Ecosystems

Complex structures containing mother nature’s gifts!

Ecosystems

• An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants, animals and micro-organisms in an area interacting together with all of the non-living physical factors of the environment.

• So how do living things interact with non living things?

Before we answer this question…

Lets look at examples of living and non living.

Living Things

Even these little guys are alive…

Tiny planktons found in the ocean are a main food source for many fish and mammals.

A protozoan found in the human body.

Living and non living things interacting…

Living Things Non- Living things

Plants

Herbivores

Carnivores

Omnivores

Detrivores

Sunlight

Water

Soil

Temperature

Carbon Dioxide

Oxygen

Moisture

Putting it Together

• The energy obtained at the first stage of any ecosystem cycle comes from the sun.

• This is called the primary source of energy.

• Energy from the sun is captured by plants in a process called photosynthesis.

• Final product of photosynthesis is oxygen, water and simple sugars.

• As a result of photosynthesis, smaller creatures like insects and other herbivores consume the plants.

• Then carnivores eat these herbivores for their source of energy.

• The remains of the herbivores and droppings left by any carnivores are consumed by detrivores (insects, beetles, etc.)

If only the cycle was this simple…

• Unfortunately due to various human influences such as clearing of rainforests and the overuse of resources, some stages of the cycle either get too much energy or none at all.

• Clearing of forests around the world have resulted in the extinction of many native plants and animals.

Types of human impact on the ecosystem.

• Reduction- Loss in area or coverage of an ecosystem.

• Fragmentation- Ecosystems reduced on size for purposes of housing and development.

• Substitution- Replacing one set of organisms with another. For example, the introduction of cane toads in an effort to eradicate sugar beetles.

• Simplification- Making an ecosystem less diverse.• Contamination- Introducing pollutants to an

ecosystem.• Overgrowth- Creating too much nutrients causing

an overproduction of an organism.

Ecosystems in Australia

• Wetlands• Arid Inlands• Coral Reefs• Rainforests• Remnants• Islands

Ecosystems in Australia

A marine habitat.

A wetland habitat.

A rainforest habitat.

An arid desert habitat.

Riddle Me This!

I have gills, I have scales, I have fins, and one tail….

You may think I live underwater but alas to your horror I love walking not on water but on land!

What am I?

I am a Mudskipper!

Unlike most fish, mudskippers spend most of their time out of the water!

And they can live both in the water and on land. So how do they do it?

The End!