Integrated Science

11 3-4

THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANTS

Mr. Thomas
Objectives:
Explain the way in which living
organisms depend on plants directly or
indirectly for food.
Define food chain and web.
 Interacting with the Environment
Environment
Everything around you is part of your environment.

In the classroom you are surrounded by

living and non-living things ( books, desks, teacher,
other students, etc).

The surroundings of an organism, composed of biotic

and abiotic factors.
Biotic
The living things in the environment.

Abiotic
The non-living things in the environment. or
example light, temperature, wind patterns, rocks,
soil
 Habitat
The place that suits an organism and where it can
live (we do not find fish living in tree) .

Habitat must supply everything the organism

needs for growth and reproduction.

Habitats may be on land

(terrestrial habitats) or
in water (aquatic).
Living organisms need particular things in order to
survive. They can find these things in habitats.
Tropical fish need warm salty water, so they are
found in habitats such as the Caribbean sea.
Some of the biotic and abiotic components that
organisms need in their habitats are:
Sources of food
Water
Air
Light
Suitable temperature
 Ecosystem
This is a community of living organisms and
physical environment.

In an ecosystem, the living organisms (biotic

elements) interact with each other and with the
abiotic elements around them.

Inan ecosystem, each organism

has its' own role to play
 Feeding Relationships
• This is a good example of how living
organisms in an ecosystem interact with each
other.
• Our food ultimately comes from a plants.
Plants directly supply most of our food such
as vegetables,fruits,carbohtdrates.
 What is Food Chain ?
The sequence by which energy pass from plant to
animal and then to other animals.

The feeding relationship between plants and

animals.
Where do the arrows point?
 Groups of living things in an ecosystem

1.Producers
These are organisms that make their own food.

The producers are green plants which make food by

photosynthesis.
 Consumers
Organisms that feed on other organisms.
2.Herbivores
 Organisms that feed on plants only.
 These are call primary consumers.
3. Carnivores
 Animals that feed on other animals only.
 They are call secondary consumers.
4. Omnivores
 Animals that eat both plants and
animals.
 They are call tertiary consumers.
5. Decomposers
These include fungi and bacteria
They obtain food by decomposing dead organic
material and wastes.
These organisms break down complex
substances and release simple inorganic
substances from dead organisms so that these
can returned to the environment.
 The top of the food chain.

Some animals are said to be at the top of the food chain.

This is because they are not hunted by other animals.

No other animal hunts the

lion. The lion is at the top of
the food chain. Can you think
why?
 Food Webs

In the environment, animals may eat more

than one thing, so they belong to more than
one food chain.
A food web is a network of food chains or
the interconnections of food chains in an
ecosystem.
To get the food they need, small herbivores
may eat lots of different plants, and
carnivores may eat many different animals.
 Example of a Food Web

We can show this by using a food web, which is just a

more complicated version of a food chain.
owl fox

rabbits mice

grass seeds berries

Question and Answer
Session????
What are organisms called which:
A)Only eat Plants?
B)Only eat Meat?
C)Eat both Plants and Animals?

What is a Food Chain?

What is the difference between a food
chain and a web?
Class Activity
Create two examples of food Chains.
From those two food chains create a
simple food web
The End
Objectives:
Explain the principles of a food
chain;
Illustrate from a selected habitat a
food chain .
Identify the trophic level of
organisms in the food chain;
Review
What is a Food Chain?
What is a Food Web?
What is a Food Chain or Web?
 Food chains and food webs are ways of viewing the earth’s energy and
nutrient cycles.
 The interactions of the organisms at each level are often represented as links
of a chain or strands in a web.
How do Food Chains Work?

 Most of the earth’s energy comes from the sun, is trapped

and converted, along with soil nutrients, to stored energy
(food) by green plants.
 It is then passed along to animals and microorganisms
through the rest of the food chain until it is returned the
soil, where the process begins again (a food web is just a
more complex version of a food chain).
Food Chain
 Energy is lost in
each step up a
food chain
 Only 10 percent
of the energy
from one level on
the food chain is
available to the
next level
Food Webs
• Many consumers and
decomposers have more
than one food source
• Movement of energy
occurs in complex webs
rather than in simple
chains
Energy Pyramids
Energy pyramids
show the reduction of
available energy at
each higher trophic
level
Biomass Distribution
Why a Pyramid?
•• Producers
Producers must
must comprise
comprise most
most of
of the
the
mass
mass of
of the
the biotic
biotic part
part of
of an
an ecosystem
ecosystem
––This
This is
is the
the ONLY
ONLY place
place where
where energy
energy (solar)
(solar)
enters
enters the
the ecosystem
ecosystem
•• Energy
Energy is
is always
always lost
lost in
in the
the form
form of
of
heat,
heat, so
so energy
energy transfers
transfers areare no
no more
more
than
than 10%
10% efficient
efficient
•• Each
Each trophic
trophic level
level must
must bebe supported
supported by
by
aa 10/1
10/1 energy
energy ratio
ratio below
below itit
The 10% Rule
Feeding is the process by which organisms
obtain energy and raw materials for life
processes.

The arrows show the direction of energy

flow from organism to organism in the
ecosystem.

 The different stages of feeding in a food

chain are called trophic levels.
Energy Losses
The sun provide plants with energy for
photosynthesis.

Each organism in the food chain uses some

energy.
When food passed from one trophic level to the
next, a lot of the energy is lost.

Energy is loss by respiration, urine, faeces and

undigested parts.

There is less energy available the further you go

along the chain.
Trophic Level
This is the position an organism occupies in a
food chain.

The organism at first trophic level is the producer.

Herbivores are found at the second trophic level.

Carnivores are normally found at the third trophic
level.

At the fourth trophic level a second carnivore is

found.
Questions and Answers
What is a Food Chain?
What does the term Tropic level means?
Create two examples of food Chains and
identify the trophic levels
From those two food chains create a
simple food web
Questions and Answers
Isa tree a producer or a
consumer?

Are bacteria consumers

or decomposers?

Isan eagle a primary or

secondary consumer?