INTERACTIONS WITHIN ECOSYSTEMS UNIT REVIEW

Living Things

Biotic- Living Organism- any living thing Population- a group of the same

organisms living in the same area Community- a group of different

populations living in the same area

Non Living Things

Abiotic- Non living Abiotic factors in an ecosystem

include: 1. Climate (temperature, precipitation,

seasons)2. Land/Aquatic formations

Habitat- the physical place where organisms live

Ecosystems

An ecosystem is a complex system where communities interact!

Energy Transfer

A food web shows how energy is transferred in an ecosystem from the producers (organisms who get their energy from the sun) to consumers (organisms that eat other organisms for survival)

Niches Ecological Niche is the role an organism

plays in it’s ecosystem. Each role is important in maintaining a balance in the ecosystem. These roles include:

1. Producer2. Primary Consumer3. Secondary Consumer4. Tertiary Consumer5. Scavenger6. Decomposer (fungi and bacteria)

Cycles in Ecosystems

Because there are only a finite amount of resources on our planet, nature has developed a way to continue to use these valuable resources over and over, so that life can continue on this planet.

Water Cycle

Oxygen Cycle

Nitrogen CycleThe nitrogen cycle is important because plants need nitrogen to carry out the processes that allow them to live. It is the most abundant gas in our atmosphere. Without it, life would not be possible.

Human Impact

Being the Apex Predator of our planet, humans have the largest impacts on their ecosystems. Unfortunately, this impact isn’t always positive. In fact, with our advances in technology, most of us leave a negative “ecological footprint” in our daily lives. If we are to maintain a balance with our ecosystems, we need to change the way we live.

Every little bit counts!!!

Human Impact (cont.)

In order to change, we need to know the following information:

What actions impact our ecosystems?

How those actions impact our ecosystems?

What we can do to lessen the impact of our actions on our ecosystems.