Lesson 1: What is an ecosystem?

Do now
Think about what the
word ecosystem means.
Now discuss it with your
partner.

• Learning objective:
• To understand the concept of an ecosystem and its key
components, such as producers, consumers and food chains.
 What is an ecosystem?
• This is a natural system made up of plants,
animals and the environment.
Eco system or not?
There are two types of ecosystem

A global scale ecosystem

A local small scale ecosystem e.g tropical rainforest / large
e.g a pond or woodland woodland
These are known as biomes
 Key terms
• Producers- These convert energy from sunlight into sugars. In ecosystems
the producers are mostly plants that convert energy from the sun through
photosynthesis.
• Consumers- These use the energy e,g fish eating the plants etc.
• Decomposers- these break down the plant and animal material and return
the nutrients back into the soil. E.g. Bacteria and fungi do this.
• Food chain- A chain showing the links between producers and consumers.
• Food web – A more complex web showing the connection between
producers and consumers.
• Nutrient cycling- Nutrients are used by plants and animals to grow. There
are two types:
• Rainwater washes chemicals out of the atmosphere
• Weathered rock releases chemicals into the soil.
When plants and animals die their nutrients are broken down by the
decomposers and put back into the ecosystem
The freshwater pond ecosystem

Is this a small or global ecosystem?

 The freshwater pond ecosystem

Plants like reeds On the banks are

grow around the trees and plants
edge

On the surface are

ducks and small
insects

The different edges of

the pond have
Deep below are fish
different light, water
and oxygen available
Food chain

Food web
 Activity time
• Food chain organisation:
The species are not in the correct order in the food chain….
Put each in order according to the food chain.

Species Energy Source

Frog tadpole Microscopic plants, algae,
midge larvae
Algae Sunlight
Sticklebacks Tadpoles, young fish, water
fleas and insects
Heron Fish, frogs, tadpoles and larger
insects
Perch Small fish, beetles, water fleas