animal growth and adaptations

1. Ecosystems

2. What is an Ecosystem?
Let’s take a look at the word:
• Eco- means “environment”
• System means “a group of parts that work
together as a unit”.
An ecosystem is a system made up of the
environment and all of the living things that live
there.
*All living things have to be able to meet their
basic needs there.

3. What are the parts of an
ecosystem?
Within each ecosystem, there are individuals,
populations, and communities.
Individuals within ecosystems are one of that
species.
Populations within ecosystems are made up of all
of that species that lives in the same place at the
same time.
Communities within ecosystems are made up of
all of the populations of all the different species
that live in the same place at the same time.

4. Let’s take a look at this….
This is one otter. This is an example
of an individual.

5. This is a group of otters.
This is an example of a
population.

6. These are some of the other
populations that live in the same
river as the otters.
Together they all make up the
community.

7. Another way to think about it…
 You are a person. You are one part of your
family. You are the same as an individual.
 All of the people in your family who live in
your house with you make up the
population.
 All of the people in your neighborhood-
mailman, police officers, teachers,
neighbors- make up the community.

8. Non-Living Parts of the Ecosystem
Every ecosystem has non-living parts. Some of
these are:
• Sunlight
• Water
• Soil
• Air
• Temperature
The non-living parts of the ecosystems interact with
the living parts af the ecosystems.

9. Homes for Living Things
An environment that meets the needs of
an organism is called a habitat.
Depending on the organism, it may only
make use of a small part of its habitat
while some organisms such as birds that
fly, spread out over the habitat.

10. What are an organism’s basic needs?
All living things have 5 basic needs:
Food
Water
Air/Oxygen
 Shelter
Reproduce

11. The Main Source of Energy
The sun is the main source of energy for ALL
living things.
Animals do not get energy directly from the
sun, but they eat plants that do.

12. How Energy Moves Through Ecosystems
 Scientists describe the way that energy
moves through ecosystems as a food
chain.
There are 3 levels to every food chain:
 Producers
 Consumers
 Decomposers

13. Food Chains
 Producers make their own food. These are
plants and protists such as algae.
(Producers get energy from the sun)
 Consumers eat other living things for energy.
(Consumers eat producers)
 Decomposers feed on the waste of plants and
animals or on their remains when they die.

14. Here is an example

16. Energy Pyramid
 All organisms need energy from food to live.
An energy pyramid shows how much
food energy is passed from one organism to
another along a food chain.
 The base of the energy pyramid represents
producers; these organisms use energy from
the sun to make food through photosynthesis.

17.  The second level of the energy pyramid
represents herbivores, or plant eating animals.
This level is made up of primary consumers.
 The third level of the energy pyramid
represents carnivores, or meat eating animals.
These are secondary consumers because they
are the second organism to consume
something else.
The fourth level of the energy pyramid
represents secondary carnivores. These are
tertiary consumers because they are the third
organism in the food chain to consume
something else.

20. Food Webs
 A food web is a diagram that shows how
different food chains connect and overlap.
 These are used because organisms usually
obtain energy from more than one source.

22. • http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/genbio/virtual_
labs/BL_02/BL_02.html
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De_53Qfl
EXQ
• http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/explor
er/ecosystems/be_an_explorer/map/foodweb
_play.htm
• http://www.gould.edu.au/foodwebs/kids_we
b.htm

23. • http://www.kidwings.com/owlpellets/flash/v4
/index.htm