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2 - Ecosystems and Its Components
2 - Ecosystems and Its Components
Learning Outcomes:
In this chapter, you will be able to:
Describe what is ecosystem and its key components;
Discuss the function of biotic and abiotic factors in the environment;
Analyze the flow of matter and energy through different tropic levels
and between organisms and the physical environment
Show awareness of how some community practice sustainable living
to help in the balance of ecosystem
Concept of ecosystem
The Earth is composed of diverse plants and animals. These living
organisms need different resources in the environment in order to survive.
The study of the interaction between living and non-living things in the
ecosystem is called ecology. This interaction in the ecosystem is essential to
maintain life on Earth. Ecosystem refers to the community of living
organisms that interact to the physical factors in its environment.
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Biotic and abiotic factors
The ecosystem is divided into two components: biotic (living things)
and abiotic (nonliving things). Biotic components adapt in the abiotic
condition present in their natural environment in order to survive. Abiotic
components include temperature, air currents, water currents, amount of
sunlight, type of soil, amount of rainfall, and the nutrients available. How
does the unequal distribution of sunlight influence the distribution of
organisms?
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Food chain, food web and energy
The species inhabiting the same community interact with each other
along with the resources found in its environment. With this interaction,
organisms can transfer matter and energy within the environment. The
variety of species living in a community contributes to its diversity and
productivity. How does the presence of diverse species benefit an ecosystem?
The Sun is the main source of energy used by plants and other
photosynthetic organisms. Plants undergo photosynthesis to utilized light
energy to produce glucose and oxygen. Plants are considered as autotrophs
or primary producers as they can produce energy for their own metabolic
processes. In contrast to heterotrophs or consumers that derives its
nutrition from other organic matter such as plants or animal. Can you give a
specific example of autotrophs and heterotrophs in our surroundings?
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within the community is shown through trophic level. How many food chain
are present in Figure 2.4? What is the trophic structure in figure 2.4?
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The productivity of primary producers is important in any ecosystem
as it brings energy to other living organisms. This energy flows from
producers to consumers and decomposers in various trophic level. Large
amount of energy are lost from ecosystem through metabolic heat and
incomplete ingestion of food. Incomplete ingestion refers to that fact that
consumers only eat a part of their food. For instance, predator would eat
every part of the prey except for its bone and hide. Then, the predator miss
the energy-rich bone marrow inside the bone and hence, does not make use
of all the calories of its prey.
There are certain species that can influence the trophic structure of
the community. These are the dominant species, species that are most
abundant and have the highest biomass in the community. The dominant
species compete on the limited resources and are most successful in
avoiding predation. Another is the keystone species, which are not common
in the community. Keystone species exert control on community by their
pivotal ecological control. An example is the predator sea star, Pisaster
ochraceus. They keep the populations of mussels and barnacles in check to
ensure the healthy population of seaweeds and the marine species that
feeds on them such as sea urchins, sea snails, and bivalves. What do you
think will happen keystone species become extinct?
Interrelationship of organisms
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You are able to differentiate biotic from abiotic components of an
ecosystem as well as the interaction of organisms through food web and food
chain. The organisms depend on their environment for food, air, water, and
other resources in order to survive. The group of same species living in a
same area is termed as population. The population of species can change
over time which is influence by many factors. Each environment has
carrying capacities which limit the number of organisms and populations it
can support.
Species can interact with different species living close to them and
within the same community. The interaction between and among species
living within the environment may have positive (+), negative (-), or neutral
(0) effect to them. These species interactions are described as ecological
relationships. There are three main classifications of ecological relationships
– symbiosis, predation, and competition
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leafcutter ants protect the fungi from fungal parasites. Can you give
other types of mutualistic relationship?
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a.3 Parasitism (+/-) is when one organism benefits (parasite) and the
other organism is harmed (host). Parasites can live within the host
(endoparasite) or on the external surface of the host (ectoparasite).
There are several parasites on the world which have complex life
cycles involving multiple hosts. Parasites may affect the host in terms
of its physiological being, reproductive success, and morphological
modifications. The diversity of the parasites is higher in tropical and
subtropical areas brought by the conducive environmental conditions
to transmit it. There are several kinds of parasites. 1. macroparasite:
are large and can be viewed without microscope such as nematodes,
cestodes, arthropods; 2. microparasites: are microscopic such as
protozoans; 3. Obligate parasites: parasitic as adults; 4. Facultative
parasites: adults are free living but when an opportunity be presented,
they may become parasitic.
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predators are highly adapted for hunting with acute senses and have sharp
claws and teeth. How can the prey protect themselves from predators?
Most of the time predators are linked to carnivores. But there are also
animals that feed on grains, grass, fruits, leafs, nectar, and pollen. There are
herbivores that have specific food habits such as koala that exclusively eats
eucalyptus leaves. Herbivore animals also have specialized structures and
feeding mechanisms to consume plants. They have chemical sensors that
enable them to detect plants with chemical defense compounds. Herbivory
has several positive impacts on the ecosystem as it increases nutrient
uptake and productivity of plants, control plant population, increase plant
protection, and increase quality of soil. How do plants adapt to protect
themselves from herbivores? This is an evolutionary response due to high
availability of food that other animals are not eating and the herbivores
developed a special process to digest the food.
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Competition is important in organizing the structure of the community.
Organisms may be eliminated by competition and is severest on organisms
with similar needs and habits which tend to have closer taxonomic
relationship. There are three types of competition:
1. Exploitation: occurs when individuals interact indirectly as they
compete for common resources like territory, prey or food
2. Apparent: occurs when two individuals that do not directly compete
for resources affects each other by being prey for the same
predator such as a hawk that prey for both squirrels and mice
3. Interference: occurs directly between individuals when an individual
alters the resource-attaining behavior of other individuals
such as a male gorilla prohibiting other males from accessing
a mate by showing physical aggression
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Republic of the Philippines
MARIKINA POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE
2 Chanyungco St., Sta. Elena, Marikina City 1800
Tel. Nos. (02) 369-6790, (02) 360-7216
In this activity, you will watch the videos from Sustainable Humans
to examine the underlying stories that give rise to environmental, social, and
economic issues. This will focus on the concept of trophic cascade and how
it affects the ecosystem.
Procedure:
1. You will be assigned with the video that you have to watch. There are
four videos involved.
a. Video A. How wolves change rivers
You will learn how the reintroduction of wolves in the
Yellowstone National Park helped in changing its ecosystem
structure.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa5OBhXz-Q
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2. After watching the assigned video, accomplish the graphic organizer below to
apply what you have learned about ecosystem.
VIDEO: _________________________________________________
3. Create a food web model to show the cycling of matter and energy on the
organisms mentioned/ found in the video.
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Scoring Rubrics
Criteria 5 4 3 2-1
The food web The food web The food web The food web
is very clear, is clear, well is reasonably is not clear,
well presented and clear, and and
presented and easy to generally easy somewhat
easy to understand. to follow. messy. There
understand. There are one There are are more than
Presentatio
There is no to two gaps three to four four gaps
n
gap between between gaps between between
animals and animals and animals and animals and
the pointed the pointed the one to two more than
arrow is arrow is pointed arrow two pointed
correct. correct. is incorrect. arrow is
incorrect.
All of the One to two Three to four More than
relevant relevant animals are four animals
animals in animals in missing and are missing in
the video are the video are most of the the food web
included in not included links are and the links
the food web in the food related to are not
Content
and clearly web. But each other. relevant to
flows from there is a each other.
one animal to clear flow
the next. from one
animal to the
next.
An excellent A good A moderate Understandin
understandin understandin understandin g of what is a
g of what a g of what a g of what a food web is
food web is food web is food web is not
and how it and how it and how it demonstrated
works is works is works is based on the
Work
shown shown shown output made.
Shown
through the through the through the
created flow created flow created flow
of chain and of chain and of chain and
overall overall overall
presentation presentation presentation
of work. of work. of work.
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Republic of the Philippines
MARIKINA POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE
2 Chanyungco St., Sta. Elena, Marikina City 1800
Tel. Nos. (02) 369-6790, (02) 360-7216
Quiz No. 2
Ecosystems and its components
Test I: Identification
Directions: The following statements describe the relationship between the
two organisms. Identify the organisms that benefit (+), harmed (-
), and unaffected (0) from the relationship. Then, write the type
of ecological relationship whether it is: mutualism,
commensalism, parasitism, predation, and competition. Write
your answer on the space provided.
4. Male bull sea lions fighting for the first pick of female cow during mating
season
Organism: Organism: Relationship:
5. Bacteria live in the legumes root hairs where they transform nitrogen to
ammonia that is needed by the plan for growth and development.
Organism: Organism: Relationship:
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Test II Essay
Directions: Answer the given items below. Express your answer briefly with
complete thought. Use the space provided for your answer.
Write legibly and neatly. (5 points each)
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