Organizing an Ecosystem

- photosynthesis organisms are the producers of biomass for life on Earth

- feeding relationships within a community can be represented by food chains, all food chains begin with a producer which synthesises new molecules. On land this is usually a green plant that makes glucose by photosynthesis

- producers are eaten by primary consumers, which in turn may be eaten by secondary consumers and then tertiary consumers

- consumers that eat other animals are often predators and those that are eaten are prey. In a stable community the numbers of predators and prey rise and fall in cycles

- material in the living world is recycled to provide building blocks for future organisms

- decay of dead animals and plants by microorganisms returns carbon to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide and mineral ions to the soil

- carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is used by plants in the photosynthesis 

- the water cycle provides fresh water for plants and animals on land before draining into the seas. Water is continuously evaporated, condensed and precipitated. 

- the carbon cycle returns carbon from organisms to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide to be used by plants in photosynthesis 

- the decay of dead plants and animals by microorganisms returns carbon to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide

- factors that affect the rate of decay of organic matter are- temperature, oxyxgen availability, and moisture levels

- gardeners and farmers try to provide optimum conditions for the rapid decay of waste organic matter. the compost produced is used as a natural fertiliser 

- anaerobic decay produces methane gas, biogas generators can be used to produce methane gas as a fuel