1. Unit 3: Ecosystems Chapter 6 – Part 1 Pg. 92-95

2. Define Ecosystem
Ecosystem = the network of relationships (interactions) among plants, animals (living) and the non-living parts in an environment.

3. 3.2.1 Producers Other examples: Grasses Trees shrubs Water lilies
Flowers
Vegetables
Fruits
Producer = a plant which can synthesize carbohydrates using carbon dioxide and the sun’s energy.
“Produce” their own food AND food for the rest of the ecosystem

4. 3.2.1 Consumers
Consumers = All those organisms that have to eat (consume) plants or animals to obtain their food.

5. Types of consumers
Primary Consumers: Animals that eat producers. Also called 1st. order consumers or herbivores. (Ex. Rabbit, squirrels, grouse, insects)
Secondary Consumers: Animals that eat primary consumers. Also called 2nd. order consumers or carnivores. (fox, owl, mink )
Tertiary Consumers: Animals that eat secondary consumers. Also called 3rd. order consumers or carnivores. (Wolf, coyote, hawk)
Omnivores: Animals that eat both producers (plants) and consumers (animals).

6. Decomposers
Examples:
Worms
Bacteria
Fungi
Protozoa
Decomposers = Simple organisms that obtain their food from dead/decaying organisms and wastes.

7. Identify; Producers Herbivores Carnivores Omnivores What’s missing?
Decomposers!

8. 3.2.3 Food chain
Food chain = linear sequence representing the flow of nutrition from the simplest plant to the top carnivore.
Ie. What eats what??

9. 3.2.4 Food web
Food web = a series of interconnecting food chains in an ecosystem.
Shows all possible flows of nutrition.
Much more complicated!!

10. Food Chain vs Food Web

11. Identify examples of producers & consumers See “Handout”
Primary Consumers / herbivores
Secondary Consumers / Carnivores
Tertiary Consumers / Carnivores
Decomposers
Shrubs, grass, trees
Grasshopper, rabbit, deer
Mountain lion, snake, shrew, insect-eating bird, hawk
Hawk, snake, mountain lion
Bacteria, fungi

12. Give an example of a food chain from figure to the right.
Tree →
insect
insect eating bird
hawk
Producer
Primary consumer
2nd order consumer
3rd order consumer
Note: The arrows indicate the flow of energy & nutrients from one level to the next

13. Sample Food Chain

14. Draw an example of a food web containing humans.
Mosquito
Hawk
Cow
Grass
Man
Worms
Phytoplankton
Fish

15. Draw an example of a food web containing humans.
Hawk
Mosquito
Cow
fish
Man
Phytoplankton
Grass
Worms

16. Using a diagram, describe the relationship between latitude and the sequence of ecosystems.
Using a diagram, describe the relationship between elevation and the sequence of ecosystems. (a)