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Ecosystems and Interactions Between Ecosystems - Coggle Diagram
Ecosystems and Interactions Between Ecosystems
Levels of organisation within an ecosystem
Primary consumer
Primary consumers are herbivores, which eat producers
Secondary consumer
Secondary consumers are carnivores, which eat primary consumers
Producer
Producers are plants and algae, which photosynthesise
Tertiary consumer
Tertiary consumers are also carnivores. They eat secondary consumers.
Abiotic factors affecting the abundance and distribution of organisms
Levels of pollutants
Air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide are released from the burning of coal. Lichens cannot survive if the concentration of sulfur dioxide is too high. So lichens are considered to be indicator species for air pollution. If the air is clean there will be lots of lichens so that if the city and countryside are compared, there will be more lichen species further away from the city centre.
Light intensity
Some plants have evolved for optimum growth in bright sunlight. An example of this is a cactus houseplant. Cacti originally come from deserts where they grow in bright sunlight. Other plants have evolved to grow in shade.
Temperature
Both animals and plants have evolved to grow healthily at their optimum temperatures. If you planted either your cactus or orchid houseplants outside in cold temperatures, they would die. Similarly, animals that have evolved to live at the North Pole, such as the polar bear, could not survive in warmer conditions.
Biotic factors affecting the abundance and distribution of organisms
Competition
The introduction of a new species into an ecosystem can result in it out-competing another native species. Several hundred years ago grey squirrels were brought over from North America by wealthy people and let free in their grounds. Our smaller native red squirrel couldn't compete with the newer, larger grey squirrel. Because grey squirrels are larger they can store more fat and survive harsher winters. So the numbers of red squirrels and the places they live has reduced dramatically.
Predation
The arrival of new predators in an ecosystem can have a devastating effect. In balanced ecosystems, predators and prey have evolved together. Predators can catch enough prey to survive, but not so many that they kill all of their food.
Interdependence in a community
All organisms in an ecosystem depend upon each other. If the population of one organism rises or falls, then this can affect the rest of the ecosystem.