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Components of an Ecosystem - Coggle Diagram
Components of an
Ecosystem
4 main
elements
soil
climate
animals
plants
Biotic
Components
D: all the living and organic
elements of the ecosystem
plants (flora), animals (fauna),
bacteria + fungi
three main
groups
1. Autotrophs or
Producers
food provides energy to work
and carbon to build bodies
transform sunlight energy to make
food through photosynthesis
plants, algae, bacteria
make enough food for themselves
and other organisms
begin food
chains
2. Heterotrophs or
Consumers
cannot make own food,
so must eat or absorb it
include ALL animals
may consume autotrophs
or other consumers
3. Decomposers
bacteria + fungi
detritivores help decomposers
do their job (flies, maggots, larvae)
free inorganic materials from dead
bodies of producers + consumers
ensure continuous supply of raw
materials from producers
carbon + nitrogen cycles are detailed
applications of this general principle
Abiotic
Components
D: the components include
material + properties such as temp,
water, light, humidity, wind, CO2,
pH, rocks + nutrients in soil
sun provides energy
to help with
photosynthesis
light, warmth, water +
carbon dioxide needed
for process
Flows of Energy
& Matter
Energy transfer
is open system
only in 1
direction
Nutrients (matter) circulated
in closed system as constantly
recycled for future use
Food Chains &
Food Webs
Chain
-
greatly simplified version of events
energy trapped in carbon
compound transferred through
ecosystem.
Each link feeds on and obtain energy
from previous level + provides energy
for next
Web -
more likely representation of events,
several food chains arranged into 1 event
transfer of energy can take a
variety of routes
Trophic Levels
always only 4
trophic levels
why
? a lot of energy is used +
wasted between each level
so by time reaches 4th TL = not
much energy left
describes the number of
times energy has been
transferred
only 10% of energy
received @ 1 stage
passed onto next
How Energy
Lost?
energy used by animal for life
processes (moving, eating, respiring)
not all parts of animal or plant will
be eaten, and much energy lost through
animal waste
energy stores in body
tissues (muscle) +
becomes part of biomass
loss of heat energy during
transfer between stages
Trophic
Pyramids
progressive loss of energy
between trophic levels limits
amount of
BIOMASS
+ no. of
organisms that can exist @ each level
Biomass D:
total mass (dry) of living organisms
per unit area, ,measured in g / m2 or
kg/hectare.
Vegetation main component
consumers will not eat
a certain thing unless it
will give them a substantial
amount of energy - this limits
levels of biomass