Ecosystems

What is an Ecosystem?

  • Characterised by biotic and abiotic components.
  • Examples include: the distribution of energy and prevailing climatic conditions.

An ecosystem is a structural and functional unit of ecology where the living organisms interact with each other and the surrounding environment. In other words, an ecosystem is a chain of interactions between organisms and their environment.

BIOTIC COMPONENTS

Producers

(All living components in an ecosystem, can be categorised into autotrophs, heterotrophs and saprotrophs or decomposers).

  • Include all autographs such as plants
  • They can produce food through photosynthesis.
  • Higher ups of food chain are reliant for food.

Consumers

  • Aka heterotrophs.
  • Dependent on other organisms for food.
  • Categorised into primary, consumers, secondary and tertiary consumers.

Primary Consumers

Secondary Consumers

Tertiary Consumers

Quaternary Consumers

Definitions

Turbidity


  • “The state or quality of being clouded or opaque, usually because of suspended matter or stirred-up sediment:
    Other potential risks to water resources include increased turbidity from the erosion of cleared and excavated land.”
    https://www.dictionary.com/browse/turbidity

Trophic

Quaternary

“Consisting of fours or arranged in fours” https://www.dictionary.com/browse/quaternary