Structural Components of an Ecosystem (BIOTIC)

By Prof. Liwayway Memije-Cruz

Web of Life

The scientific study of the distribution and abundance of living organisms and how the distribution and abundance are affected by interactions between the organisms and their environment.

Ecology

Definitions of Ecology:

the study of organisms at home

the study of the relationships of organisms or groups of organisms to their environment

the science of interrelationships between living organisms to their environment

totality of man to their environment

Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis The trapping of solar energy and its conversion to chemical

energy, which is used in manufacturing of food molecules. from carbon dioxide and water.

Respiration – the metabolic assimilation of oxygen with production of carbon dioxide and water, release of energy and breaking down of organic substances

Ecosystemincludes all of the living things: plants, animals and organisms in a given area, interacting with each other, and also with their non-living environments like weather, earth, sun, soil, climate and atmosphere.

Trophic Level

The steps involved in the flow of energy through an ecosystem.

the position that an organism occupies in a food chain - what it eats, and what eats it.

Producers or autotrophsthe organisms which utilize energy from the sun and nutrients from the abiotic environment to perform photosynthesis and grow.

generally the green plants able to produce or build its own complex organic molecule from simple inorganic substance in the environment.

Photosynthetic autotrophs are organisms able to build all of the organic molecules it requires using carbon dioxide as the carbon source and sunlight as the energy source. Examples: bacteria and plants

Chemosynthetic autotrophsfew kinds of bacteria able to build all the organic molecules it requires carbon dioxide as the carbon source and certain inorganic substances (sulfur) as the energy source. Examples: sulfur bacteria

Consumers or heterotrophsOrganisms that feed on other organisms

Herbivores - animals that get its energy from eating plants, and only plants.

Carnivores - animals that get food from killing and eating other animals.

Omnivores - animals that eat either other animals or plants. Some are scavengers and eat dead matter.

Decomposers and Detritivores are animals that utilize energy from wastes or dead organisms.

Food ChainThe passage of energy from one tropic level to the next as a result of one organism consuming another

Food webA network of interlinked food chains composed of primary producers and decomposers