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This year we have spent time identifying
connections we have with others:
and other LOCAL communities
But we all belong to a MUCH larger
community…one that stretches far beyond
the boundaries and comforts of home,
school, our suburb or even our city.
Humans share with many other
species of plants and animals.
These two pictures showed an ecosystem.
Ecosystems can be MASSIVE like an entire
desert or SMALL like a rock pool.
When you take a close look at an ecosystem
you notice LOTS of species of plants, animals
and smaller organisms.
Do you think these organisms
have any relationships or links to
each other?
They are NOT just a RANDOM gathering of
organisms.
They are a COMMUNITY and they INTERACT
with each other.
They are also LINKED with the non-living
elements such as sunlight, water, soil and air.
Each organism has a role and each one
depends on other things in the ecosystem.
Organisms in an ecosystem WORK TOGETHER
like people do in social communities.
All parts work together to make a balanced
system.
All living things are connected to others.
Every plant and animal species, no matter how
big or small, depends on another plant or
animal species for its survival.
They are all important parts of a ecosystems.
Organisms in an ecosystem can be divided
into three categories:
PRODUCERS
Green plants that make their own food using
the sun’s energy during PHOTOSYNTHESIS.
CONSUMERS
Animals that get their energy by eating
producers (plants) or other animals.
DECOMPOSERS
Organisms such as bacteria and fungi that
break down dead plants and animals,
turning them into materials that go into the
soil for plants to use.
And the whole process is back to the beginning again…
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/explorer/ecosystems/be_an_explorer/map/foodweb_play.htm
The links between producers, consumers
and decomposers can be represented by
FOOD CHAINS.
Ecosystems are in a delicate balance.
If one organism’s source of food disappears
many other organisms in the food web are
affected.
Populations may dwindle to extinction while
others may explode and over populate.
Humans have affected ecosystems in almost
every way imaginable.
We need to take responsibility for the
consequences of our actions.
Nearly one-third of the world’s crops
are dependent on honeybees for
pollination!
Without bees a HUGE PERCENTAGE of
the FOOD we eat would be
UNAVAILABLE.
A world without honeybees would
mean a world without fruits,
vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
Throughout the history of the Earth, the
balance found in ecosystems has been
disrupted by NATURAL DISASTERS such as
FIRES, FLOODS, STORMS, and VOLCANIC
ERUPTIONS.
In recent years, however, MANKIND has
increasingly been affecting the many
ecosystems around the world.
As the years pass, the degree of our
impact is getting worse and worse.
http://marinesciencetoday.com/2013/07/04/film-what-happens-if-overfishing-continues/
http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/interactive/2013/may/21/ocean-before-and-after-overfishing
http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/interactive/2013/may/21/ocean-before-and-after-overfishing
Overfishing and hunting
Deforestation
Oil spills
Polluting air and water
Using Pesticides
Introducing animals species
Emitting ozone depleting gases
Contributing to global warming
Wasting energy
