2. An ecosystem includes all of the living things (plants, animals and organisms) in a given
area, interacting with each other, and also with their non-living environments (weather,
earth, sun, soil, climate, atmosphere). Ecosystems are the foundations of the Biosphere and
they determine the health of the entire earth system.
3. In an ecosystem, each organism has its own niche or role to play.
4. Consider a small puddle at the
back of your home. In it, you
may find all sorts of living
things, from microorganisms to
insects and plants. These may
depend on non-living things
like water, sunlight, turbulence
in the puddle, temperature,
atmospheric pressure and even
nutrients in the water for life.
5. Unfortunately, ecosystems have been disrupted, and even destroyed by natural disasters such as
fires, floods, storms and volcanic eruptions. Human activities have also contributed to the
disturbance of many ecosystems and biomes.
6. ECOSYSTEM GOODS AND SERVICES
This is the extremely vital life-support
services ecosystems provide to human life,
its well-being and future economic and
social development. For example: The
benefits ecosystems provide include food,
water, timber, air purification, soil
formation and pollination.
9. consumers
a living thing that gets its food from eating other living things
examples: polar bear eating a fish; a bird eating a berry; a zebra eating
grass
10. Decomposers
A living thing that breaks down other living things to get
nutrients and energy.
Examples: Vultures eat dead animals, Worms and beetles eat
dead decaying plants.
11. population
A group of living things that live in the same place at the same time.
Examples: many penguins live in the artic; many elephants live in the
African Savanna
12. COMMUNITY
When different populations live together in the same habitat and interact with each other.
Example: Elephants, giraffes, and zebras all live together in the Savanna.
13. Abiotic - Any non-living organisms in an ecosystem.Biotic - Any living organisms in an ecosystem.
14. Food Chain - Shows what eats what in an ecosystem Food Web- A food web consists of all the
