KEY CONCEPT Every ecosystem includes both living and nonliving factors.

An ecosystem includes both biotic and abiotic factors. Biotic factors are living things. plants animals fungi bacteria plants

Abiotic factors are nonliving things. moisture temperature wind sunlight soil moisture sunlight

Changing one factor in an ecosystem can affect many other factors. Biodiversity is the assortment, or variety, of living things in an ecosystem. Rain forests have more biodiversity than other locations in the world, but are threatened by human activities.

A keystone species is a species that has an unusually large effect on its ecosystem.

Keystone species form and maintain a complex web of life. creation of wetland ecosystem increased waterfowl Population increased fish population nesting sites for birds keystone species

Objectives Identify the source of energy for life processes.

The following standard will be addressed: Standards Addressed The following standard will be addressed: B-3.6

KEY CONCEPT Life in an ecosystem requires a source of energy.

Producers provide energy for other organisms in an ecosystem. Producers get their energy from non-living resources. Producers are also called autotrophs because they make their own food.

Producers provide energy for other organisms in an ecosystem. Consumers are organisms that get their energy by eating other living or once-living resources. Consumers are also called heterotrophs because they feed off of different things.

Almost all producers obtain energy from sunlight. Photosynthesis most producers uses sunlight as an energy source. Chemosynthesis prokaryote producers uses chemicals as an energy source. carbon dioxide + water + hydrogen sulfide + oxygen sugar + sulfuric acid