what is an ecosystem? organisms live where they can have their needs met
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EcosystemsTRANSCRIPT
What is an Ecosystem?
Organisms live where they can have their needs met.
What is an Ecosystem?
An ecosystem is all living and nonliving things in an area.
An ecosystem is any place that living things are found.
Ecosystems
What makes up an ecosystem?
Living Parts Population Community
Non-living Parts Air, Water, Soil, Sunlight
Population
All the organisms of the same species that live in the same place at the same time are a population.
Around a lake: Geese Ducks Trout Cattails
Community
Populations that live in the same place at the same time make up a community.
A lake community could have populations of geese, ducks, trout, cattails, and many other species.
Interaction
Populations in a community interact with each other.
Ducks interact with insects they eat. Ducks interact with raccoons that try to steal their eggs.
Populations also compete with each other…Both geese and ducks eat insects and both build nests in hidden places.
Air
Air contains two gases that different organisms need – oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Both plants and animals need oxygen to release energy in food.
Plants need carbon dioxide to make their own food. (photosynthesis)
Water
The cells of animals and plants are made mostly of water. Without water, organisms would dry up and die.
Plants also need water to make their own food.
Animals need water to help move digested food throughout their bodies
Soil
Most plants anchor themselves in soil. Soil contains water and other
substances that plants need. Some animals dig holes in the soil to
stay warm and dry or to protect themselves from other animals that hunt them.
Sunlight
The energy for all living things starts with the sun.
Plants use energy from the sun to make their own food.
Some animals capture this energy by eating plants.
Other animals get this energy by eating animals that eat plants.
Living Things in Ecosystems
The whole system works to meet the needs of all its parts.
Living Things in Ecosystems
Scientists classify an ecosystem’s organisms into one of three groups based on its role in an ecosystem.
Also included is how an organism gets energy.
Living Things in Ecosystems
Every organism can be classified as: A Producer
A Consumer
A Decomposer
Producer
Organisms that make their own food are called producers.
Producers capture the energy in sunlight.
Plants are producers.
Consumer
Organisms that get energy by eating other organisms are called consumers.
Scientists classify consumers into three groups: Herbivores, Carnivores, & Omnivores.
Decomposer
Organisms that get energy by feeding on dead materials and wastes are called decomposers.
Decomposers break down wastes and dead materials into simpler materials.
Earthworms, centipedes, and mushrooms are all decomposers.
Food Chains & Webs
How does energy move in ecosystems?
All Organisms Need Energy
The main source of energy on Earth is sunlight.
Producers capture the energy in sunlight to make their own food. Some food is used to make new cells and tissues, so some energy is stored in their bodies.
Food Chains & Food Webs
The path of energy from one organism to another is called a food chain, energy chain, or food web.
The chain always starts with a producer because they make their own food…The second organism in the chain is always a consumer that eats the producer. All the other organisms in the chain are also consumers.
Food Chains & Food Webs