Ecosystems have many animals and plants living together in one environment.

Ecosystems also have

non-living things like sunlight, water, air, and rocks. In healthy ecosystems, the populations of animals
and plants does not change.

Ecosystems can be different sizes. Even the planet Earth is an ecosystem.

The living things in the ecosystem are the plants and animals. Plants and animals need energy to grow,
move, and keep warm. The energy they need comes from their food.

Plants are special because they can make their own food. Plants make their food from the matter in air,
soil, and water. Plants use the energy in sunlight to change air and water into food. Plants can use the
energy in the sunlight ta make their own food from the matter in air and water. Another word for make
is produce. Because plants produce their own food they are called producers. Animals cannot make their
own food. They get their energy by eating other things. Another word for eat is consume, so animals are
called consumers.

Important Facts:

1.    All of the energy in the ecosystem comes from the plants. 
Without plants the animals would die.

2.    The plants need the sun to make their food. 

Without the sun, the plants would die. 
This means that the energy from the sun keeps both plants and animals alive.

3.    The movement of food from the plants to the consumers is called a food chain.

Important Fact:
When you put more than one food chain together it is called a food web.

Food webs must show all the relationships between the animals and plants.

Because wolves also eat deer, we have to add an arrow from deer to wolves.

When an animal kills and eats another animal, it is called a predator.

In the food web, both the coyotes and wolves are predators that kill and eat deer.

This means that the coyotes and wolves compete with each other to eat the deer.
When 2 animals compete for the same food they are called competitors.
Wolves are bigger and stronger than coyotes so they hunt and kill coyotes.
Wolves are the stronger competitor.
When animals and plants die, they become food for other living things in the ecosystem. This is
called decomposition.
For example, fungi get their energy from breaking down the dead animals and plants.
Another word for breakdown is decompose, so fungi are called decomposers. 
An ecosystem needs a lot of decomposers to break down the dead animals and plants. Decomposition
puts nutrients back into the soil. The nutrients help new plants to grow. When decomposition puts
nutrients back into the soil, it is used by plants to grow. 
Plants make their food from the matter in air, water and soil.
Plants use the energy in sunlight to change matter (air, water and soil) into food.
The matter in the plants is then eaten by 1st consumers for food (energy).
The matter in the 1st consumers is eaten by 2nd and 3rd consumers for food (energy).
And finally that matter is used by decomposers for food (energy).
This is creates a cycle of matter.

Important Fact: As food (energy) moves through the food web, so does matter. Matter is not lost
when it cycles through the food web.