2 2 Ecosystems What is an Ecosystem An

2. 2 Ecosystems

What is an Ecosystem? • An ecosystem includes all of the living things in a given area, interacting with each other, and also with their nonliving environments. • Living components – Biotic • Non-living Components - Abiotic

Types of Ecosystems can be put into 2 groups. • If the ecosystem exists in a water body, like an ocean, freshwater or puddle, it is called an aquatic ecosystem. • Those that exists outside of water bodies are called terrestrial ecosystems.

Examples of Aquatic Ecosystems River or Stream Ocean Lake Pond Marsh or swamp

Examples of Terrestrial Ecosystems Mountain Forest Urban/ Artificial Desert Grassland Tundra

Levels of Organization in an Ecosystem To understand the levels of belonging in an ecosystem, let us consider the diagram below.

Individual • any living thing or organism example: 1 goldfish Population: • A group of individuals of a given species that live in a specific geographic area at a given time. example: A school of goldfish Community • all the populations in a specific area at a given time. • includes populations of organisms of different species. example: gold fish, salmons, crabs and herrings coexist in a defined location. A great community usually includes biodiversity.

Ecosystem: • includes a community of living organisms (biotic) interacting with the environment (abiotic). example: Ocean Biome: • a set of ecosystems sharing similar characteristics with their abiotic factors adapted to their environments. Biosphere: • all the different biomes, each blending into the other, will all humans living in many different geographic areas, we form a huge community of humans, animals and plants, in their defined habitats. • A biosphere includes all the ecosystems on Earth.

Sustainability • Most ecosystems are sustainable, meaning they are self-regulating and maintaining for long periods of time. • Sustainability – to maintain natural ecological conditions without interruption, weakening or loss of value. • Artificial ecosystems – are created by man (urban park or farm) and require maintenance of both biotic and abiotic factors.

Class/Homework • WS “Life on Planet Earth” • Pg. 35 # 1 -5