Four Systems of Our Earth

Composition of Earth Earth Has 4 main systems that interact: The Atmosphere The Hydrosphere The Biosphere Life on Earth Sea life, plants, flying creatures, humans Encompasses hydrosphere, upper geosphere, and lower atmosphere. The Geosphere

Role of Water in the Biosphere Water is the universal solvent and the basis of all life on our Planet. The hydrosphere is important to the Biosphere!

Role of the Sun for the biosphere The Sun provides the light and heat necessary to maintain life on Earth and is the ultimate source of energy.

The relationship between an organism and its environment is the study of ecology.

Living things interact with Non living things in the Biosphere Biotic Factors—living components in the biosphere Biotic, meaning of or related to life, are living factors. Plants, animals, fungi, protist and bacteria are all biotic or living factors.

Living things interact with Non living things in the Biosphere Abiotic Factors—nonliving components in the biosphere Environmental factors such habitat (pond, lake, ocean, desert, mountain) or weather such as temperature, cloud cover, rain, snow, hurricanes, etc. are abiotic factors.

Biotic and abiotic factors combine to create an ecosystem. Which is a community of living and nonliving things.

Examples of ecosystems A pond. Abiotic factors? Biotic Factors?

Ocean Ecosystem Abiotic? Biotic?

Grassland ecosystem

A food chain Shows how each living thing gets its food. Some animals eat plants and some animals eat other animals. For example, a simple food chain links the trees, the giraffes and the lions. Each link in this chain is food for the next link. A food chain always starts with plant life and ends with an animal.

A food chain An  is added and means “is eaten by”; also shows the flow of energy.

Biosphere Here is an example of another food chain.

Plants are called producers because they are able to use light energy to make their own food.

Animals cannot make their own food so they must eat plants and/or other animals. They are called consumers. There are three groups of consumers.

Herbivores are animals that only eat plants or plant products (seeds) Herbivores are animals that only eat plants or plant products (seeds). They are also called primary consumers

Carnivores are animals that eat other animals. There are 2 kinds of carnivores

Animals and people who eat BOTH animals and plants are called omnivores WE EAT PLANTS WE EAT MEAT

To sum up: Animals that eat only plants.                Animals that eat only plants.      Animals that eat only animals. Animals that eat both animals AND plants. Humans are also omnivores!

Decomposers feed on decaying matter. (bacteria, worms, and fungi) These decomposers speed up the decaying process that releases mineral salts back into the food chain for absorption by plants as nutrients.

Most food chains have no more than four or five links There cannot be too many links in a single food chain because the animals at the end of the chain would not get enough food (energy) to stay alive.

Most animals are part of more than one food chain and eat more than one kind of food in order to meet their food and energy requirements. These interconnected food chains form a food web.

FOOD CHAIN vs FOOD WEB FOOD CHAIN FOOD WEB

Note that the arrows are drawn from food source to food consumers ... substitute the arrows with the words "eaten by" The arrows also show the way energy is moving.

Recap The sun is the source of energy Water is the source of life on earth Water is in the hydrosphere, geosphere and atmosphere, and biosphere. The living things in the biosphere are dependent on many nonliving things. (abiotic and biotic) There are food chains and webs that show what animals eat. The higher up on the food chain, the less predators they have. Be able to describe who receives the most of the sun’s energy and how energy moves and is converted through the food chain. Be able to describe how the systems are connected (atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere)