Chapter 2:

Ecosystem
 Green plants convert
light energy from the Sun
into chemical energy
through the process of
photosynthesis.
2
There are three roles in a food chain/web:
✘ Producers -> organism that produces its own food
through photosynthesis
✘ Consumers -> organism that eats other organisms
✘ Decomposers -> organism that breaks down dead
animals & plants into simpler materials/nutrients

3
 Example of producers, consumer,
decomposers:
Prroducer Secondary Consumer Organism dies
An organism that produces An organism that eats the All the organisms would
its own food primary consumer die

1 3 5

2 4 6

Primary Consumer Tertiary Consumer Decomposers

Primary consumers are A secondary consumer that Would break down dead
mostly eats a secondary consumer organisms into simpler
herbivores/omnivores nutrients

4
 Energy Flow in a food web
✘ Energy is transferred from one organism to another.
✘ Some of the energy is lost because it is used by the organism to
move/carry out respiration. Example:

5
 2.2:
Nutrient Cycle in
ecosystems
The transfer of nutrients
& energy is continuous in
an ecosystem. Nutrients
are obtained from a
balanced ecosystem and
used by living things.
7
Water cycle
The role of living things in the water ✘ Example:
cycle
✘ Water is absorbed by roots of plants & released to
the atmosphere through transpiration. Animals
carry out respiration, defecation, & excretion.
✘ Roots of plants hold the soil tightly & make the
structure of the soil more compact. This slows
down the flow of water underground and prevents
soil erosion.
✘ Leaves that fall from trees & cover the surface of
the earth will reduce the rate of evaporation &
prevent the soil from becoming dry.

8
 The role of living things in carbon & oxygen cycle
1. Plants & animals carry out respiration which
uses oxygen & carbon dioxide.
2. The decay of dead plants & animals by
bacteria & fungi in the soil uses oxygen &
releases carbon dioxide.
3. Green plants maintains the content of carbon
dioxide and oxygen in the air through
photosynthesis which absorbs carbon dioxide
& releases oxygen

9
 Steps to solve problems when there is an
interference to the nutrient cycle
Create planned Use public transport Store rainwater for
agricultural systems more often daily usage
.

Replant trees Tighten laws

.

10
 2.3:
Interdependence &
interaction among
organisms, & between
organisms and the
enviorenment
 Interaction between organisms
✘ It comprises of symbiosis, prey-predator, & competition.

Competition

Symbiosis
Prey- • Mutualism
predator • Commensalism
• Parasitism

Types of
interactions

12
Symbiosis -> 2/more organisms of different
species live closely & interact with each-other
Mutualism Commensalism Parasitism
An interaction that Benefits only 1 party Benefits 1 party & harms
benefits both parties. without harming the other. the other.
Example: Example: Examples:
✘ Clownfish/sea ✘ Remora fish/shark ✘ Tapeworm/humans
anemone ✘ Tree/bird’s nest fern ✘ Lice/animals
✘ Lichen (fungi/algae)
✘ Mynah/buffalo

13
Prey-predator & competition
Prey-predator Competition
✘ Involves one organism that eats ✘ Competition happens when
another. organisms in one habitat copete
✘ Prey -> that gets eaten by the for limited supply of basic needs,
predator such as light, space, food, water
and mates for reproduction.
✘ Predator -> that hunts the prey for
food

14
 Biological control
Biological control uses organisms that are
natural predators, parasites/pathogens to
reduce pests in an area.
Advantages:
✘ Environmentally friendly
✘ Cheaper/does not affect humans’ health
Disadvantages:
✘ Takes a long time for effects to be seen
✘ Balance of the ecosystem may be disrupted

15
 Factors that influence population size in an
ecosystem
Disease Presence of predators Sources of food Change of weather
 Droughts cause
 Population of  The population size  If the food source
soil to become
animals and plants of a species is decreases, animals
dry & infertile,
decreases when a influenced by the can be threatened thus increases the
disease strikes. population size of with extinction. risk of a forest
the predators. fire

16
Roles of humans in maintaining a balanced
nature
Activity Effects

Forest logging • Extinction of flora & fauna species

• Greenhouse effect
• Soil erosion
Industrialisation • Pollution of air, water, & soil
• Greenhouse effect
• Acid rain
Agriculture • Pollution of water due to overuse of pesticides and fertilisers
• Soil loses mineral die to non-sustainable agriculture
Waste disposal • Pollution of water & ground
• Foul odor due to decaying organic waste matter
• Flash floods

17