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