THE LIVING
WORLD
,• Organisms in ecosystems can be classed as producers, consumers
or decomposers:
• PRODUCER - (e.g. grass) uses sunlight to produce food.
• CONSUMERS - gets its energy by eating other organisms. They can
eat producers (rabbits eat grass) or other consumers (foxes eat
rabbits).
• DECOMPOSERS - an organism that gets its energy by breaking down
dead material, e.g. dead producers (fallen leaves) and dead
consumers (animal remains). Bacteria and fungi are decomposers.
• An ecosystem is a community of plants and animals living
together in a habitat.
• It is all the biotic and abiotic (eg soil) parts of an area.
• Ecosystems exist on a range of scales (small scale, pond) ->
(large scale, lake or woodland)
• The largest ecosystems are called biomes and exist on a global
scale (eg tropical rainforest)
Ecosystems
COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM:
ABIOTIC:
• Insolation
• Water
• Air (oxygen and carbon dioxide)
• Rocks and soils
BIOTIC:
• Flora (plants)
• Fauna (animals and decomposers)
• Components are interconnected - THE NUTRIENT CYCLE
complicated links • All plants and animals depend on nutrients in food for their health.
• Nutrients occur naturally in the environment and are constantly recycled in
every ecosystem.
1. When dead material decomposes, nutrients are released into the soil.
2. The nutrients are then taken up from the soil by plants. The plants may be
eaten by consumers.
3. When the plants or consumers die, the nutrients are returned to the soil.
4. This transfer of nutrients is called nutrient cycling.
• Arrows show the nutrient transfer (energy transfer for food chains)
, A change to one part of the Reed Beds has an • A typical food chain for the Slapton Ley
impact on other parts: reed beds is:
Common Reed -> Moth larva -> Eel -> Bittern
• An interdependent ecosystem - all
components depend on each other. • A freshwater lagoon separated from the sea by a
shingle barrier.
• Changing one component can have a knock- • The reed beds provide a habitat for lots of plants
on effect on other components and animals.
A small scale UK ecosystem
The Slapton Ley Reed Beds in Devon
Fresh water pond
Animals breath
through lungs,
gills or skin - Birds and insects in
Energy for the lots of oxygen this zone, food found Shelter for insects and plants
system from the and light on water surface - lots to eat and sunlight
sun. available
Herons and Bitterns nest in the reed
bed and feed on fish
Fish eat insects larvae. Reed roots bind soil together,
preventing erosion.
Mid Pond Water - fish main Pond Bottom - lots of shelter in mud and graves,
predators, food found with food sinks to bottom for decomposes, less light and
water and surface oxygen.
WORLD
,• Organisms in ecosystems can be classed as producers, consumers
or decomposers:
• PRODUCER - (e.g. grass) uses sunlight to produce food.
• CONSUMERS - gets its energy by eating other organisms. They can
eat producers (rabbits eat grass) or other consumers (foxes eat
rabbits).
• DECOMPOSERS - an organism that gets its energy by breaking down
dead material, e.g. dead producers (fallen leaves) and dead
consumers (animal remains). Bacteria and fungi are decomposers.
• An ecosystem is a community of plants and animals living
together in a habitat.
• It is all the biotic and abiotic (eg soil) parts of an area.
• Ecosystems exist on a range of scales (small scale, pond) ->
(large scale, lake or woodland)
• The largest ecosystems are called biomes and exist on a global
scale (eg tropical rainforest)
Ecosystems
COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM:
ABIOTIC:
• Insolation
• Water
• Air (oxygen and carbon dioxide)
• Rocks and soils
BIOTIC:
• Flora (plants)
• Fauna (animals and decomposers)
• Components are interconnected - THE NUTRIENT CYCLE
complicated links • All plants and animals depend on nutrients in food for their health.
• Nutrients occur naturally in the environment and are constantly recycled in
every ecosystem.
1. When dead material decomposes, nutrients are released into the soil.
2. The nutrients are then taken up from the soil by plants. The plants may be
eaten by consumers.
3. When the plants or consumers die, the nutrients are returned to the soil.
4. This transfer of nutrients is called nutrient cycling.
• Arrows show the nutrient transfer (energy transfer for food chains)
, A change to one part of the Reed Beds has an • A typical food chain for the Slapton Ley
impact on other parts: reed beds is:
Common Reed -> Moth larva -> Eel -> Bittern
• An interdependent ecosystem - all
components depend on each other. • A freshwater lagoon separated from the sea by a
shingle barrier.
• Changing one component can have a knock- • The reed beds provide a habitat for lots of plants
on effect on other components and animals.
A small scale UK ecosystem
The Slapton Ley Reed Beds in Devon
Fresh water pond
Animals breath
through lungs,
gills or skin - Birds and insects in
Energy for the lots of oxygen this zone, food found Shelter for insects and plants
system from the and light on water surface - lots to eat and sunlight
sun. available
Herons and Bitterns nest in the reed
bed and feed on fish
Fish eat insects larvae. Reed roots bind soil together,
preventing erosion.
Mid Pond Water - fish main Pond Bottom - lots of shelter in mud and graves,
predators, food found with food sinks to bottom for decomposes, less light and
water and surface oxygen.
