Ecosystems/Nature of Ecosystems
- Created by: bethanymcguire
- Created on: 18-05-17 09:21
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- Ecosystems
- set of relationships between all organisms and non-living factors in an area
- Biotic and Abiotic factors (living and non living factors
- Biome
- area with a distinct climate and vegetation. they contain different ecosystems within then, usually covering a large area
- Energy Flows
- Energy moves between organisms in and ecosystem
- plants get their energy from the sun, they produce their own food by photosynthesis which allows them to grow
- When the plant is eaten, the consumer receives some of that energy
- Food Chains/Webs
- show how energy moves through an ecosystem, each stage is called a trophic level
- Producers : such as plants. they produce their own food
- Primary consumers (Herbivores) eat the producers as their diet consists of plant matter
- Secondary consumers: (carnivores) eat the primary consumers as they eat meat
- tertiary consumers: (Omnivores) they are often the last trophic level as they eat both plants and meat so they are able to adapt to different areas well due to their diverse diet
- when something is consumed, energy is passed on from one organism to the next.
- Biomass
- Total mass of all living matter
- decreases at each trophic level, 1 fox may eat 10 rabbits. however them 10 rabbits may eat 500 dandelions.
- Energy Loss
- as you go up the trophic levels you lose about 90% of energy at each level
- Lost by the consumers
- only 10% of energy is stored is passed to herbivores from the producer this is because some parts are not eaten, some energy is lost as waste and the consumers use that energy for movement and heat
- lost between sunlight and the producer
- . less than 50% of sunlight is used for photosynthesis due to light being captured by other parts of the plant which do not photosynthesise such as the stem or trunk, and plants being only able to use certain wavelengths of light
- Nutrient Recycling
- nutrients are constantly being recycled throughout the ecosystem
- plants take in CO2 from the air and nitrogen from the soil to grow and produce their own food
- these nutrients get passed along the food chain
- when the organisms die, they are broken down by decomposers and detritivores. they are then returned to the soil and are used by the plants again
- Plants, animals, decomposers all release CO2 back into the air through respiration
- Inputs
- seeds/spores blown into the area
- animals the migrate into the area
- Water from rivers or precipitation
- Solar energy = insolation
- set of relationships between all organisms and non-living factors in an area
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