How does a tropical rainforest
ecosystem function?
What is an ecosystem?
What are the components of an ecosystem?
Abiotic
components
Environment
Biotic
components
Plants
Ecosystem
Animals
What are the biotic components in a
tropical rainforest ecosystem?
Microscopic
organisms
Decomposers
They may be Consumers
Animals
Biotic
classified
into
components
refer
different
trophic
to living
things.
(feeding)
categories.
Producers
Plants
What are the biotic components in a
tropical rainforest ecosystem?
1
Producers
Producers are green plants. They
can produce their own food by
______________.
photosynthesis
Carbon
dioxide
Water
at the presence of
Sunlight
Oxygen
Chlorophyll
Food
What are the biotic components in a
tropical rainforest ecosystem?
2
Consumers
Tertiary
Primary consumers:
consumers:
Secondary
feed directly on Consumers
are animals. They
cannot feed
on secondary
consumers: feed on
producers
produce
their
own
food.
consumers
primary consumers
What are the biotic components in a
tropical rainforest ecosystem?
2
Consumers
A crocodile eats animals. It is
a _________.
carnivore
A rabbit eats plants only.
It classify
is a _________.
herbivore
We can
the
consumers by their
Humansdiet.
eat both plants
and animals. They are
__________.
omnivores
What are the biotic components in a
tropical rainforest ecosystem?
2
Consumers
Producers and consumers
make up a food chain.
A food chain usually starts
with a producer and ends
with a secondary consumer
or tertiary consumer.
Rainforest tree
(Producer)
Grasshopper
(Primary
consumer)
Lizard
(Secondary
consumer)
What are the biotic components in a
tropical rainforest ecosystem?
2
Consumers
In a tropical rainforest,
individual food chains
are interlocked at
various levels to form a
food web.
What are the biotic components in a
tropical rainforest ecosystem?
3
Decomposers
Decomposers such as
fungi and bacteria break
down dead plant and
animal tissues.
They secrete _________
enzymes to
break down dead organic
materials into inorganic
matter. Plants can absorb
them easily.
Fungi are an example of decomposers
What are the abiotic components in a
tropical rainforest ecosystem?
Abiotic components refer to the non-living things.
They are found in:
Soil
Air
Precipitation
Solar radiation
Atmosphere
Water at the
earth’s
surface
Underground
water
Hydrosphere
Rocks
Lithosphere
What are the abiotic components in a
tropical rainforest ecosystem?
carbon dioxide
rivers and lakes
oxygen
weathered rocks
Can you categorize
the
rainfall
solar radiation
following abiotic
components
state
Abioticand
components
their importance to
plants and animals?
Atmosphere
Hydrosphere
carbon dioxide
rainfall
oxygen
solar radiation
ground water
organic materials
from soil
Lithosphere
rivers and lakes
ground water
weathered rocks
organic materials
They provide
drinking
water
from
soil
An
They
It input
provides
provide
of photosynthesis
water
nutrients
for the
to
ItAn
provides
input
ofinput
moisture
thehabitats
respiration
of the
in the
of
andAn
living
for soil
photosynthesis
of
plants.
plants.
ofplants.
They provide
nutrients
for
plants.
photosynthesis
living
for
the
organisms.
plants.
of
animals.
How are biotic and abiotic components
linked in a tropical rainforest ecosystem?
Biotic and abiotic components
are closely linked by:
Energy flow
Nutrient cycling
Why is a tropical rainforest a fragile
ecosystem?
(Credit: K. Wothe/Blickwinkel)
This
As
That
mentioned
biomass
means a is
high
before,
vulnerable
proportion
most to
nutrients
various
of the energy
in
disturbances,
the tropical
and nutrient
such
as
rainforest
is stored
fires orabove
are
deforestation.
stored
ground.
in the biomass.
Why is a tropical rainforest a fragile
ecosystem?
(Credit: Joerg Boethling/Still
Pictures)
As the rainforests support the wildlife there, destroying
the rainforest will cause the rainforest ecosystem to
collapse.
Why is a tropical rainforest a fragile
ecosystem?
Removal of trees caused by a
The biomass stores most of
sudden change in climate or
the nutrients in a rainforest.
external agents
Loss of stored nutrients
No supply of nutrients to the soil
created through decomposition
Soil depletion
Collapse of the
ecosystem
Animals die
No regrowth of
trees
Energy flow in a tropical rainforest
ecosystem
Energy
There are
flow
five
istrophic
the transfer
levelsofinenergy
a tropical
through
rainforest
various
living
ecosystem.
organisms along the food web.
Input
of
solar
energy
T1
Producers
T2
Primary
consumers
T3
Secondary
consumers
T4
Tertiary
consumers
T5 Decomposers
The sun is the primary source of energy that maintains
the ecosystem. Energy is passed along the food chain
or food web.
Energy flow in a tropical rainforest
ecosystem
Net input of
energy at each
tropic level
Input
of
solar
energy
T1
Producers
Energy loss through
transpiration or
respiration
Heat loss
through
respiration
T2
Primary
consumers
Energy loss
through decay and
decomposition
T3
Secondary
consumers
T4
Tertiary
consumers
T5 Decomposers
Producers
Some energy
carry
is lost
out during
photosynthesis
the transpiration,
with the input
respiration
of
solar
and decomposition.
energy.
Energy flow in a tropical rainforest
ecosystem
Energy loss through
transpiration or
respiration
Net input of
energy at each
tropic level
Input
of
solar
energy
T1
Producers
Heat loss
through
respiration
T2
Primary
consumers
Energy loss
through decay and
decomposition
T3
Secondary
consumers
T4
Tertiary
consumers
Energy not
being used
T5 Decomposers
When primary consumers cannot
eat the fully
producers
Since
digestas
thefood,
energy is transferred
to of
them.
producers,
the remains
the producers are being
processed by decomposers.
Energy flow in a tropical rainforest
ecosystem
Input
of
solar
energy
Heat loss
through
respiration
Energy loss through
transpiration or
respiration
Net input of
energy at each
tropic level
T1
Producers
Energy not
being used
T2
Primary
consumers
Energy not
being used
Energy loss
through decay and
decomposition
T3
Secondary
consumers
T4
Tertiary
consumers
Energy not
being used
T5 Decomposers
energy the
flowtropic
carries
on (except
at different
tropic levels.
The higher
level
decomposers),
the
( less / more ) the energy remains.
Trophic pyramid
A trophic pyramid shows the amount of organic matter
of the living organisms in an area.
As the trophic level increases, the amount of organic
matter of each tropic level ( decreases / increases ).
Nutrient cycling in a tropical rainforest
ecosystem
Nutrient cycle refers to the circulation of nutrients from
the environment to organisms and back to the
environment.
Environment
Biomass
Organisms
Litter
Nutrients are circulated
among three stores
Soil
Nutrient cycling in a tropical rainforest
ecosystem
Amount of nutrients
A
Biomass
transferred
Biomass refers to the total
weight of living organisms, i.e.
plants and animals, of an area.
Nutrients are stored in plants
and animals.
Plants consume nutrients from the soil
and sun’s energy to produce their own
tissues through photosynthesis.
When animals eat plants, they take up
the nutrients and convert plant tissues
to their own tissues.
Biomass
Uptake
by
plants
Soil
Nutrient cycling in a tropical rainforest
ecosystem
Amount of nutrients
B
Litter
Litter
transferred
Littering
Biomass
Dead plants tissues, dead animals and animal wastes
accumulate on the ground to form a layer of litter.
The falling rain dissolves minerals, e.g. nitrogen and
carbon in the air, and add the nutrients to the litter.
Some of the nutrients may be washed away by run-off.
Nutrient cycling in a tropical rainforest
ecosystem
Amount of nutrients
C
Soil
Litter
transferred
Nutrients decomposed
from litter
Soil
Input from
weathered
rock
When litter is decomposed, the nutrients are broken
down into inorganic form and stored in the soil.
Weathering of rocks contributes nutrients to the soil.
Nutrients of soil may lose through leaching.
Nutrient cycling in a tropical rainforest
ecosystem
In tropical
rainforests, the
nutrient store
of biomass is
huge, but the
stores in soil
and litter are
small.
Most nutrients
are stored in
the dense
vegetation
Much input
from rainfall
Litter
Biomass
Quick
uptake
by plants
Litter is quickly
decomposed
Soil
Amount of nutrients
transferred
Heavy rain
causes
strong
leaching