Note: What is a system?: A system is made up of smaller parts that work together to complete a function, or task. Without any of these parts, the system may not be able to function properly or at all.
Structure: An ecosystem is all the living and nonliving factors in a particular area. Function: Needs to keep in balance in order to sustain life.
There are many different ecosystems in the world. Above are examples of ecosystems, from left to right, a desert, woods, a coral reef, a marsh, and even an 'ecosystem in a bottle,' which is a lab that us 7th graders at WMS create. Ecosystems can be large or small, and, as evidence from above, can vary in appearance. Below is a map of the world that expresses where certain ecosystems are located.
An ecosystem is all of the living and nonliving factors in a particular area. In every ecosystem, there are biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors. The four main components of an ecosystem are considered the three types of biotic factors, which are producers, consumers, and decomposers, and abiotic factors. Together, producers, consumers, decomposers, and abiotic factors make up every ecosystem there is on planet Earth. Without any of these parts, the system would not be able to function. P PRODUCERS + CONSUMERS + DECOMPOSERS + ABIOTIC FACTORS =ECOSYSTEM
Producers, which are organisms that produce their own food through photosynthesis, can be grouped into three categories. The first category is native plants, which are plants that have been in existence for a long time. Many native plants have characteristics known as adaptions that improve their chances of survival in a particular environment. Weeds are are plants that may have undergone adaptions that make them pests and crowders to natives. There are also domesticated plants which are plants that were planted on purpose and usually have to be tended to.
Consumers can be grouped into 4 categories, scavengers, carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores. Each category of consumer gets its food in a different way, for example, scavengers are consumers that eat just about anything (including dead matter) but carnivores are animals that seldom eat plants but feed on other animals. Omnivores are mammals that eat both plants and animals, but herbivores are animals that eat just plants.
The process of decomposition involves scavengers, who will eat anything, and decomposers, which are either bacteria or fungi. Decomposition is the breaking down of dead material into basic materials by decomposers. The process of decomposition is as followed: Scavengers begin the process by eating dead matter. They produce wastes by their droppings and their own carcasses, which are decomposed by decomposers and other scavengers. The way the decomposers decompose the matter is by releasing enzymes into rotting material. What's left is water, carbon dioxide, minerals, and other nutrients, which are either returned to the soil and reused by other organisms or absorbed by the decomposers for energy.
Organisms in an ecosystem can also be categorized as either a producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, and tertiary consumer within their ecosystem. An example of each in a marine ecosystem would be algae (producer), a sea urchin (primary consumer), a crab (secondary consumer), and an octopus (tertiary consumer).
In addition to this, there are amounts energy that each organism is considered to have, this is measured in kilocalories (kcals.) Producers have 1,000 kcals, the greatest amount in an ecosystem, due to the fact that they get energy, and a lot of it, directly from photosynthesis. Herbivores, omnivores, and primary consumers have 100 kcal, carnivores and secondary consumers have 10 kcal, and scavengers and top carnivores have 1 kcal. The amount of energy that organisms have decreases by 9/10 as you move up the 'energy pyramid' (another lab at WMS), because energy is either being transferred or lost. For example, producers get their energy from photosynthesis, but when an omnivore or herbivore eats it, the plant stores some of the energy and only 1/10 is gained by the herbivore or omnivore. This cycle continues until a scavenger dies and decomposers break it down, resulting in carbon dioxide, water, and minerals either being absorbed by another organism or by a decomposer. These ingridients are then used to for producers to undergo photosynthesis, resulting in energy being produced again.
Another important thing to remember about ecosystems is that the concept of 'predator and prey' is the makes up the basis of food chains in ecosystem. The link below will lead to a website known as "Parts of an Ecosystem" for further information. If you wish to view an additional website on food webs, follow the next link below to "Food Webs".
A last thing to remember are things that keep a balance in ecosystems, and that is carrying capacity and limiting factors. Carrying capacity is the number of animals of a specific kind that can live in a given area without damaging it. Limiting factors vary from ecosystem to ecosystem, and are what limit the amount of organisms that can live in a given area.
There are two great websites you may want to consider visiting to really 'drive home' the information you have learned from this wikipage on ecosystems. The first is a website that reviews producers, consumers, and decomposers, what they are, and how they work and also has an interactive activity on food chains, (titled "Parts of an Ecosystem".) The second involves taking the knowledge you've gained from this wikipage and testing yourself, (titled "Food Webs".) Enjoy!
Note: What is a system?: A system is made up of smaller parts that work together to complete a function, or task. Without any of these parts, the system may not be able to function properly or at all.
Structure: An ecosystem is all the living and nonliving factors in a particular area.
Function: Needs to keep in balance in order to sustain life.
There are many different ecosystems in the world. Above are examples of ecosystems, from left to right, a desert, woods, a coral reef, a marsh, and even an 'ecosystem in a bottle,' which is a lab that us 7th graders at WMS create. Ecosystems can be large or small, and, as evidence from above, can vary in appearance. Below is a map of the world that expresses where certain ecosystems are located.
An ecosystem is all of the living and nonliving factors in a particular area. In every ecosystem, there are biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors. The four main components of an ecosystem are considered the three types of biotic factors, which are producers, consumers, and decomposers, and abiotic factors. Together, producers, consumers, decomposers, and abiotic factors make up every ecosystem there is on planet Earth. Without any of these parts, the system would not be able to function. P
PRODUCERS
Producers, which are organisms that produce their own food through photosynthesis, can be grouped into three categories. The first category is native plants, which are plants that have been in existence for a long time. Many native plants have characteristics known as adaptions that improve their chances of survival in a particular environment. Weeds are are plants that may have undergone adaptions that make them pests and crowders to natives. There are also domesticated plants which are plants that were planted on purpose and usually have to be tended to.
Consumers can be grouped into 4 categories, scavengers, carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores. Each category of consumer gets its food in a different way, for example, scavengers are consumers that eat just about anything (including dead matter) but carnivores are animals that seldom eat plants but feed on other animals. Omnivores are mammals that eat both plants and animals, but herbivores are animals that eat just plants.
The process of decomposition involves scavengers, who will eat anything, and decomposers, which are either bacteria or fungi. Decomposition is the breaking down of dead material into basic materials by decomposers. The process of decomposition is as followed: Scavengers begin the process by eating dead matter. They produce wastes by their droppings and their own carcasses, which are decomposed by decomposers and other scavengers. The way the decomposers decompose the matter is by releasing enzymes into rotting material. What's left is water, carbon dioxide, minerals, and other nutrients, which are either returned to the soil and reused by other organisms or absorbed by the decomposers for energy.
Organisms in an ecosystem can also be categorized as either a producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, and tertiary consumer within their ecosystem. An example of each in a marine ecosystem would be algae (producer), a sea urchin (primary consumer), a crab (secondary consumer), and an octopus (tertiary consumer).
In addition to this, there are amounts energy that each organism is considered to have, this is measured in kilocalories (kcals.) Producers have 1,000 kcals, the greatest amount in an ecosystem, due to the fact that they get energy, and a lot of it, directly from photosynthesis. Herbivores, omnivores, and primary consumers have 100 kcal, carnivores and secondary consumers have 10 kcal, and scavengers and top carnivores have 1 kcal. The amount of energy that organisms have decreases by 9/10 as you move up the 'energy pyramid' (another lab at WMS), because energy is either being transferred or lost. For example, producers get their energy from photosynthesis, but when an omnivore or herbivore eats it, the plant stores some of the energy and only 1/10 is gained by the herbivore or omnivore. This cycle continues until a scavenger dies and decomposers break it down, resulting in carbon dioxide, water, and minerals either being absorbed by another organism or by a decomposer. These ingridients are then used to for producers to undergo photosynthesis, resulting in energy being produced again.
Another important thing to remember about ecosystems is that the concept of 'predator and prey' is the makes up the basis of food chains in ecosystem. The link below will lead to a website known as "Parts of an Ecosystem" for further information.
If you wish to view an additional website on food webs, follow the next link below to "Food Webs".
A last thing to remember are things that keep a balance in ecosystems, and that is carrying capacity and limiting factors. Carrying capacity is the number of animals of a specific kind that can live in a given area without damaging it. Limiting factors vary from ecosystem to ecosystem, and are what limit the amount of organisms that can live in a given area.
There are two great websites you may want to consider visiting to really 'drive home' the information you have learned from this wikipage on ecosystems. The first is a website that reviews producers, consumers, and decomposers, what they are, and how they work and also has an interactive activity on food chains, (titled "Parts of an Ecosystem".) The second involves taking the knowledge you've gained from this wikipage and testing yourself, (titled "Food Webs".) Enjoy!
Parts of an Ecosystem, Food Webs