ECOSYSTEMS

1.-
ECOSYSTEM
ECOSYSTEM =

organisms that live in a specific area (BIOCOENOSIS) +

the place and physical conditions on this area (BIOTOPE) +

the relationships that these living being establish between them

and with their physical environment (RELATIONSHIPS)
 Would you be able to identify these 3 elements in this
ecosystem?
BIOCOENOSIS

BIOTOPE

RELATIONSHIPS
 TYPE OF COMPONENTS IN AN
ECOSYSTEM
BIOTIC ABIOTIC The characteristics of a place
COMPONENTS COMPONENTS
Living LIGHT: required for photosynthesis; day, season,
beings latitude…(algae, plants, trees…)

WATER: to carry out their vital functions

POPULATION:
collection of
individuals of a TEMPERATURE: usually between 0-50ºC (endotherms,
ectotherms); season, latitude, altitude
same species that
live in a biotope
SALINITY: aquatic enviroments (fresh water, salt water)
Would you be able to identify these 2 TYPES of componentes in this ecosystem?

light

temperature

oxygen
 TYPES OF
ECOSYSTEMS
AQUATIC TERRESTRIAL

-biotope covered by water -biotope not covered by water

-determined by: -determined by:
-dynamics of the water -temperature
-salinity -latitude
-precipitation
TWO TYPES:

*Freshwater ecosystems
*Marine ecosystems
Aquatic or terrestrial?

wetland
estuary

forest

Coral reef

garden
desert
 2.- RELATIONSHIPS IN THE
ECOSYSTEMS
*HOW THEY FEED

Organic

inorganic

Algae, plants Animals Bacteria, fungi

Each of these is a TROPHIC LEVEL: all the species that
inhabit an ecosystems, that share the same food
resources

PRODUCERS CONSUMERS DECOMPOSERS

PRIMARY
CONSUMERS
(herbivores)
SECONDARY
CONSUMERS
(feed from herbivores)

TERTIARY CONSUMERS
(feed from 2º consumers)
 Who is eaten Who eats
Food chain:

4 ??
2
3 decomposers

1 Decomposers are
not included in
the food chains
Trophic network: representations of feeding relationships
between several living beings

Food chain or trophic network?

*OTHER: not only for feeding, but for reproduction, fighting for
territory….

INTRASPECIFIC INTERSPECIFIC

Between organisms of the same Between organisms of different species

species

FAMILY ASSOCIATIONS PREDATION

SOCIAL ASSOCIATIONS PARASITISM

COLONIAL ASSOCIATIONS COMMENSALISM

MUTUALISM
FAMILY ASSOCIATIONS
COLONIAL ASSOCIATIONS
Individuals related each
other Individuals of the same specie
Together to reproduce and that live together in a hierarchy,
care of the youngs and there is a division of tasks
SOCIAL ASSOCIATIONS

Individuals not necessarily

related each other
Together to defend
themselves or looking for
food, migrations
 COMMENSALISM
PREDATION
One species
One organism
(comensal), uses the
(predator) captures Fig wasp and fig fruit
remains of food from
and kills another https://www.youtube.c
another species,
(the prey), for food om/watch?time_conti
PARASITISM which doesn’t benefit nue=95&v=JfkiYfrStrU
or harm &feature=emb_logo
One species
(parasite) lives off
another (the host), MUTUALISM
benefiting from it,
and the host is Interaction between
harmed 2 species, both of
them obtain a benefit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlHDJF1izXk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBCz73cwUvM Zombie parasite
3.- THE BALANCE OF
ECOSYSTEMS
All the components of an ecosystem are INTERCONNECTED

As long as there are no sudden, unusual changes to the ecosystem, it

maintains its BALANCE

Ex: seasonal changes,

By regulating human intervention.
themselves
(ex:number of Affecting to abiotic
individuals, food) factors or to the living
beings
 4.- THE IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY
BIODIVERSITY: variety of species that live or have lived on Earth
(so not the number, but the different types of living beings)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=308&v=ZF5Mtvp6BK0&feature=emb_logo
What does biodiversity provides?
 As all the components of an ecosystem are interconnected, the loss
of a single species can alter the balance of an ecosystmem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK_vRtHJZu4
5.- BIODIVERSITY: LOSS AND
CONSERVATION
Excessive use and poor management of natural resources are causing a
loss of biodiversity, that means, extinction of many species

Resources overexplotation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=114&v=WfGMYdalClU&feature=emb_logo
Disruption of ecosystems
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JilYBVrFiLA
 So What can we do to preserve biodiversity?

-Use resources sustainably

-ban the hunting/harvesting of certain species

-captive breeding programmes for endangered species

-prevent the disruption of ecosystems:

-nature reserves
-reduce pollution
-prevent fires….

https://allyouneedisbiology.wordpress.com/2018/06/17/promoting-urban-biodiversity/
 6.- THE ORIGIN OF BIODIVERSITY

Earth was created 450 million years ago

The first bacterias appeared on Earth +/- 3600 million years ago

EVOLUTION + ADAPTATION

Number of different species nowadays: +/- 8,7 million species (and more to be
discovered)
 ADAPTATION

Adjustment of living organisms to the conditions of the environment where they live

STRUCTURAL: BEHAVIOURAL
Physical características of the living What the organisms do to benefit in
beings that enable them to carry out a some way
specific activity

Migrations, tropisms, hibernation,

Shape of the beaks, cacti, colours mating dance, hunt in groups…
Structural or behavioural?
 EVOLUTION

Slow and gradual changes that have taken place in living things over
million of years

The great diversity in New species come from other

our planet is the species (so species in the past
result of evolution are different from the ones in
the present)