PLANT AND

ANIMAL
INTERACTIO
NS
 PLANT AND ANIMAL INTERACTIONS
• THE SUN IS THE MAIN
SOURCE OF ENERGY USED
BY PLANTS IN ORDER TO
COMBINE CARBON
DIOXIDE AND WATER IN
THE CHLOROPHYLL SO
THAT IT WILL PRODUCE
GLUCOSE.
• THIS IS THE PROCESS OF
 PLANT AND ANIMAL INTERACTIONS
• SINCE GLUCOSE IN
PRODUCED
THROUGH THE
PRESENCE OF
LIGHT THAT
CARRIES ENERGY,
WE CAN SAY THAT
 PLANT AND ANIMAL INTERACTIONS
• SO WHEN ANIMALS EAT
PLANTS, GLUCOSE IS
DIGESTED BY ANIMALS;
HENCE, WE CAN SAY THAT
THE ENERGY FROM THE
DIGESTED GLUCOSE IS
TRANSFERRED TO THE
ANIMALS, THE ANIMALS, ON
THE OTHER HAND, USE THIS
ENERGY IN ORDER TO LIVE
 PLANT AND ANIMAL INTERACTIONS
• IN THESE WAYS, WE
CAN SAY THAT
PLANTS AND
ANIMALS
INTERACT. WHEN
THEY INTERACT,
THEY PLAY ROLES
 ROLES OF PLANTS AND
ANIMALS IN THE
PRODUCERS
ENVIRONMENT
• ALL PLANTS ARE
PRODUCERS. WHY ARE
THEY CALLED
PRODUCERS? IT IS
BECAUSE THEY PRODUCE
GLUCOSE, WHICH STORES
ENERGY FROM THE
LIGHT THAT THEY USE.
 ROLES OF PLANTS AND
ANIMALS IN THE
PRODUCERS
ENVIRONMENT
• ALL PRODUCERS ARE THE
PHOTOSYNTHETIC PLANTS IN
THE AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT
ARE KNOWN AS THE
PHYTOPLANKTON.
PHYTOPLANKTON IS THE
PHOTOSYNTHETIC
MICROORGANISMS THAT
The tiny dotted greens are the Phytoplankton
UNDERGO PHOTOSYNTHESIS
 ROLES OF PLANTS AND
ANIMALS IN THE
CONSUMERS
ENVIRONMENT
• CONSUMERS ARE USUALLY ANIMALS THAT EAT PLANTS AND/OR OTHER
CONSUMERS.

The tiny dotted greens are the Phytoplankton

The tiny aquatic consumers are called Zooplanktons

 ROLES OF PLANTS AND
ANIMALS IN THE
ENVIRONMENT
HERBIVORES
(HERBIVOROUS)
• HERBIVORES ARE PLANT-
EATING ANIMALS. THEY
ONLY EAT PLANTS AND
NOT THE MEAT OF OTHER
ANIMALS. SOME
HERBIVORES IN THE
LAND ARE RABBITS, DEER,
 ROLES OF PLANTS AND
ANIMALS IN THE
ENVIRONMENT
HERBIVORES (HERBIVOROUS)
• IN THE AQUATIC
ENVIRONMENT, THE
ZOOPLANKTONS ARE USUALLY
THE ONES THAT EAT THE
PHYTOPLANKTON (BEING THE
PRODUCER). PHYTOPLANKTON,
ZOOPLANKTONS ARE TINY BUT
A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THAN
THE PHYTOPLANKTON. The tiny aquatic consumers are called Zooplanktons
 ROLES OF PLANTS AND
ANIMALS IN THE
ENVIRONMENT
HERBIVORES
(HERBIVOROUS)
• DID YOU KNOW THAT THE
GIGANTIC BLUE WHALES
ARE HERBIVORES? THEY
ONLY EAT THE
PHYTOPLANKTON
DESPITE THEIR SIZE.
 ROLES OF PLANTS AND
ANIMALS IN THE
ENVIRONMENT
CARNIVORES (CARNIVOROUS)
• CARNIVORES ARE USUALLY
FEROCIOUS ANIMALS THAT EAT
THE MEAT OR FLESH OF THE
OTHER ANIMALS. CARNIVORES
ARE THE PREDATORS THAT
HUNT FOR THEIR FOOD
(ANOTHER ANIMAL) KNOWN AS
THEIR PREY. CARNIVORES
POSSESS FANGS AND USUALLY
MOVE FAST IN ORDER TO CATCH
 ROLES OF PLANTS AND
ANIMALS IN THE
OMNIVORES
ENVIRONMENT
(OMNIVOROUS)
• OMNIVORES ARE THOSE
ANIMALS THAT CAN EAT
BOTH PRODUCERS
AND/OR OTHER
CONSUMERS. HUMANS,
CHIMPANZEES, AND FLIES
ARE OMNIVORES.
 ROLES OF PLANTS AND
ANIMALS IN THE
ENVIRONMENT
DECOMPOSER
• WHAT DO YOU SEE
GROWING OR LIVING ON
A DEAD BODY OF AN
ANIMAL OR PLANT? DO
YOU SEE MUSHROOM
GROWING ON DEAD
LOGS AS SEEN IN THIS
 ROLES OF PLANTS AND
ANIMALS IN THE
ENVIRONMENT
DECOMPOSER
• DECOMPOSERS ARE THE
LIVING THINGS THAT HAVE
THE ABILITY TO
DECOMPOSE (ROT) OR
DECAY BODIES OF DEAD
ANIMALS AND PLANTS.
MUSHROOMS, BACTERIA,
AND WORMS ARE COMMON
 FOOD CHAIN
THE ENERGY FROM
LIGHT IS STORED IN
GLUCOSE AS IT IS
PRODUCED BY
PRODUCERS THROUGH
PHOTOSYNTHESIS. WHEN
PRODUCERS ARE EATEN
BY CONSUMERS, THE
ENERGY FROM GLUCOSE
 FOOD CHAIN
ENERGY IS TRANSFERRED
FROM THE PRODUCER AS IT IS
EATEN BY THE FIRST OR
PRIMARY CONSUMER, WHICH
IS THE RAT. THE RAT IS EATEN
BY THE SECONDARY
CONSUMER, WHICH IS THE
SNAKE AND THE SNAKE IS
EATEN BY THE TERTIARY
CONSUMER (OR FINAL
 FOOD CHAIN
THE ENERGY FROM THE
PRODUCER (GRASS) IS
TRANSFERRED TO THE
TERTIARY CONSUMER (HAWK)
THROUGH THE EATING
PROCESS. THE PROCESS OF
EATING AND BEING EATEN,
WHERE ENERGY IS
TRANSFERRED FROM ONE
ORGANISM TO ANOTHER, IS
 FOOD CHAIN
FURTHERMORE, NOTICE
THAT THE ARROWS FROM
THE ANIMALS ARE
POINTING TO THE
DECOMPOSERS. THIS
MEANS THAT WHEN
LIVING THINGS DIE
WITHOUT BEING EATEN,
THEY CAN BE
 FOOD CHAIN
THE JOB OF THE
DECOMPOSERS IN THE
FOOD CHAIN IS TO
RETURN THE REMAINING
ENERGY TO THE SOIL SO
THAT IF ANOTHER
PRODUCER WILL GROW
ON THE SOIL, THEN THE
PRODUCER CAN USE IT.
 FOOD WEB
IN ANY ECOSYSTEM
THERE ARE MANY FOOD
CHAINS AND, GENERALLY,
MOST PLANTS AND
ANIMALS ARE PART OF
SEVERAL CHAINS. WHEN
YOU DRAW ALL THE
CHAINS TOGETHER YOU
END WITH A FOOD WEB.
 FOOD WEB
FOOD WEB IS A DETAILED
INTERCONNECTING DIAGRAM
THAT SHOWS THE OVERALL
FOOD RELATIONSHIPS
BETWEEN ORGANISMS IN A
PARTICULAR ENVIRONMENT. IT
CAN BE DESCRIBED AS A "WHO
EATS WHOM" DIAGRAM THAT
SHOWS THE COMPLEX
FEEDING RELATIONSHIPS FOR
A PARTICULAR ECOSYSTEM.
 FOOD WEB
FOOD WEB IS AN IMPORTANT
CONCEPTUAL TOOL FOR
ILLUSTRATING THE FEEDING
RELATIONSHIPS AMONG
SPECIES WITHIN A
COMMUNITY, REVEALING
SPECIES INTERACTIONS AND
COMMUNITY STRUCTURE, AND
UNDERSTANDING THE
DYNAMICS OF ENERGY
TRANSFER IN AN ECOSYSTEM.
 ENERGY PYRAMID
THE PICTURE SHOWS US
AN EXAMPLE OF AN
ENERGY PYRAMID. AN
ENERGY PYRAMID IS A
DIAGRAM THAT SHOWS
US THE AMOUNT OF
ENERGY STORED IN EACH
LIVING THING IN A FOOD
CHAIN.
 ENERGY PYRAMID
THE BASE OF THE PYRAMID
HAS THE GREATEST AMOUNT
OF ENERGY SINCE IT IS
OCCUPIED BY ALL PRODUCERS.
NOTICE THAT AS THE PYRAMID
GROWS TALL, THE SPACE
(REFERRED TO US A TROPHIC
LEVELS) BECOMES NARROW,
WHICH INDICATES THAT THE
ENERGY RECEIVED BY THE
CONSUMERS IS BECOMING
 ENERGY PYRAMID
THIS IS BECAUSE OF
TWO REASONS:
FIRST, LIVING
THINGS THEMSELVES
USE THE ENERGY.
SECOND, A BIG
PORTION OF ENERGY