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Interactions within Ecosystems - Coggle Diagram
Interactions within Ecosystems
Interactions
Our interactions with the world can lead to changes/influence the stability of a system, therefore we must make responsible choice in our daily lives
Our interactions with the environment drives the development of science and technology, and vice versa
Usually involve the transfer of energy, which can cause changes in motion and/or conditions
how our actions impact the environment
earth has limited resources like fossil fuels, minerals, metals etc.
as living things are closely connected to each other and their environment, our daily actions can impact the environment and hence the survival of other living things
therefore we should strive to conserve the environment and not harm it
Physical Factors
Habitat = place where organism lives (see pink branch)
Every habitat has its own unique environment
different environments are distinguished by physical factors which affect the lives of organisms
light
plants need light to make food through photosynthesis
most plants are adapted to recieve as much sunlight as possible
however some plants like mosses and ferns grow better in moist, shaded areas
the amount of light available determines the kinds of plants (and hence the kinds of animals) found in a habitat
EXAMPLE: earthworms burrow deeply into the soil to avoid light, coming out only at night to feed and reproduce
temperature
temperature affects the activities of all organisms
in plants, low temperatures slow down the rate of photosynthesis, hence the growth of the plant is stunted
in animals, low temperatures slow down blood circulation, hence the animal becomes sluggish
most plants and animals can survive in temperatures between 0°C and 45°C, while some organisms adapt to survive under more extreme conditons
EXAMPLE: A thick coat of fur helps to keep the polar bear warm in the polar region
air
air contains the gases that organisms need to live
plants need carbon dioxide to photosynthesise in the day, and oxygen to respire at night
other organisms also need oxygen to respire (land organisms take in oxygen from the air, while aquatic organisms take in water containing dissolved oxygen)
polluted water usually contains less dissolved oxygen than fresh, clean water, which causes many fishes to die from lack of oxygen
some organisms, like certain bacteria, have adapted to survive in low-oxygen habitats
EXAMPLE: Mudskippers have enlarged gill chambers that can retain a bubble of air (they use this bubble of air as oxygen supply while they are on land)
EXAMPLE: Mangroves have aerial roots with tiny pores that allow gaseous exchange
water
all organisms need water to survive
the volume of water in any place depends on the rainfall in receives throughout the year
in general, more organisms can be found where water is available, while some organisms adapt to survive in habitats where there is limited supply of water (like in the desert)
EXAMPLE: The cactus has small spiny leaves that reduce water loss, as well as a thick fleshy stem helps store water and carries out photosynthesis
EXAMPLE: The desert fox hunts at night to minimise water loss
minerals & salinity
mineral salts are important in the production of chlorophyll and nutrients such as proteins and vitamins
plants and animals do not grow well if they lack mineral salts
plants obtain mineral salts through absorption from the soil while animals get mineral salts from the food they eat
the amount of mineral salts dissolved in water affects the salinity of the environment
some aquatic organisms adapt to live in very salty water such as the sea, while others adapt to live in streams and freshwater ponds
EXAMPLE: Turtles remove excess salt through salt glands in their eyes
EXAMPLE: Plants growing near the sea take in a lot of salt along with the water. Some, like the cordgrass, get rid of the excess salt through its leaves
pH (acidity/alkalinity)
Both land plants and aquatic organisms are sensitive to the pH level of their respective habitats. Most organisms cannot survive in extremely acidic/alkaline envrironments
Freshwater organisms can tolerate a pH of about 7, while marine organisms can tolerate a pH of about 8 (which is slightly alkaline)
Aquatic plants can affect the pH level of water during different times of the day. In strong daylight, aquatic plants use the dissolved carbon dioxide in water to carry out photosynthesis. This decreases the acidity of the water caused by dissolved carbon dioxide, thereby increasing the pH of the water
EXAMPLE: Most plants, such as the cabbage, grow well in neutral or slightly alkaine soil, with a pH of about 7 - 8
EXAMPLE: Some plants, such as the watermelon, grow better in acidic soil, with a pH of about 6.0 - 6.5
can be measured with data loggers/probes
Adaptations
A suitable combination of physical factors allows plants to grow and thus provide animals with food and shelter, which then enables animals to survive and reproduce
Only organisms that are suited to live in their specific environment survive long enough to reproduce. They are adapted to their environments or have
adaptive traits
that enable them to grow well in their environment
Structural Adaptations
physical characteristics of an organism that help it survive in its habitat
EXAMPLE: A female
Phyllium asekiense
, a leaf insect from Paupa New Guinea, looks like a leaf to blend in with its environment so it cannot be found by predators
EXAMPLE: The scales on a crocodile protect it from heat and injury
Behavioural Adaptations
different behaviours of an organism that allow it to survive in its habitat
EXMAPLE: Wild geese migrate for a variety of reasons, including searching for food, avoiding predators and harsh weather conditions, and finding mates
EXAMPLE: Some trees shed their leaves in autumn/fall to prevent water loss during winter
When environmental conditions in habitats change, organisms that are unable to survive under the new conditions will die, while those that are able to survive will go on to reproduce (the offspring will have similar adaptive traits and thus be able to survive under the new environmental conditions
An ORGANISM is adapted to its environment
a group of organisms of the same kind living together in the same environment forms a POPULATION
the different populations of plants and animals living and interacting together in a particular environment form a COMMUNITY
The interactions between a community and its physical environment make up an ECOSYSTEM
ECOLOGY is the study of the interactions of organisms with one another and their surroundings
The location of the ecosystem is called a HABITAT
In a habitat, the survival of an organism depends on the PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT as well as the BIOTIC/LIVING ENVIRONMENT (biotic environment refers to all the organisms living in a habitat)
Some organisms hunt others for food. Some provide shelter or protection to others. All compete for resources like light, water and shelter. These interrelationships keep the balance in a habitat. (see red branch)
Interrelationships between organisms
Predator-prey
An animal (predator) kills and eats other animals (prey)
Predators have adaptations that allow them to hunt for their prey successfully, such as sharp teeth, strong claws, high speed and sharp senses
Prey have adaptations to avoid being caught by their predators, like high speed, small size, effective camouflage and defensive body parts (like the scales of a pangolin)
One organism will benefit from the other, which will be negatively impacted (and not survive)
Mutualism
Both organisms in the relationship will support/benefit from each other, eg. one organism provides food, the other protection
EXAMPLE: Sea anemones have stinging tentacles that clownfish are immune to, providing a safe place to live. Clownfish provide food, nutrients (through waste), protection from anemone-eating fish, and help to eat parasites and unhealthy tissues
Parasitism
A relationship where the parasite (plant or animal) benefits at the expense of the host (by obtaining food/nutrients from the bosy of the host, which can be a plant or animal), but usually does not kill it.
EXAMPLE: Fleas are blood-sucking parasites usually found on mammals like cows or pets
When all the interrelationships between organisms in a community are maintained, an ecosystem will be stable (see yellow branch)
Changes in environmental conditions or the removal of any organism can disrupt the stability in an ecosystem, potentially causing organisms to decrease in number or even become endangered or extinct (see yellow)
Maintaining a stable ecosystem
How plants obtain energy
green plants are PRODUCERS. they make food using carbon dioxide and water in the presence of light during photosynthesis
the food produced can be used to provide energy needed for life processes in the plants. this occurs through a chemical reaction known as cellular respiration. In the presence of oxygen, plant cells break down food substances through repiration to release energy
energy released by the plants is used for growth. some of this energy is stored within the plants as chemical potential energy
while green plants are able to produce their own food to obtain energy, other organisms such as asnimals are not able to.
All organisms require energy to survive and reproduce. Photosynthesis and respiration are key processes that provide organisms with energy and hence support interrelationships etween organisms in an ecosystem
energy is needed to maintain a constant body temperature (for warm-blooded animals), to move and to eat and digest food)
How animals obtain energy
animals obtain energy when they feed on plants (herbivores) or other animals (carnivores) or both (omnivores). They are CONSUMERS
the chemical potential energy in food is used by a consumer during respiration, which occurs in every living thing.
the feeding relationship between organisms is represented by the arrows in a food chain. during feeding, energy and nutrients are transferred from one organism to another
there are multiple food chains found in every ecosystem, and they may be interconnected if a single organism is involved in >1 food chian. food webs show how ≥1 food chains are interconnected. they give a overall picture of organisms that are involved in the tranfer of energy and nutrients in an ecosystem (see orange)
The flow of energy and nutrients in an ecosystem
Energy
PRODUCERS absorb light energy from the sun, which is used to produce food through photosynthesis. The food produced stores chemical potential energy. Producers respire to release energy required for their life processes like transport of molecules
CONSUMERS obtain energy by feeding on plants or animals or both. They respire to release energy stored in food. They also release energy stored in undigested food, which is passed out as faeces (waste)
DECOMPOSERS feed on the remains of dead organisms and faeces (waste) They release energy through respiration
at each stage, about 90% of energy is lost to the environment. when organisms respire, energy is released in the form of heat into the surroundings. energy is also lost to the environment in the form of faeces (waste), uneaten body parts and excretory products (urine)
this energy lost to the environment cannot be reused by the producers for photosynthesis. thus the flow of energy in a food chain or food web is one-directional (or non-cyclical). the last organism in the chain (decomposers) recieves the least amount of energy from the sun
Nutrients
when producers are eaten by consumers, nutrients in them are transferred to the consumers. when the consumers are eaten by their predators, the nutrients in them are passed on to their predators
decomposers break down the faeces (waste) of organisms and the remains of dead organisms (uneaten body parts) and return the nutrients in them to the environment. fungi and bacteria play a significant role in decomposing nutrients. their actions release carbon dioxide (which escapes into the atmosphere) and mineral salts (which dissolve in the soil) therefore there is a recycling of nutrients (cyclinal) by decomposers)
Balance in an ecosystem
The presence or absence of one kind of organism can affect the physical and biotic/living environments of a habitat
In a balanced and stable ecosystem, the population sizes of the predators and prey remain relatively unchanged
can be disrupted by introduction of a new organism into the habitat, disease outbreaks, or human activities like deforestation or fishing
when we conserve an environment and hence the organisms living inside it, it helps maintain the stability of the ecosystem
however human activities like pollution (the substances that cause it are called pollutants), can harm the environment (although pollution can occur naturally from volcanic eruptions and forest fires)
pollution, which has been and will be a problem for many years, threatens the lives of organisms. the causes need to be identified, and methods to prevent/reduce pollution must be devised
Conservation
protecting and preserving the environment
reduce global warming and disruption of natural cycles
ensures the preservation of tropical rainforests
Sustainable living
achieve a better standard of life without harming the environment
a lifestyle where we meet our present needs without depleting the resources of the enviroment
ensure that resources will still be available to suture generations