Chapter 3 Interactions in Ecosystems

1. Chapter 3Interactions in Ecosystems

2. Lesson 1 – Energy Flow in Ecosystems • Ecosystem – all living and nonliving things in an environment * Biotic – living things (i.e. plant, animals) * Abiotic – nonliving things (i.e. water, soil)

3. Lesson 1 Continued… • Population – includes all the members of a single species • Food chain – the path that energy and nutrients follow in an ecosystem * The energy in a food chain starts with the sun. It is the energy source for almost all organisms on earth.

4. Lesson 1 Continued… • How are food chains alike? • Energy flows in one direction in food chains. • Producers are at the bottom of every food chain.

5. General pattern of a food chain! • Producer • Herbivore • Carnivore • Decomposer

6. Lesson 1 continued… • Consumers – any animal that eats plants or other animals * herbivores – animals that eat plants (squirrels, some birds, some insects) * carnivores – animals that eat other animals(bobcats, hawks) * omnivores – animals that eat both plants and animals (raccoons, woodpeckers, mice, and some crabs) * decomposers – break down dead or decaying plant and animal material (fungi, bacteria, termites, and some worms)

7. Lesson 1 continued… • Predator – an animal that hunts other animals for food • Prey – organisms that are eaten by other animals

8. Lesson 1 continued… Arrows pointing to an organism show the living things that organism eats • What are food webs made of? Arrows pointing away from show the animals that eat that organism

9. Lesson 1 continued…. • How do energy pyramids compare? • When a producer is eaten, only 10% of the food energy it contains gets turned into herbivore/omnivore tissue. The rest (90%) is lost! • It takes a H UGE number of organisms to support an ecosystem. • The bottom level (producers) is the largest level because it contains the most organisms and also the most energy.

10. Food Chain Video(15 min)The Food Chain Mystery

11. Lesson 2: Relationships in Ecosystems • Why do organisms compete? • A limiting factor is any resource that restricts the growth of populations. • A carrying capacity is the greatest number of individuals within a population that an ecosystem can support. • If a jaguar population increases, food becomes harder for them to find. • Soon, the jaguar population decreases, which means their food supply will rise back up. • The cycle starts all over again Would you want to survive by drinking this water? (algae is limiting factor)

12. Lesson 2 continued…. • How do organisms avoid competition? • A habitat is the physical place where an organism lives and hunts for food. • A niche is the special role an organism plays in a community -example: 2 birds live in the same location and eat the same food. But 1 bird is active at night while the other is active during the day. Therefore, the 2 birds can have different niches. Swampland habitat Desert habitat Ocean habitat

13. Lesson 2 continued Remora Fish riding on the belly of a shark Barnacles • How do organisms benefit from interaction? • Symbiosis a relationship between two or more kinds of organisms that lasts over time Types of Symbiotic relationships: * Mutualism – benefits both organisms * Commensalism –one organism benefits without harming the other (examples: Remora fish and rays/sharks; the growth of orchids on trees in the rainforest; barnacles growing on the backs of whales.)

14. Lesson 3: Adaptation and Survival • What is adaptation? • Adaptation – any characteristic that helps an organism survive in its environment • Structural Adaptations are adjustments to internal or external physical structures (examples: fur color, long limbs, strong jaws, the ability to run fast, strong sense of smell, sharp teeth). • Behavioral adaptations are adjustments in an organism’s behavior. (3min. 54sec. Video clip about how animals make Structural and Behavioral adaptations)

15. Lesson 3 continued…. • What are some animal adaptations? • Protective coloration – a type of camouflage where the color of the animal helps it blend in with its background. • Mimicry – when an animal is protected against predators by its resemblance to an unpleasant animal. (Example: The king snake mimics the coloring of the poisonous coral snake)