2.

1 Structure of
Ecosystems
ESS1
2014
ASSESSMENT STATEMENTS
▪ 2.1.1 Distinguish between biotic and abiotic
components of an ecosystem
▪ 2.1.2 Define the term trophic level
▪ 2.1.3 Identify and explain trophic levels in food
chains and food webs selected from the local
environment.
▪ 2.1.6 Define the terms species, population,
habitat, niche, community, and ecosystem with
reference to local examples.
What is an Ecosystem?
 A community of interdependent
organisms and the interactions with the
physical environment in which they live.
 It can also be defined as the abiotic and
biotic factors and the interactions
between them.
 The interaction between organisms and
the environment is the key!
How many of these terms do you know?

In your notebook draw a bunch of

▪ Organism little organisms. Some of the same
type of some of different types.
▪ Species
▪ Label 1 individual as an organism.
▪ Population
▪ Label a group of the same type of
▪ Community organisms (species)
▪ Niche ▪ Circle: individuals of the same
species (Population)
▪ Habitat
▪ Draw interactions between the
populations (Community)
 Habitat vs. Niche
▪ Habitat: where an organism lives
▪ The habitat must provide a source of food,
water and shelter for the organism.
▪ Niche: the role (“job”) of the
organism.
▪ This is largely to do with the trophic level of the
organism.
▪ Examples:
▪ Plants make food for the rest of the food chain
▪ Tigers keep the population of herbivores under
control
Abiotic vs. Biotic Factors

Biotic Factors: All the living

components of an ecosystem
 Example: plants, bacteria, fungi, animals
Abiotic Factors: non-living, physical
factors in the ecosystem that may
influence an organism or a system
 Examples: Temperature, salinity, pH, light,
Biotic or Abiotic?
▪ River dolphin ▪ Bacteria
▪ Algae ▪ Mushroom
▪ Daylight hours ▪ Rocks
▪ Precipitation ▪ Minerals
▪ Moss ▪ Mangrove trees
▪ Soil composition ▪ Swamp grass
Limiting Factors
▪ Factors in an ecosystem that limit
the population size if there are is
too much or too little of it.
▪ Sunlight
▪ Precipitation
▪ Salinity
▪ Nutrients in the soil
▪ Food
 Trophic Levels
Ecosystems are often broken up
and described according to
feeding relationships.
Trophic level:
The position of an organism in a
food chain
A group of organisms that occupy
the same place in a food chain
Trophic Levels in Food Chains
Be able to give an example of each!
Primary producers (autotrophs)
Primary consumers (herbivores)
Secondary consumers (carnivores)
Tertiary consumers (top carnivores)
Decomposers
Scavengers
Energy Flow and Mineral Cycling
 PRODUCERS
▪ Autotroph - “self” + “feed”
▪ An organism that obtains organic food
molecules without eating other organisms
but by using energy from the sun or
inorganic molecules to make organic
molecules
▪ This trophic level supports all of the others
▪ The role of producers is to convert energy
into a form useable for other organisms
 PRODUCERS
▪Most producers are
photosynthetic (e.g. algae,
mosses, diatoms, plants,
cyanobacteria)
▪Some producers are
chemosynthetic (e.g.
hydrothermal vent bacteria H2)
 DECOMPOSERS
▪ An organism that obtains energy by breaking
down dead organic matter, including dead
plants, dead animals and animal waste, into
more simple substances
▪ Examples include: bacteria, fungi
▪ Interconnects all trophic levels since the
organic material making up all living
organisms is eventually broken down
▪ Niche of decomposers is to return valuable
nutrients to the system so they can be used
again
Detritivores vs. Decomposers
 CONSUMERS
▪ Heterotroph - “other” + “feed”
▪ An organism that obtains its nutrition by eating other
organisms
▪ Primary (1°) consumer (herbivore) - eats producers e.g.
sea urchins, copepod
▪ Secondary (2°) consumer (carnivore) - eats primary
consumers e.g. wolf eel, herring
▪ Tertiary (3°) consumer - eats secondary consumers e.g.
sea otters, seals
▪ Quaternary (4°) consumer - eats tertiary consumers e.g.
killer whale
 CONSUMERS
The role of the consumer is to transfer
energy from one trophic level to the next.
Notice that consumers have different
names, depending on what they eat:
Herbivores: plant eaters
Carnivores: meat eaters
Omnivores: eat plants and animals
 FOOD CHAIN

Arrows show
direction of energy
flow
Always starts with
producers
Only biotic factors
included
Ends with top
consumer
FOOD WEBS
▪ Show energy flow
through an
ecosystem
▪ An ecosystem’s
trophic structure
determines energy
flow and nutrient
cycling
Energy Flow in Ecosystems &
1st Law of Thermodynamics
TROPHIC LEVELS & ENERGY
TROPHIC LEVELS & BIOMASS
Energy Flow in Ecosystems &
2nd Law of Thermodynamics

▪ There is a tendency for numbers and

quantities of biomass and energy to
decrease along food chains.
▪ The pyramids become smaller at the
top because around 90% of the energy
is “lost” between each level and only
10% is available in the body of the
organism for transfer to the next level.