Chapter 4

Interdependence among living

organisms and the environment
 Table of contents
● Species, population, community, habitat and ecosystem
● Prey and predator
● Symbiosis
● Commensalism
● mutualism
● Parasitism
● Competition
● Producer, consumer and decomposers
● Food chain and food webs
● Energy flow
● Bioaccumulation and its e ect
What is habitat ?
How many types of habitats are
there?
In which of the habitats are each of the
following plants and animals likely to be
found?
Animals : crab, penguin, zebra, whale, lion,
camel
Plants : cactus, grass, acacia tree
● Species, population, community, habitat and ecosystem
What are species, population
community, ecosystem, biome
and biosphere ?
What are biotic and abiotic
factors?
What is scavenger, camouflage ,
prey-predator, mimicry?
 Species
● Organisms with
common
characteristics
● Can breed among
themselves to
produce fertile
offspring
Population
Factors of population
● Size
● Structure
● Density =number of population/area
● Population change
 Population size
:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COU
CeXQcKgw
Population size :
● Limiting factors are resources or other factors in the
environment that can lower the population growth rate.
● Limiting factors include
● low food supply
● lack of space
● lower birth rates
● increase death rates
● lead to emigration.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPw51fDTl68
Population size :
● Carrying capacity
● The carrying capacity (K) is the maximum population size that
can be supported in a particular area without destroying the
habitat. Or the largest number of species in an environment that
can support and maintain for a long time
 Population size :
Limiting factor and carrying capacity
https://flexbooks.ck12.org/cbook/ck-12-mid
dle-school-life-science-2.0/section/12.5/prim
ary/lesson/limiting-factors-to-population-gr
owth-ms-ls/
 Community : made up of many populations
living together in a particular habitat
● Garden community
● Pond community
● Seashore community
● Field community
Di erent type of ecosystem
https://sciencing.com/10-examples-natural-ecosystem-7836.html
Ecosystem
Ecosystem
 Abiotic factor :
1. Light : plants and algae - producers - creepers and
climbers , fireflies, earthworms, bats
2. Water: half of the world’s plant and animal species
live in tropical rainforest. Organisms that live in dry
place have special adaptations ex. Lungfish - swim
bladder - aestivation

3. Temperature: amount of heat received from the sun,

camels
Ex. Antarctic fish has an antifreeze protein.
hibernating , migration, nocturnal(mammals and
reptiles)
 Abiotic factor :

rat tailed maggot can live in badly polluted water

4. Air:

5. pH and minerals - hydrangea

 Biotic factor :
● Competition: intraspecific and interspecific
● Co-operation - herbivores , omnivores , carnivores
Biome
Di erent type of biomes
A. Scavenger - type of consumer that
principally feed on dead and decaying
carcasses rather than hunting live prey
■ Examples of scavengers include hyenas,
vultures and carrion birds (such as crows)
Prey and predator:
A relationship in which one organism kills another
for food is called predator - prey relationship.
The organism that does the hunting is the predator.
The organism that is hunted is the prey
 Camouflage:
Camouflage, also called cryptic coloration, is a defense
mechanism or tactic that organisms use to disguise their
appearance, usually to blend in with their
surroundings. Organisms use camouflage to mask their
location, identity, and movement.
Mimicry a species acting as ‘mimic’ to a living or
non-living ‘model’, such that a selective agent or
‘dupe’, unable to distinguish between them.
Food chain: shows the transfer of energy in the the
form of food through organisms in a habitat.
Plant caterpillar bird

Producer
Consumer
Food chain: shows the transfer of energy in the the
form of food through organisms in a habitat.
Plant caterpillar bird

Producer

Consumer
Primary Secondary
Consumer Consumer
Food chain: shows the transfer of energy in the the
form of food through organisms in a habitat.
Plant caterpillar bird
Consumer

Producer
Secondary
Primary
Consumer
Consumer

Carnivores and
Herbivores omnivores
Energy transfer in a food chain:
the amount of energy transferred diminishes along a
food chain.
Energy Pyramid or pyramids of
numbers
A diagram that shows the relative
number of organisms at each level
of a food chain.
Pyramids of numbers

10

40

100
1

10

20

1
Detritivores
Detritivores are a type of heterotroph that obtains nutrients from
non-living organic sources, such as detritus and humus
■ Detritus is dead, particulate organic matter – such as decaying
organic material and fecal matter
■ Humus is the term given specifically to the decaying leaf litter
intermixed within the topsoil
■ Detritivores include dung beetles, earthworms, woodlice, snails
and crabs
Saprotrophs
Saprotrophs live on (or in) non-living organic matter, secrete
digestive enzymes into it and absorbing the products of digestion
■ Unlike other types of heterotrophs, saprotrophs do not ingest
food but use enzymatic secretion to facilitate external digestion
■ Because saprotrophs facilitate the breakdown of dead organic
material, they are commonly referred to as decomposers
■ Examples of saprotrophs include bacteria and fungi.
Food web
Food chains are
interconnected to
form a food web