(1) Ecosystem
• Environment and all living things it supports
• A system of matter and energy cycling.
• Components:
– Sun  Original Energy Source
– Biotic Factors--Living Parts
– Abiotic Factors--Nonliving Parts
(2) Abiotic Factors
• Nonliving (Never Living) parts of Ecosystem
• Physical:
– Temperature
– Sunlight
– Quantity of nutrients
• Chemical:
– Types of nutrients
– pH of water
– Salinity of water
(3) Biotic Factors
• Living (Once Capable of Living) parts of
Ecosystem
• All organisms = Biotic Factors
– Rely on BOTH biotic and abiotic factors!
(4) Autotrophs & Heterotrophs
Autotroph Heterotroph
• Also called Producer
• Also called Consumer
• Convert Un-usable Light or
• Rely on Autotrophs & Other
Heterotrophs
Chemical Energy  Usable
Chemical Potential Energy
• Example: Plants &
Bacteria
• Example: Animals
(5) Types of Heterotrophs
• Herbivore: A heterotroph which consumes mostly
photosynthetic organisms.
• Carnivore: A heterotroph which consumes mostly
other heterotrophs (animals).
• Omnivore: A heterotroph which consumes both
photosynthetic organisms AND heterotrophs
(animals)
• Decomposer / Detrivore: A heterotroph which
consumes “dead” remains, releasing the
compounds back into ecosystem.
(6) Food Chains & Food Webs
Food Chain Food Web
• Diagram that shows
energy + matter transfer.
• Diagram that shows
energy + matter transfer.
• Includes just a few
organisms and feeding
relationships.
• Includes ALL
organisms and feeding
relationships.
• Contains multiple food
chains.
(7) The Arrows
• Arrows show movement / flow of energy and
matter.
• Point in direction of transfer:
– Food to Eater
– Producer / Consumer  Consumer
– Cheeseburger  Marquis
Energy is moving from
Sun to
Autotrophs/Producers
(the plants)
Energy is moving from
Autotrophs/Producers
to a Consumer
Energy is moving from
one consumer to
another consumer…
(8) Food / Energy Pyramid
• Shows amount of energy transferred and lost as
“food” moves throughout an ecosystem.
• Moves bottom  up
– Bottom = Producers = Most Energy
– Energy lost as heat
– Top = Consumers = Least Energy
• Trophic Levels:
– Refers to the “Energy Level” an organism is at.
– 1st = Producer, 2nd = Next Consumer, 3rd…4th…
•Why is there less
kcal of energy?!
•What happens to
it??
Where do we have the
most usable energy?
Where do we have the
least usable energy?
We can
also use
this to
show
trophic
levels…
You get the
picture…
4th Trophic
Level
3rd Trophic
Level
2nd Trophic
Level
1st Trophic
Level
We
learned
about
these
levels last
week…