Ecology

Ecology
Lesson 2

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 Food chain

A food chain shows a sequence of ____________________________between organisms.

It can also show how food and energy is being ______________from one organism to another.

In a food chain, the producer, primary, secondary and tertiary consumers are arranged in order.

_________ ________ ________ _________

Consumer Consumer Consumer

Each organism that occupies a position in the food chain is called a ______________.

Food chain- Trophic levels

Producer Primary Secondary Tertiary

Consumer Consumer Consumer

____ ____ ____ ____

Trophic level Trophic level Trophic level Trophic level

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 Food web

However, a food chain is just one small part of a ______________in an ecosystem.

A food web is a complex network of ____________________________and feeding interactions.

This is an open field community.

It is made up of many food chains in a food web

of __________________.

Each organism can either be eaten by more than

one organisms or eat more than one organisms.

Can you count, how many food chains are there

in this food web?

Food web

Can you count, how many food chains are there

in this food web?

Count the number of different coloured lines,

there are ___ different food chains.

Can you tell which organisms are primary,

secondary or tertiary consumers?

Primary consumers are

__________________________________.

Secondary consumers are ________________

________________________.

Tertiary consumers are ____________________.

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 Example 1a

The diagram below shows a food web. Answer the questions below. [4m]

a) How many food chains are there in this food web?

b) Fill in the table with a list of animals as primary,

secondary and tertiary consumers.

Primary consumer Secondary consumer Tertiary consumer

Example 1a (Answers)

The diagram below shows a food web. Answer the questions below. [4m]

a) How many food chains are there in this food web?

b) Fill in the table with a list of animals as primary,

secondary and tertiary consumers.

Primary consumer Secondary consumer Tertiary consumer

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 Example 1b

The diagram below shows a food web. Answer the questions below. [4m]

a) Identify 1 food chain that has 4 trophic levels.

b) Identify 1 food chain with 3 trophic levels.

Example 1b (Answers)

The diagram below shows a food web. Answer the questions below. [4m]

a) Identify 1 food chain that has 4 trophic levels.

b) Identify 1 food chain with 3 trophic levels.

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 Recap: How is energy transferred

Producers make its own Consumers feed on other

food by taking in light organisms to obtain
energy from the Sun. energy.

When organisms die, decomposers feed

on and break down dead organisms.

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Energy transfer in food chains

In each food chain, about 10% of energy

in foods is transferred from one trophic
level to the next.

90% of energy is lost into the

surroundings as radiation, excretion,
egestion and respiration.

Therefore, a food chain usually contains 4

to 4 trophic levels because there is not
enough energy left to sustain the
organisms in the higher trophic levels.

The amount of energy in each trophic is

represented in a pyramid of energy.

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 Energy transfer in food chains
4th
0.1J of energy Trophic level

3rd
10J of energy
Trophic level

1000J of energy 2nd

Trophic level

1st
100 000J of energy
Trophic level

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Bioamplification
Bioamplification is a term used to describe the increase of toxins at
each stage of the food chain.

Have you heard of this saying that big mackerel fishes or shark’s
meat have high mercury contamination and it is not healthy to eat
them?

That is because of bioamplification. The oproducers at the first

stage of the food chain absorb alittle toxins that cannot be broken
down but stored its body. Secondary consumer will eat a lot of
smaller organisms and acquire all the toxin their bodies. Then a
tertiary consumer will eat a lot of secondary consumers and acquire
all their toxins they have accumulated. So, at each stage of the food
chain the concentration of toxin becomes greater and the higher
the trophic level, the greater the concentration of toxins.

Therefore, large organisms have the most toxins accumulated in

their body.

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 Example 2

Answer the questions below using the food chain. [4m]

90 000J

a) How much energy will the eagle receive when it feeds on the snake.

b) How many trophic layers are there in this food chain.

c) Explain why the food chain does not have the 5th organism?
There is not enough energy left to sustain the organisms in the higher trophic levels.

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Example 2 (Answers)

Answer the questions below using the food chain. [4m]

90 000J

a) How much energy will the eagle receive when it feeds on the snake.

b) How many trophic layers are there in this food chain.

c) Explain why the food chain does not have the 5th organism?

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 Carbon cycle
Carbon cycle is an important process that maintains the atmospheric CO2 naturally.
It is the ________________________ in terms of fossil fuels or even in the DNA of every living
organisms.

______________ in living organisms

Atmospheric CO2 (0.04%)
release CO2 into the atmosphere.

______________by the
plants to remove ___ and
produces ______________
that is later converted to
important materials like ____________________________re
proteins and fats. leases CO2 into the atmosphere.

______________ by decomposers.
Decomposers undergo ______________ and
also releases CO2

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Nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen is an
important
element in ______________ is a
_______________ process which nitrates to
_____________. become nitrogen gas and
returned back to the
______________is a
atmosphere.
process which causes
nitrogen gas in the
This process is
atmosphere to combine
contributed by
with other elements to
____________________.
form more
______________ like
ammonia and nitrates. ______________ is a
process where plants and
This process is animals incorporate
contributed by nitrates and ammonia to
______________ and form nucleic acids and
_____________________. ______________.

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 Carbon sink on earth
Carbon sinks are very important for our
environment because they act like sponges to
soak up the carbon compounds that are
playing such an enormous role in climate
change. Basically, carbon sinks are holding
tanks for carbon or carbon compounds, like
carbon dioxide.

Plants take up carbon dioxide from the

atmosphere and use it in the process of
photosynthesis. When plants die, some of this
carbon is transferred to soil as they
decompose. Oceans, forests and atmosphere
and soils are major carbon storage systems.

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Conservation of the ecosystem

Some activities done by humans can disrupt the delicate balance of the ecosystem.

Destructive Definition
activities
Over-hunting • ______________can disrupt the marine ecosystem. The population of fish decreases.
• ______________for food and for recreation purposes can also cause
__________________________________________. This will also disrupt the ecosystem.

Deforestation • It is the massive destruction of the forest to provide land for roads, buildings and agriculture.
• ______________ of many plants and animals are ______________ leading to extinction of
these organisms.
• We could also ________________________________due to extinction of these organisms.
• Increase in carbon dioxide lead to ______________.
• When forests are cleared, soil if exposed to different weathers leading to ______________.
• Soil erosion may sometimes lead to landslide causing harm to people.
• ____________________________in the atmosphere as there are lesser plants now to
______________ to produce oxygen.

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 Conservation of the ecosystem
Weather patterns are changing and will threaten food
production, and sea levels are rising and could cause
catastrophic flooding across the globe. Countries must make
drastic actions to avoid a future with irreversible damage to
major ecosystems and planetary climate.

Ways we can contribute to save our earth are:

1. Conserve water
2. Be car-conscious by reducing greenhouse gas emission
3. Take public transport
4. Reduce, reuse and recycle
5. Switch to LEDs
6. Give up plastic bags
Source from: https://www.ecowatch.com/save-the-earth- 7. Plant a tree or two
2646032543.html

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Example 3

Complete the diagram of the carbon cycle below by inserting the process names in the boxes. [3m]

Atmosphere

Plants Animals

Bacteria

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 Example 3 (Answers)

Complete the diagram of the carbon cycle below by inserting the process names in the boxes. [3m]

Atmosphere

Plants Animals

Bacteria

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Example 4

Answer the questions below.

a) How does burning of fossil fuel contributes to the carbon cycle?

b) In the nitrogen cycle, what is the importance of nitrogen in living organisms?

c) What is the process when nitrates to become nitrogen gas and returned back to the atmosphere?

d) What is the process which causes nitrogen gas in the atmosphere to combine with other elements to form
ammonia?

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 Example 4 (Answers)

Answer the questions below.

a) How does burning of fossil fuel contributes to the carbon cycle?

b) In the nitrogen cycle, what is the importance of nitrogen in living organisms?

c) What is the process when nitrates to become nitrogen gas and returned back to the atmosphere?

d) What is the process which causes nitrogen gas in the atmosphere to combine with other elements to form
ammonia?

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Example 5

Answer the questions below.

a) State 3 impacts of deforestation.

b) Describe briefly how plants are important for the survival of all living organisms?

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 Example 5 (Answers)

Answer the questions below.

a) State 3 impacts of deforestation.

b) Describe briefly how plants are important for the survival of all living organisms?

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