Chapter 2 Ecosystem

SCIENCE | DLP | FORM 2

2.1 Energy Flow in an
Ecosystem
 Do you know?
• Sun – the source of energy in all ecosystems
• Green plants – convert light energy from the Sun into
chemical energy through photosynthesis.
• Chemical energy – transferred to primary consumers
followed by secondary and tertiary consumers in the
food chain and food web
Ecosystem

Producer

Organisms Consumer

Decomposer
Ecosystem
• Produces its own food through
Producer photosynthesis
• Green plants
Organisms Consumer

Decomposer
Ecosystem • Eat another organism

• Herbivore – plants Primary Consumer

• Carnivore – animals
• Omnivore - both Producer • Eat producers
• Herbivores and omnivores

Organisms Consumer Secondary Consumer

• Eat primary consumer
• Omnivore and carnivore
Decomposer
Tertiary Consumer
• Eat secondary consumer
• Carnivore
Ecosystem
• Breaks down dead animals
Producer and plants into simpler
materials or nutrients
Organisms Consumer • Saprophytism

Decomposer
Ecosystem

Primary Secondary
Consumer Consumer

Producer

DEAD
Decomposer
Tertiary
Consumer
Food Chain
Used to show the feeding relationship between organisms

Cabbage Snail Bird Fox

Producer Primary Secondary Tertiary
consumer consumer consumer
Food Web
The interconnection of a few food chains

Cabbage  Caterpillar  Bird  Snake

Cabbage  Snail  Bird  Snake
Cabbage  Grasshopper  Bird  Snake
Cabbage  Grasshopper  Frog  Snake
 Energy Flow in Food Web

Cabbage Snail Bird Fox

Energy is transferred from one organism to another organism

Energy Flow in Food Web

• Energy loss
• Movement
• Respiration
• Heat energy / chemical energy through undigested food /
faeces
2.2 Nutrient Cycle in an
Ecosystem
Nutrient Cycle
• Nutrients
• obtained from balanced ecosystem
• used by living things
• returned to the environment to be used again
• Form 1 – water cycle, carbon cycle and oxygen cycle
• Form 2 – role of living things in these cycles
Role of living things in Water Cycle
• Plants
• Water absorbed by roots in the
ground
• Water released into the
atmosphere through
transpiration
• Leaves - fall from trees, cover
the surface of the earth - reduce
the rate of evaporation - prevent
the soil from becoming dry
Role of living things in Water Cycle
• Plants
• Roots hold the soil tightly and
make its structure more
compact
• Slow down the flow of water
underground
• Prevents soil erosion
Role of living things in Water Cycle
• Animals
• carry out respiration, defecation
and excretion (sweating and
urination)
• Increase the water content in
the atmosphere
The Role of Living Things in the
Carbon Cycle and Oxygen Cycle
• Plants and animals
carry out
respiration which
uses oxygen and
releases carbon
dioxide
The Role of Living Things in the
Carbon Cycle and Oxygen Cycle
• The decay of dead
plants and animals
by bacteria and
fungi in the soil
uses oxygen and
releases carbon
dioxide.
The Role of Living Things in the
Carbon Cycle and Oxygen Cycle
• Green plants
• photosynthesis
• absorbs carbon
dioxide and
releases oxygen
Human Activity That Disrupt The Nutrient Cycle

Burning of fossil fuels

Unrestricted logging

Overconsumption
of water resources
Steps to solve interference to the nutrient cycle

Create planned Use public transport

agricultural systems
 Steps to solve interference to the nutrient cycle

Store rain water for

daily use Replant trees
Steps to solve interference to the nutrient cycle

Tighten Laws
SIR MOHAMMAD ZAIDI MD ZAIN

Topic 1:
Habitat, Species,
Population,
Community and
Ecosystem

2.3 Interdependance and

Interaction among Organisms,
and between Organisms and
the Environment
5 Important Terms!
Habitat
The natural surroundings or home of
an organism.
Species
A group of organisms that have a common
characteristics and can reproduce to breed offsprings.

Dragonfly species
Population
A group of organisms of the same species that live in
the same habitat.

A population of dragonflies
Community
A few populations of different organisms that live together in one
habitat and have mutual interaction with one another.

Pond Community
Ecosystem
A few communities that live together in one habitat and have mutual
interaction with one another, including all the non-living components
such as water, air and soil.

Pond Ecosystem
Ecosystem
Species Population Community Ecosystem
A Balanced Ecosystem
• Organisms in an ecosystem are interdependent on:
• each other
• non-living components - such as water, light, air and soil.

Balanced Ecosystem
 Adaptation of Living Things to the Environment
Tropical Desert Tundra

• rainfall • extreme hot • long winters

• sunlight and dry • short summers
weather.
 Factors that Influence Population Size in an Ecosystem
Disease

• Tobacco mosaic virus

• Avian flu in poultry – in tobacco crops
rearing areas
 Factors that Influence Population Size in an Ecosystem
Presence of predators

• Size of zebra population in

savanna ecosystem
decreases – presence of lion
 Factors that Influence Population Size in an Ecosystem
Source of food

• Panda depends on • Malaysia – crow population

bamboo as its primary increased – abundance of
food source food scraps
 Factors that Influence Population Size in an Ecosystem
Change of weather

• Droughts
• Soil become dry
and infertile
• Increase risk of
forest fire
• Population of
plants and animals
decreases
 Changes in the Ecosystem
Migration
• Animal – move from one place to
another due to a change of season.
• Example: cattle egret migrates to
Kuala gula, Perak (September to
April)
• Number of insects such as
grasshoppers, crickets, spiders, flies
and worms decreases
 Changes in the Ecosystem
Limited water supply
• Paddy – requires a lot of
water
• Long drought season –
upset the balance
between populations in
the paddy field.
• Food web affected –
population of producer
(paddy) decreases
 Changes in the Ecosystem

Change in Population
size
• The size of a population – decrease
or increase because of changes in
another population.
• Example: increase of pests such as
beetles and caterpillars causes the
population of plants to decrease.
SIR MOHAMMAD ZAIDI BIN MD ZAIN

Topic 2:
Interaction
between
Organisms

2.3 Interdependance and

Interaction among Organisms,
and between Organisms and
the Environment
Interaction between Organisms
Types of Interaction
Symbiosis
Mutualism

Commensalism

Parasitism

Prey-predator

Competition
 Symbiosis
• Two or more organism of different species live closely together and
interact with one another

Mutualism Commensalism Parasitism

Symbiosis
Mutualism • Benefits both organisms
• Sea anemone
• Protects the clown fish
from predators
• Supplies food to it
• Clown fish
• Cleans the sea anemone
• Provides nutrients to it in
the form of waste
Symbiosis
Mutualism • Benefits both organisms
• Lichen
• Algae and fungi that live together
• Fungi
• Supply water and minerals to
algae
• Algae
• Carry out photosynthesis and
supply food to the fungi
Symbiosis
Mutualism • Benefits both organisms
• Mynah
• Gets food from buffalo by
eating the lice that stick to the
body of the buffalo
• Buffalo
• Body is free of lice
Symbiosis • Benefits one organism without harming or
benefitting the other.
Commensalism • Commensal – the organism that benefits

• Remora fish • Shark

• Commensal • host
• Gets food
Symbiosis • Benefits one organism without harming or
benefitting the other.
Commensalism • Commensal – the organism that benefits
• Bird’s nest fern
• Commensal
• Gets sunlight
• Trees
• host
Symbiosis • Benefits one organism only (parasite)
Parasitism • Harms the other organism (host)

• Tapeworm
• Parasite
• Absorbs nutrients
• Human intestine
• host
Symbiosis • Benefits one organism only (parasite)
Parasitism • Harms the other organism (host)

• Lice
• Parasite
• Suck blood
• Human / animals
• host
Prey - predator
• One organism that eats another organism
• Prey – organism being eaten
• Predator – hunts
Competition • Organisms in one habitat compete
for limited supply of basic needs
• Light, space, water, food, mates
 Biological Control Important!!!
• Method that uses organisms that are natural predators, parasites
or pathogens to reduce the number of pests in an area.

• Owls are kept in palm oil

plantation to control the
population of rats.
 Biological Control

• Bacillus thuringiensis is used to

control pests, namely the • Ladybird beetle eats
rhinoceros beetle in palm oil aphids, a crop pest.
plantations.
Biological Control

• Duck are reared in paddy fields to eat pests

such as snails and insects.
 Biological Control Important!!!

Advantages
• Environmental friendly – does not use pesticides or chemicals
• Cheaper
• Does not affect humans’ health

Weaknesses
• Takes a long time before any effect is seen
• The balance of the ecosystem might be disrupted because a new
species is introduced into the ecosystem
See you
in the next
class …