plants or animals to obtain
their food.
Types of consumers
Primary Consumers: Animals that eat producers.
Also called 1st. order consumers or herbivores. (Ex.
Rabbit, squirrels, grouse, insects)
Secondary Consumers: Animals that eat primary
consumers. Also called 2nd. order consumers or
carnivores. (fox, owl, mink )
Tertiary Consumers: Animals that eat secondary
consumers. Also called 3rd. order consumers or
carnivores. (Wolf, coyote, hawk)
Omnivores: Animals that eat both producers (plants)
and consumers (animals).
3.2.1 Decomposers
Examples:
Worms
Bacteria
Fungi
Protozoa
• Decomposers = Simple organisms that obtain
their food from dead/decaying organisms and
wastes.
Identify;
Producers
Herbivores
Carnivores
Omnivores
What’s missing?
Decomposers!
3.2.3 Food chain
Food chain = linear sequence
representing the flow of
nutrition from the simplest
plant to the top carnivore.
Ie. What eats what??
3.2.4 Food web
Food web = a
series of
interconnecting
food chains in
an ecosystem.
Shows all
possible flows
of nutrition.
Much more
complicated!!
Food Chain
vs
Food Web
Identify examples of producers & consumers
See “Handout”
Producers
Shrubs, grass, trees
Primary Consumers / herbivores
Grasshopper, rabbit, deer
Secondary Consumers /
Carnivores
Mountain lion, snake, shrew,
insect-eating bird, hawk
Tertiary Consumers / Carnivores
Hawk, snake, mountain lion
Decomposers
Bacteria, fungi
Give an example
of a food chain
from figure to
the right.
Tree
insect
→
Producer
→
Primary
consumer
insect eating
hawk
bird
→
2nd order
consumer
3rd order
consumer
Note: The arrows indicate the flow of energy & nutrients from
one level to the next
Sample Food Chain
Draw an example of a food web
containing humans.
Mosquito
Hawk
Cow
Grass
Man
Worms
Phytoplankton
Fish
Draw an example of a food web containing
humans.
Hawk
Mosquito
Cow
Grass
Man
Worms
fish
Phytoplankton
Using a diagram, describe the relationship
between latitude and the sequence of
ecosystems.
Using a diagram, describe the relationship
between elevation and the sequence of
ecosystems. (a)