2. Ecosystem
An ecosystem is complex system that consists of all
the living organisms in a particular area as well as the
environment with which the organisms interact.
The living organisms and non-living components of the
ecosystems interacts in such a way as to maintain
balance.
Ecosystem are divided into biotic(living) and
abiotic(non-living) components respectively
6. Eat other organisms,living or dead and
cannot make their own food.
Herbivores(eg.buck) feed on plants
known as primary consumers.
Carnivores(eg.lion) feed on other
consumers,can be classified as
secondary consumers
Scavengers(eg.Vulture) feed on dead
animals
7. Decomposers(e g. bacteria, fungi) also
feed on organic waste and dead
organisms, but they can digest the
materials outside their bodies.
10. Abiotic components
1.Physiographic factors (physical nature of the area)
•Slope-slope affects the rate of water run-off. A steep
slope encourages fast run-off of water and can cause
soil erosion.
•Altitude-is the height of the land above sea level. At
high altitudes the temperature is lower, the wind
speed is greater, and the rainfall. Environments at
higher altitudes are also more likely to experience
snow conditions.
•Aspect-refers to the position of an area in relation to
the sun or wind or wave action. It is the direction that
the slope faces: North, East, West.
12. 2.Edaphic factors (factors related to
the soil)
•pH of soil-is a measure of how
acid or alkaline soil is and can
be measured by the pH scale.
•Soil structure-the decomposed
inorganic matter called humus
gives topsoil.
14. 3.Climate factors
•Wind-speeds up evaporation and assist in
pollination of plants and the dispersal of their seeds.
Air-is composed of 78% nitrogen,21% oxygen,4%
carbon dioxide and water vapour.
•Sunlight-eat the essential for the process of
photosynthesis
•Temperature-eat the rate of evaporation and
transportation and causes seasonal changes in
weather
15. • Water-it is the main component of living cells and is essential for all living
organisms.
Plants are adapted to the available amount of water in the following ways:
✓Xenophytes: are plants that need an average, regular supply of water.
✓Hydrophytes:are plants that are able to live entirely or partially in
submerged water or in very wet soil.
