1. Sustainability of Ecosystems
Diversity and Sustainability

2. Energy What is an ecosystem? Where does the E come from?
Includes all organisms in an area that interact with each other and with their environment of E (energy) and matter.
Where does the E come from?
Sunlight E is captured by plants by chlorophyll through the process of photosynthesis.
E is converted into carbohydrates
In this way light E is converted into chemical E

3. Feeding Levels Producer – First trophic level
Radiant E converted into chemical E
Primary Consumer – Second trophic level
Eat plants (rabbit, deer)
Secondary Consumer – Third trophic level
Eat primary consumers (foxes, wolves)
There is a unique relationship between plants and animals and the amount of E they produce per unit of land area.

4. Decomposers Part of two very different food chains Producers = Plants
(p.11, fig. 2 & 3)
Producers = Plants
Consumers = Animals and other living things that eat plants and each other
Scavengers = feed on bodies of larger dead animals
E.g. vultures, ravens, hyenas
Detritivores = consume waste (detritus)
E.g. earthworms, wood beetles and carpenter ants
Decomposers = bacteria and fungi

5. Frogs Amphibians – from the Greek meaning two lives.
Why are they disappearing?
Loss of Habitat
Wetland and Field reduction
Air and Water Quality
Skin absorption & Reproductive Issues
UV Radiation
Cell Damage to Skin; High Altitudes
Climate Change
Dry Climate = Fewer Frogs

6. Endangered Species What does it mean to be endangered?
To be close to extinction!
Effects of Extinction?
Decrease in biodiversity
Restore the Balance?

7. Ecology Pests Organisms that cause problems for humans
Why are they important to ecosystems?
Food, pollination, oxygenation

8. Habitat Components Abiotic = non-living factors
Sunlight, temperature, wind
Biotic = living factors
Any living component
Ecological Niche
An organism’s place in an ecosystem
Allows organism to survive and reproduce (two most important things in the life of an organism)
Population
All of the members of the same species
Community
Collection of all the populations

9. Energy Movement in Ecosystems
A Comparison… (p.34, fig, 1)
Producer/Consumer
Trophic Level
Producer
First Trophic Level
Primary Consumer
Second Trophic Level
Secondary Consumer
Third Tropic Level
Tertiary Consumer
Fourth Tropic Level
Food Chain vs. Food Web

10. Energy within Trophic Levels
Trophic levels indicate that E is moving from one level to the next. Why is this so important?
It is important for us to understand that while there is E transfer it is not 100%.
100KJ of E in and only 10KJ will be used effectively by the tissues.
The amount of E transferred from one level to the next varies from 5-20% with 10% being a good average.
Where does the rest go???
30KJ thermal E to environment, 60KJ as waste
Note: 1 Calorie (technically kiloCalorie) = kilojoules

11. Feeding People
A farm that produces plants will be able to support a larger population of humans then a farm that produces plants and animals