Grade 9 - Ecosystems

1
ECOSYSTEMS
2
What is an Ecosystem?

• Definition A complex relationship between the
  living organisms, habitats, and resources of a
  given area.
• Organism are typically dependent on each other
  and their habitat for survival.
• They can be natural or artificial

3
What is an Ecosystem?
Natural Ecosystem
Artificial Ecosystem
4
What type of ecosystem is this?
5
Monoculture Forest vs Natural Forest
6
Homes and Habitats

• The place where an animal lives is called its
  habitat.
• An animal lives where it can find food, water,
  shelter and a mate.

7
(No Transcript)
8
What is an Ecosystem?

• Ecosystems share similar
• Abiotic Factors temperature, rainfall, etc.
• Biotic factors types of living organisms
• Ecosystems can be large or small, the key idea is
  that they share similar factors!

9
(No Transcript)
10
(No Transcript)
11
What is an Ecosystem?

• The largest ecosystems are called biomes.
• There are many biomes, including such as the
  Desert, Tundra, Tropical Rainforest, etc.

12
(No Transcript)
13
What is an Ecosystem?

• Living organisms in an ecosystems are
  classified into

POPULATIONS
COMMUNITIES
Total individuals belonging to ONE SPECIES in a
habitat
All the combined populations in a habitat
14
Living Things

• All living things (organisms) need food
  (nourishment) to live.
• Living things in an ecosystem depend on each
  other for food.

15
Carnivores

• Some animals, like the kingfisher, eat only other
  animals.
• These animals are called carnivores.

16
(No Transcript)
17
Carnivores

• Adaptations for killing such as sharp teeth,
  claws, strong jaws, binocular vision, and venom.
• Ex. carnivores have large canines for tearing
  flesh

18
Carnivores
19
Carnivores

• Behavioral adaptations such as stalking pack
  hunting

20
Carnivores - Wolves
21
Carnivores - Snakes
22
Herbivores

• Some animals do not eat other animals.
• They survive on plants and are known as
  herbivores.

23
(No Transcript)
24
Herbivore

• Adaptations for obtaining and eating plant
  material such as specialized teeth, flexible
  necks, and strong jaws.
• Ex. herbivores have large molars for chewing
  plant material

25

• Herbivores have adaptations to avoid being eaten.

26
Omnivores

• Some animals, like us, eat both plants and
  animals making them omnivores.
• Omnivores have characteristics of both carnivores
  and herbivores

27
(No Transcript)
28
(No Transcript)
29
Scavengers

• Animals which consume the carcasses left by
  larger predators.
• Example crows and vultures
• Move around searching for carrion (dead flesh)

30
Scavengers

• Animals which consume the carcasses left by
  larger predators.
• Example crows, vultures, hyenas
• Move around searching for carrion (dead flesh) or
  any other food sources

31
Scavengers

• Many organisms turn to scavenging as a means of
  survival, but they are not true scavengers
• Very few animals are true scavengers

32
(No Transcript)
33
Scavengers

• Hyenas have been viewed as scavengers, but they
  are also predators.

34
Scavengers
35
Detritivores

• Organisms which eat detritus, such as worms,
  beetles, millipedes, etc.
• Detritus is dead plant/animal material
• These organisms will move from food source to
  food source
• Involved in the process of decomposition

36
Decomposers

• Organisms that consume dead or decaying
  organisms, this is called decomposition
• Decomposers actually live on their food
• Primary decomposers are bacteria and fungi

37
FOOD CHAINS
38
Food Chains

• Diagram showing who eats who within a ecosystem
• Illustrates the flow of organic matter and energy
  within an ecosystem.
• Arrows represent the flow of energy.

39
Food Chains

• A food chain shows what is eaten.

The fly is eaten by the thrush.
40
Food Chains
The lettuce is eaten by the slug, the slug is
eaten by the bird.
41
Predator

• A predator eats other animals in a food chain

Cats eat fish.
So do bears!
42
Prey

• Any animal which is hunted and killed by another
  animal for food is prey.

Predator
Prey
43
Roles in a Food Chain

• Within an ecosystem, organisms have different
  roles they take place within a food chain.
• The 3 roles are
• (1) Producers,
• (2) Consumers, and
• (3) Decomposers

44
Food Chains
45
All energy comes from the sun
Plants harness the suns energy in which process?
46
Plants need light for photosynthesis, what else
do they need?
We call plants producers because they produce
energy from the sun directly.
47
Photosynthesis

• Photosynthesis the process in which plants make
  sugar from sunlight

48
Producers

• Living things which can make their own food from
  NON-LIVING THINGS, such as plants or algae
• Producers are autotrophs
• Source of all chemical energy in an ecosystem
• They trap sunlight and store it as food energy
  (chemical energy)

49
Consumers

• Consume means eat.
• Animals are consumers because they eat
  (consume) food provided by plants or other
  animals.

50
Consumers

• Living things which must eat other living things
  for energy
• Consumers are Heterotrophs
• Various types of consumers herbivores,
  carnivores, or omnivores

51
Decomposers

• Living things which use waste and dead material
  for food
• Examples bacteria and fungi
• They are heterotrophs

52
Decomposers

• Help return raw materials and nutrients to the
  environment

53
Biodegradation

• This is the recycling of nutrients.
• Completed by decomposers

54
(No Transcript)
55
Producers / Consumers Game
56
Some Key Terms

• Important Key Terms
• AUTOTROPHS organisms which make their own food
  from non living things.
• HETEROTROPHS organisms which must feed on other
  living things for food.

57
Food Chain Game