Ecosystems All the living and non living Components of an environment. Forest Ecosystem Ocean Ecosystem Desert Ecosystem

Ecosystems Living components (Biotic) Non living components (Abiotic) trees sea anemone clownfish Non living components (Abiotic) soil rocks water temperature precipitation

Energy in an Ecosystem The source of all energy in an ecosystem is the sun Photosynthesis – using sunlight as energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into food. Carbon dioxide + water + sunlight = sugar + oxygen

Ecosystems – The Major Players The Producers: Organisms that produce their own food by photosynthesis. Examples are plants, algae and plankton.

Ecosystems – The Major Players The Consumers: Organisms that get their energy from eating food. Three Types: Herbivores Carnivores Omnivores

Ecosystems – The Major Players The Decomposers: Organisms that break down wastes and dead organisms and return nutrients to the environment. Examples are bacteria and fungi.

Food Chains and food webs Food chains follow a single path to show who eats whom. Food chains show the flow of energy through an ecosystem. Arrows indicate a transfer of energy and can be replaced with “is eaten by..” The sun is the primary source of energy for any food chain. The Producers are always at the bottom. Energy is lost at each step. Tertiary Consumer Secondary Consumer Primary Consumer

Food Chains and food webs Many food chains together create a food web that shows the feeding relationships for the whole ecosystem. Food Chain Food Web

Energy Pyramid Trophic Level – Feeding positions within a food chain or web. Energy is lost at each Trophic Level. Decreasing energy