ELEMENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEMGabrielle Harter

WHAT IS AN ECOSYSTEM?• Short for ecological system• Community• Interactive elements• Dependent upon balance• Seven types

SEVEN TYPES OF ECOSYSTEMS• Forests• Meadows• Ponds• Lakes• Wetlands• Estuaries• Coral Reefs

WHAT MAKES UP AN ECOSYSTEM?

• Abiotic elements (Non-living)• Biotic (Living)

• Plants• Animals• Decomposers

ABIOTIC ELEMENTS• Also called non-living or inorganic• Make life possible• Air• Sunlight• Soil• Rocks• Minerals• Water• Precipitation

PLANT LIFE• Also called primary producers• Provide food for other living elements of the ecosystem• Live off non-living elements• Make own food from sunlight

ANIMAL LIFE• Also called consumers• Eat plants and/or other animals• Three different categories• Herbivors- ex. rabbits, sheep• Carnivores- ex. lions, sharks• Omnivores- ex. foxes, raccoons

DECOMPOSERS• Also called detritivores• Eat via decomposition• Turn dead plants and animals into nutrients for living plants• Brings the ecosystem full circle

QUIZ• 1. Koala• 2. Mushroom• 3. Red Clay• 4. Worm• 5. Human• 6. Grass• 7. Nitrogen• 8. Ivy• 9. Leopard

• 1. • 2.• 3.• 4.• 5.• 6.• 7.• 8.• 9.

Animal

Animal

Animal

Plant

Plant

Abiotic/Non-living

Abiotic/Non-living

Decomposer

Decomposer(Herbivore)

(Omnivore)

(Carnivore)

ACCREDITATIONS• Information: http://classroom.synonym.com/ecosystem-made-up-of-6574.html• Ecosystem pyramid picture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_web• Forest picture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delamere_Forest• Pond picture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Ponds_National_Wildlife_Refuge• Lake picture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake• Coral reef picture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_reef• Sunlight picture: https://pixabay.com/en/cloud-sun-rays-sunlight-sunny-187596/• Rock picture: https://pixabay.com/en/rock-layers-red-rocks-sand-stone-3578/• Water droplet picture: https://

commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Water_Droplet_With_Flower.jpg