Week 7

➢Ecosystem
Opening Prayer
Father of Light and Wisdom, thank you for giving me a mind that can know
and a heart that can love.

Help me to keep learning every day of my life– no matter what the subject
may be. Let me be convinced that all knowledge leads to you and let me know
how to find you and love you in all the things you have made.

Encourage me when the studies are difficult and when I am tempted to give
up. Enlighten me when my brain is slow and help me to grasp the truth held
out to me.

Grant me the grace to put my knowledge to use in building the kingdom of

God on earth so that I may enter the kingdom of God in heaven. Amen.
ECOSYSTEM
 Assignment
Ecosystem (Group Activity)
Make an educational video about the importance of plants in the
community, animals, and the environment. Also, include the proper
ways on how to take care of the plants
Submission: September 17, 2024

Biomes (Individual Activity)

Choose one biome and give its characteristics, the flora, and the
fauna, the threats, and the conservation of the biomes you have
chosen. Present your output in a comic strip.
Submission: September 5, 2024
Short bond paper
 Learning Outcomes:
a) Distinguish the differences in the
structure and function of different
types of ecosystem.
b) Demonstrate ability to explain the
energy flow in the ecosystem by
creating food chain, food web and
ecological pyramid
 Concept
• Everything in the natural world is connected
• Plants and animals depend
on each other to survive.
• These plants and animals
within an area interact with
each other and with the
non-living elements of the
area, such as climate, water,
soil and so on.
 Biosphere
contains the
combined portions
of the planet in
which all of life
exist, including
land, water and
atmosphere
Level of Organization of an Ecosystem
 Species Population
• Species - • Population –
group of
same species
organisms so
similar to and live in
another that same area
they can breed
and produce
fertile
offspring
 Community
• Populations in a community
interact in many ways
• Communities –
– They compete for resources
different like water and space
populations that – They compete for food
live together in a – Some avoid competition by
defined area finding different niches like
eating at night or other
animals leftovers
– Plants also compete for
resources like water, sunlight,
and living space
 Biome
• Biome – a
group of
ecosystems
that have the
same climate
and similar
dominant
communities.
 Ecosystem
• Ecosystem – a collection • An ecosystem, short for
of all organisms that 'ecological system', is a
live in a particular community of living and
place together with non-living things that
their nonliving work together.
environment. • An ecosystem is a
community of living
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organisms in conjunction
with the nonliving
components of their
environment, interacting
as a system.
 Ecosystem Defined
• An ecosystem is a community • An ecosystem is a self
of plants, animals and smaller regulating group of biotic
organisms that live, feed, communities of species
reproduce and interact in the interacting with one another
same area or environment. and with their non-living
• An ecosystem is a community environment exchanging
of living and nonliving things energy and matter.
considered as a unit. • Ecosystems are dynamic
• Ecosystem is a complex set of interactions between plants,
relationships among the living animals, and microorganisms
resources, habitats and and their environment
residents of an area. It working together as a
includes plants, trees, functional unit.
animals, fishes, birds, micro- • Ecosystems will fail if they do
organisms, air, water, soil and not remain in balance.
people.
 Functions of Ecosystem
• Habitat functions • Production Function
➢Ecosystems provide ➢ Production of wide
habitat to wild range of goods
plants and animals ranging from food to
➢Supports different raw materials
food chains and
food web
 Functions of Ecosystem
• Regulatory functions:
➢Ecosystem regulates
essential processes and
life support systems and
renders stability
➢Responsible for cycling of
nutrients between biotic ➢ Every ecosystem
and abiotic components regulates and maintains
➢Provides many services itself and resists any
that have direct and stresses or disturbances
indirect benefits to up to a certain limit.
humans This is known as
cybernetic system
 Functions of Ecosystem
• Informational function:
➢Ecosystems provide an essential ‘reference
function’ and contribute to the maintenance of
human health by providing opportunities for
spiritual enrichment, cognitive development,
recreation, and aesthetic experience
 Biotic and Abiotic
• Biotic and Abiotic
factors determine the
survival and growth of
an organism and the
productivity of the
ecosystem in which an
organism lives.
 Biotic Factors
• Different living organisms constitute the
biotic components of an ecosystem.

• This refers to large life-forms such as trees

or mammals, small life-forms such as insects
and algae, and microscopic life-forms
such as bacteria.

• Biotic, meaning of or related to life,

are living factors. Plants, animals, fungi
and bacteria are all biotic or living factors.
 • An abiotic factor is a nonliving
Abiotic Factors condition or thing, such as climate
or habitat, that influences or affects
• The nonliving materials in an ecosystem and the organisms in
an ecosystem, such as it.
minerals, gases, liquids • Abiotic factors can determine which
and chemicals are referred species of organisms will survive in
to as abiotic or non-biotic a given environment.
factors.
• Abiotic, meaning not alive,
are nonliving factors that
affect living organisms.
• Environmental factors such
habitat (pond, lake, ocean,
desert, mountain) or Physical Components Sunlight, water,
weather such as air, temperature, rainfall, soil texture,
temperature, cloud cover, wind speed and direction,, etc.
rain, snow, hurricanes, etc. Chemical Components Carbon,
are abiotic factors. oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, iron,
copper, zinc, etc.
 Other factors that affect an Ecosystem

• The area where an • A niche is the full

organism lives is range of physical and
called its habitat. biological conditions
• Habitats provide in which an organism
populations of wildlife lives and the way in
with food, water, which the organism
shelter and space. uses those conditions.
It is an organisms’
occupation.
Competitive Exclusion Principle
• Two different species
cannot occupy the
same niche in the
same geographic area.
If they do they will compete
with one another for the
same food and other resources.
Eventually, one species will
out compete the other.
 • Producers are also known as
Producers autotrophs (derived from Greek
words: “autos” meaning self and
• Producers are organisms “trophe” meaning nourishment)
which are able to
manufacture organic • Captures energy from
sunlight or chemicals and use
compounds from inorganic
that energy to produce food.
substances from their
• Other names are producers or
environment.
plants.
• Food is produced both for
themselves and for other • Are essential for the flow of
energy through the biosphere
organisms.
• They depend directly on • Produce food through
Photosynthesis
the abiotic component for
their survival and
production of
nutrients.
 ➢ Chemosynthesis is a process certain
Producers organisms use to produce energy, akin to
photosynthesis, but without the utilization
of sunlight.
➢ The energy comes from the
oxidization (burning) of chemicals
➢ Producers extract nutrients from
which seep up from the Earth's crust.
soil or ocean and manufacture their
So, producers are either photo-
own food using photosynthesis, in
autotrophs or chemo-autotrophs.
the presence of carbon dioxide and
sunlight and so energy from sun
powers the base of food chain.
➢ Producers are also, thus known as
primary producers.
➢ An exception occurs in deep-
sea hydrothermal ecosystems
where there is no sunlight. Here,
the primary producers manufacture
food through a process called
chemosynthesis.
 Consumers
❑ Consumers are organisms that obtain
nutrients by consuming other
organisms.
❑ These organisms are formally
referred to as heterotrophs (derived
from Greek words “heteros” meaning
another/ different and “trophe”
meaning nourishment.
❑ A heterotroph is an organism that
cannot synthesize their own food
and must obtain it ready made. They
can be herbivores, carnivores,
omnivores or detritivores.
 Carnivores
Types of Consumers • Generally eat herbivores
(secondary consumers),
Herbivores
but occasionally eat
• Animals who derive their
other carnivores also
required energy directly from
(tertiary consumers).
consuming the plants and
• Eg: lion, tiger, cats,
plants only.
birds of prey, sharks,
• Also known as primary
frogs, etc.
consumers.
• Herbivores have special
digestive systems that let them
digest all kinds of plants,
including grasses.
• Eg. Rabbit, cattle, horse, sheep,
insects, etc.
 Predators and Scavengers
• A predator is an organism that hunts and
kills other organisms
for food.
– Eg: lions, tigers, sharks,
wolves, snakes, etc.
• Scavengers eat the food that has been killed
and left behind by predators.
– Eg: vultures, racoons, hyena,etc.
– Scavengers play an important role in the
ecosystem by consuming the carcass of animals
that have been left to decompose.
– Decomposers and detritivores complete this process, by
consuming the remains left by scavengers.
 Omnivores
• Omnivores often are opportunistic, general
feeders with neither carnivore nor herbivore
specializations for acquiring or processing food,
and are capable of consuming and do consume
both animal protein and vegetation.
• Many omnivores depend on a suitable mix of
animal and plant food for long-term good health
and reproduction.
• Eg, humans, bear, etc.
Decomposers/ • These are micro-organisms which
break-down organic matter into
Saprobes inorganic compounds and derive
their nutrition in the process.
• Breaks down • Decomposers break down complex
compound into simpler compounds
dead/decay matter without eating them.
• Bacteria and fungi are • For example, fungi can grow
on organic matter, such as a
examples of dead tree trunk or a piece of
decomposers bread, and breaks it down and
absorbing the nutrients
without eating the wood or the
bread.
• These are organisms that aid in
decomposition of already dead or
dying organisms. Decomposers
secrete enzymes to digest organic
matter and then absorb resulting
molecules.
✓ They feed on dead plant and
animal matter, but perform an Detritivores
additional function which is to
• Detritivores consume dead
return essential nutrients back to
organic material such as
the ecosystem in the process.
carcasses, fallen leaves, dead
✓ Detritivores actually eat organic
plants, animal droppings and shed
matter.
skins.
✓ They are essential for recycling
• Having consumed the material,
of nutrients: without them dead
the organism then excretes or
plant material would not be
egests waste.
returned to the soil for new
• This waste contains nutrients
growth
which are thus returned to the
✓ Eg: worms, millipedes, sea stars,
soil, facilitating new plant
crabs, dung flies.
growth, or made easier for other
organisms to consume.
• By breaking down dead matter
into smaller pieces, detritivores
speed up the process of
decomposition.
 Parasites
A parasite is an organism
that lives on or in a host
organism and gets its food
from or at the expense of
its host.

Example – Tick, Flea, Tapeworm

 Energy Flow
• Every organism needs energy to
power life’s processes

• The flow of energy through an

ecosystem is one of the most
important factors that determines
the ability to sustain life
• Eg. Carbon cycle, water cycle,
nitrogen cycle etc.
 • Flow of energy in an ecosystem is
Energy Cycle governed by laws of
thermodynamics.
• Energy cannot be created or
• The ultimate source of energy
destroyed (but it can be transformed
(for most ecosystems) is the
into stored energy & heat)
sun. The ultimate fate of
• Energy is lost as energy is
energy in ecosystems is for it
transformed.
to be lost as heat.
• Energy and nutrients are
passed from organism to Integration of Cycles in Nature
organism through the food
chain as one organism eats • All these cycles are responsible for
another. maintenance of life on earth.
• Decomposers remove the last • If mankind disturbs these cycles
energy from the remains of beyond the limits that nature can
organisms. sustain, they will eventually break
• Inorganic nutrients are cycled, down and lead to a degraded earth
energy is not. Flow of energy on which man will not be able to
in an ecosystem is uni- survive.
directional.
 Energy Flow
Energy flows through an
ecosystem in one direction from
the sun to autotrophs
(producers) and then to
heterotrophs (consumers).
 Energy in the Ecosystem

• Energy from the sun enters and

ecosystem when producers used
the energy to make organic matter
through photosynthesis.
• Glucose is the primary energy
source (carbohydrate) produced
by photosynthesis.
• Consumers take in this energy
when they eat producers or other
consumers.
 ✓ A food chain starts with the
Food Chains primary energy source and end
with top predators, animals that
• A food chain is the sequence of have little or no natural enemies.
who eats whom in a biological ✓ When any organism dies, it is
community (an ecosystem) to eventually eaten by detritivores
obtain nutrition. (like vultures, worms and crabs)
and broken down by decomposers
• A food chain shows how each (mostly bacteria and fungi), and
living thing gets food, and how the exchange of energy continues.
nutrients and energy are passed
from creature to creature. Food chains make a full circle, and
energy is passed from plant to animal
to animal to decomposer and back to
plant!
• There can be many links in food
chains but not TOO many. If there are
too many links, then the animal at the
end would not get enough energy.
 Food Web
• In nature, food chain relationships
are not isolated; rather they are
complex, because one organism
may form the food source of many
organisms.
• Thus, instead of a simple linear
food chain, there is a web like
structure formed by these • Food chains are generally found to be
interlinked and inter-woven as a
interlinked food chains.
network and are known as food web.
• Such interconnected matrix of • Food Web a system of interlocking and
food chains is called 'food web’. interdependent food chains in a given
• Food webs are indispensable in area.
ecosystems as they allow an • A food web is several food chains
organism to obtain its food from connected together. A food web is many
more than one type of organism of food chains linked together to show a
the lower trophic level. more accurate model of all possible
feeding relationships of organisms in an
ecosystem.
 • An ecological pyramid is an
Energy Pyramid illustration of the reduction in
• Trophic level is each step in a energy as you move through
food chain/web each feeding level in an
• A diagram that shows the ecosystem.
amount of energy or matter • Each feeding level of the
contained within each trophic ecosystem is called trophic
level in a food chain/web level.
• Only about 10% of the energy • Producers form the base of the
available within one trophic pyramid. Consumers form the
level is passed to organisms in upper layers.
the next trophic level.
Ecological pyramids are
graphs which illustrate the
trophic levels in a community.
Most ecological pyramids are
large at the base and narrow at
the top.
 The Ten Percent Law
• Most of the energy that enters through
organisms in a trophic level does not
become biomass. Only energy used to
make biomass remains available to the
next level.

• When all of the energy losses are added

together, only about 10% of the energy
entering one trophic level forms
biomass in the next trophic level. This
is known as the 10 percent law.
 MORE Ten Percent Law
• The 10 percent law is the main reason that most
food chains have five or less links. Because 90
percent of the food chain’s energy is lost at each
level, the amount of available energy decreases
quickly.

10 PERCENT
LAW!!
 1141998965_iger2Cface

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Ecological pyramid
Remember
scavengers and
decomposers can
enter at any level!

Tertiary Consumers= CARNIVORE EATING

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OTHER CARNIVORES

Secondary Consumers= CARNIVORES

EATING HERBIVORES
Herbivore

Primary Consumers= HERBIVORES

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PRODUCERS = Autotrophic Plants

 • Pyramid of biomass is the graphic
representation of biomass present per unit
Pyramid of Biomass area of different trophic levels, with
producers at the base and top carnivores at
• The total amount of matter the top.
present in organisms of an • Pyramid of biomass records the total dry
ecosystem at each trophic level organic matter of organisms at each trophic
level in a given area of an ecosystem.
is biomass. • A pyramid of biomass is a chart, drawn to
• In other words, the total scale, that shows the biomass at each stage
amount of living or organic in a food chain. The bars become narrower
matter in an ecosystem at any as you reach the top.
time is called 'Biomass’. • Typical units for a biomass pyramid could
• Biomass means the mass of be grams per meter2 or calories per meter2.
living material at a stage in a
food chain.
• The biomass at each stage goes
down as you go from one stage
to the next, just like the
amount of energy.
 • It is the slow and gradual process,
Ecological Succession by which ecosystems change and
develop over time.
• Ecological succession is the
Ecosystem is not static, its dynamic changing sequence of communities
and changing constantly. Its that live in an ecosystem during a
structure and function change over given time period.
• For example, a bare patch of
time. These changes are in order ground will not stay bare. It will
and are capable of being predicted. rapidly be colonized by a variety
of plants. It is the transition that
Ecological succession takes place when one biotic
➢ One type of community gets community gives way to another
biotic community.
totally replaced with another type
of community over a period of
time and this causes several
changes.
 Ecological Succession
PIONEER ORGANISMS
• A pioneer organism is an organism
• Primary Succession – that populates a region after a
natural disaster or any other event
succession that occurs that may have caused most life in
on the surface where that area to disappear.
• It is the first organism formed on the
no soil exists lifeless ground.
lichen9b
230px-Lichen_reproduction1

• Over time, dead material from

pioneer species forms humus, and
usnea1

the soil which results is colonized

by other species.
• Common pioneer organisms
include lichens and algae.
• A pioneer species are the species
dominating a community in the first
stage of succession.
 Ecological Succession
• Secondary Succession –
• Secondary succession is
following a disturbance usually faster than
that destroys a primary succession as:
community without Soil is already present,
destroying the soil. so there is no need
for pioneer species;
• Example- land cleared Seeds, roots and
and plowed for farming underground vegetative
organs of plants may still
• Example – Fires set by
survive in the soil.
lightning
Thank you…