Toribio Minor National High School Quarter 2

Poblacion, Margosatubig, Zamboanga del SurScience 7

S.Y. 2022-2023
Name: _________________________________________________________________Date: _________
Grade & Section: _____________________________________ Score: ____________
Melc: Differentiate biotic from abiotic components of an ecosystem(S7LT-IIh-9)
Describe the different ecological relationships found in an ecosystem(S7LT-IIh-10)
Study Notes:

Levels of Organization in an Ecosystem

Organism, Species, Individual
An individual is any living thing or
organism. Individuals do not breed
with
individuals from other groups. Animals,
unlike plants, tend to be very definite
with
this term because some plants can
cross-breed with other fertile plants.
For example, a carabao, interacts with
its environment, and will only reproduce
with
other carabaos just like it.
Toribio Minor National High School Quarter 2
Poblacion, Margosatubig, Zamboanga del SurScience 7
S.Y. 2022-2023
Lesson1 : Levels of Organization in an Ecosystem
Organism, Species, Individual
An individual is any living thing or organism. Individuals do not breed with individuals from other
groups. Animals, unlike plants, tend to be very definite with this term because some plants can cross-breed
with other fertile plants. For example, a carabao, interacts with its environment, and will only reproduce
with other carabaos just like it.
Population
A group of individuals of a given species that lives in a specific geographic area at a given time. Note
that populations include individuals of the same species but may have different genetic makeup such as
hair/eye/skin color and size between themselves and other populations. For example, all the horses inside
the ranch or all frogs in the fishpond.
Community
This includes all the populations in a specific area at a given time. A community includes
populations of organisms of different species. In the images above, the populations of carabaos, grasses and
insects interact in a defined location. A great community usually includes biodiversity.
Ecosystem
Ecosystems include more than a community of living organisms (biotic) interacting with the
environment (abiotic). At this level note how carabaos and insects depend on other abiotic factors such as
sunlight, water, air and temperature.
Biome
A biome, in simple terms, is a set of ecosystems sharing similar characteristics with their abiotic
factors adapted to their environments. Examples of biomes are tropical rainforest, temperate forest, desert,
tundra, taiga, grassland, savanna and freshwater.
Biosphere
The biosphere is a narrow zone of the earth where land, water, air interact with each other to support
life. It is in this zone that life exists. There are several species of organisms that vary in size from microbes
and bacteria to large mammals. Parts of the lithosphere (solid part), hydrosphere (liquid part), and
atmosphere (gaseous part) make up the biosphere.
Additional Ecology Vocabulary:
Ecological Niche- it is the physical space occupied by an organism and its functional role in the ecosystem.
Habitat- it is the place where an organism lives
Autotrophs are organisms that fix light energy and use simple inorganic substances to build up complex
substances which includes plants.
Heterotrophs-these are the organisms that utilize, rearrange and decompose the complex materials,
particularly the animals, bacteria and fungi.
Components of Ecosystem:
1. Biotic or Living components
Bio means life. Therefore, the biotic components refer to the living world of an ecosystem such
as plants, animals and microorganisms.
2. Abiotic or nonliving components
This includes air, water, soil, inorganic substances that link biotic and abiotic factors and
climate regime in a given area.
Roles of Organisms in the Ecosystem
1. Producers- Plants can produce their own
food from the abiotic environment.
(photosynthesis)
Green plants are called producers or
the first level of biotic component of
the ecosystem. Through
photosynthesis, plants synthesize
their own food like proteins and fats
hence are also called autotrophs.
Producers also maintain Carbon
dioxide (CO2)/Oxygen(O2) balance of
nature.
2. Consumers- Animals must consume and eat other organisms. Can be classified as... herbivores,
carnivores, or omnivores.
Herbivore-animals that eat ONLY plants
(producers). Also called as plant eaters. These
are the primary consumers.
Carnivore- animals that eat ONLY other
animals. Also called as meat eaters, the
secondary consumers that ingest
other animals for their food.
Omnivore-animals that eat both plants AND animals.

3. Decomposers- Organisms that break down dead and waste materials into their basic parts.
Toribio Minor National High School Quarter 2
Poblacion, Margosatubig, Zamboanga del SurScience 7
S.Y. 2022-2023
-They release chemicals that break apart dead tissues and cells and absorb the nutrients for their
own use.
4 - Examples of decomposers include bacteria and other microorganisms, fungi and worms.
4. Scavengers- Animals that eat decaying animals and waste materials.
-Examples include vultures, dung beetle larvae, houseflies, crows and some gulls.
-also called as detritus feeders extract nutrients from partly decomposed matter.
-other examples are crabs, termites, carpenter ants and earthworms.
* Microorganisms...
Microorganisms are also called as saprotrophs or osmotrophs
Microorganisms are responsible for the decomposition or breaking down of dead organic matter.
They are found in a variety of habitats (air, soil, water)
They play important roles in relation to human food supplies
They have been studied to enhance food preservation techniques
Conditions that affect Microorganism Growth
1. Temperature
2. Moisture
3. Light
4. Acidity
5. Salinity

Ecological
Relationships in
an Ecosystem
Lesson 2. Ecological Relationships in an Ecosystem
Symbiotic Relationship
Symbiosis is a type of relationship which describes two different species that live near each other and both
derive benefit from the relationship. Non-symbiotic relationship means both species benefit when together, but
they don’t live close together and they don’t depend on each other for survival. This relationship happens when two
species come across each other.
One example is a bird Heron at the back of a carabao. It eats ticks and other harmful insects off the carabao.
Have you ever heard the phrase, 'I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine'? This idea of helping someone to get some help
in return is the essence of a symbiotic relationship.
Symbiosis describes close interactions between two or more different species. It is different from regular
interactions between species, because in a symbiotic relationship, the two species in the relationship live together.
Many organisms are involved in symbiotic relationships because this interaction provides benefits to both species.
1. Competition (-/-)
Competition is when individuals or populations compete for the same resource, and can occur within or between
species. When organisms compete for a resource such as food, space or territory. An example is lions and hyenas that
compete for prey. Can be interspecific, between species or intraspecific, between members of the same species.
Competition usually has a negative impact on both competitors which is translated by a decrease in survival or number
of offspring.
2. Neutralism(0/0)
Neutralism a kind of interaction where nothing happens between each other. One plant grows in a field, another in the
neighborhood, they never interact with each other, their relation is neutral.
Non-Symbiotic Relationship
It means free living and independent. It is a type of interaction in which individuals of two different species or two population
function in very close association but do not affect one another adversely and beneficially. It is also called neutralism.
3. Predation (+/-)
Predation(“Kill and Eat”) is when one organism eats another organism for food. The organism that is eaten is called
the prey. Examples of predation are snakes that eat rat, and lions that eat deer. Lions and snakes are called
predator(organisms that eats, generally bigger/larger than the prey).
4. Parasitism (+/-)
Parasitism is a relationship in which one organism benefits and the other organism is harmed, but not always killed.
The organism that benefits is called the parasite, and the one that is harmed is the host. Parasites can be
Toribio Minor National High School Quarter 2
Poblacion, Margosatubig, Zamboanga del SurScience 7
S.Y. 2022-2023
ectoparasites -- such as mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and leeches -- that live on the surface of the host. Parasites can also
be endoparasites -- such as intestinal worms – that live inside the host.
5. Commensalism (+/0)
Commensalism is a relationship in which one organism benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed. Examples
are orchids that grow on the bark of a tree. The tree gains no benefit from the barnacle, but the orchids get shelter and
space. Commensal is the one that benefits from the relationship. Orchid is an example.
6. Amensalism((0/-)
Amensalism is any interaction where one species is negatively affected while the other remain unaffected. Example an
elephant walking on an insect. The elephant doesn’t care, the insect is negatively affected.
7. Mutualism (+/+)
Mutualism is a relationship in which both species benefit. It is a give and take relationship. When one species
receives food in return for transporting the pollen of the other organism, which occurs between bees and flowers.
8. Cooperation (+/+)
Cooperation, when two organisms work together to increase their performance and chance of survival.