Ecology is the study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment. An ecosystem is composed of all the living and non-living things in a given area. Ecosystems can be natural or artificial. They contain biotic components like producers, consumers, and decomposers as well as abiotic components like air, water, and soil. Human activities impact ecosystems by changing habitats, removing resources, and altering environmental conditions.

2. WHAT IS AN ECOLOGY
The branch of biology
that deals with the
relations of organisms
to one another and to
their physical
surroundings.

3. WHAT IS AN ECOSYSTEM
An ecosystem is the unit
composed of all the living
things in a single place at
a given time, in addition
to, the important non-
living components of the
system.

4. TYPES OF AN ECOSYSTEM
NATURAL ECOSYSTEM
• Made by nature
ARTIFICIAL ECOSYSTEM
• HUMAN ENGINEERING

5. NATURAL ECOSYSTEM

6. ARTIFICIAL ECOSYSTEM

7. STRUCTURE OF AN ECOSYSTEM
BIOTIC COMPONENTS
• LIVING THINGS
ABIOTIC COMPONENTS
• NON LIVING THINGS

8. BIOTIC COMPONENTS
DECOMPOSERS
DETRITIVORES MICRO-ORGANISMS
CONSUMERS
HETEROTROPHS ANIMALS
PRODUCERS
AUTOTROPHS SELF FEEDERS

9. CONSUMERS CLASSIFICATION
•HERBIVOREPRIMARY
•CARNIVORESECONDARY
•OMNIVORETERTIARY

10. BIOTIC COMPONENTS

11. ABIOTIC COMPONENTS

12. ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

13. FUNCTIONS OF AN ECOSYSTEM
FOOD CHAIN
FOOD WEB
ENERGY FLOW CHART

14. FOOD CHAIN

15. FOOD WEB

16. ENERGY FLOW CHART

17. EFFECT OF HUMAN
ACTIVITIES ON ECOSYTEM

18. A person cuts down a tree to let more sunlight shine on a
small garden. Now think about some of the consequences of
this action. For instance, before the tree was cut down, birds
and insects used it for food, shelter, and nesting. Now the tree
can no longer provide the birds and insects with these
resources. As well, the insects, worms, and other organisms
that lived in and among the tree’s living roots can no longer
get the resources they need to sustain them.
Human activities always cause changes to ecosystems. For
example, in the situation in the first paragraph, many
organisms have lost their living space and their source of
food. As well, the area around the garden is now fully
exposed to sunlight instead of being shaded from it. This will
change the way that the soil holds rainwater. Plants that
grew well in shaded conditions will also die.
The changes caused by human activities always
have consequences for the biotic and abiotic parts of
ecosystems.

19. HUMAN ACTIVITIES ABIOTIC AND BIOTIC
CONSEQUENCES
• Surface soil is removed,
killing soil organisms and
plants that were rooted in the
soil.
• Farmland that is taken over
to build roads and buildings
can no longer be used to
grow crops and livestock.
•Soil and plant life are
removed to make space
to build factories and
landfill sites for the solid
wastes that the factories
produce.
CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS
AND BUILDINGS
MANUFACTURING AND
CONSUMPTION STORE