This document discusses ecosystems and the interconnected relationships between organisms within ecosystems. It describes how ecosystems can vary in size but generally consist of producers, consumers, and decomposers that interact with one another and are linked to non-living elements. The document also addresses how human activities like overfishing, pollution, and deforestation have disrupted ecosystem balances and warns that if human impacts continue to worsen, populations may dwindle or overpopulate.
3. This year we have spent time identifying
connections we have with others:
and other LOCAL communities
4. But we all belong to a MUCH larger
community…one that stretches far beyond
the boundaries and comforts of home,
school, our suburb or even our city.
Humans share with many other
species of plants and animals.
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9. These two pictures showed an ecosystem.
Ecosystems can be MASSIVE like an entire
desert or SMALL like a rock pool.
When you take a close look at an ecosystem
you notice LOTS of species of plants, animals
and smaller organisms.
Do you think these organisms
have any relationships or links to
each other?
10. They are NOT just a RANDOM gathering of
organisms.
They are a COMMUNITY and they INTERACT
with each other.
They are also LINKED with the non-living
elements such as sunlight, water, soil and air.
Each organism has a role and each one
depends on other things in the ecosystem.
11. Organisms in an ecosystem WORK TOGETHER
like people do in social communities.
All parts work together to make a balanced
system.
12. All living things are connected to others.
Every plant and animal species, no matter how
big or small, depends on another plant or
animal species for its survival.
They are all important parts of a ecosystems.
Organisms in an ecosystem can be divided
into three categories:
13. PRODUCERS
Green plants that make their own food using
the sun’s energy during PHOTOSYNTHESIS.
CONSUMERS
Animals that get their energy by eating
producers (plants) or other animals.
DECOMPOSERS
Organisms such as bacteria and fungi that
break down dead plants and animals,
turning them into materials that go into the
soil for plants to use.
And the whole process is back to the beginning again…
19. Ecosystems are in a delicate balance.
If one organism’s source of food disappears
many other organisms in the food web are
affected.
Populations may dwindle to extinction while
others may explode and over populate.
Humans have affected ecosystems in almost
every way imaginable.
We need to take responsibility for the
consequences of our actions.
22. Nearly one-third of the world’s crops
are dependent on honeybees for
pollination!
Without bees a HUGE PERCENTAGE of
the FOOD we eat would be
UNAVAILABLE.
A world without honeybees would
mean a world without fruits,
vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
24. Throughout the history of the Earth, the
balance found in ecosystems has been
disrupted by NATURAL DISASTERS such as
FIRES, FLOODS, STORMS, and VOLCANIC
ERUPTIONS.
In recent years, however, MANKIND has
increasingly been affecting the many
ecosystems around the world.
As the years pass, the degree of our
impact is getting worse and worse.
32. Overfishing and hunting
Deforestation
Oil spills
Polluting air and water
Using Pesticides
Introducing animals species
Emitting ozone depleting gases
Contributing to global warming
Wasting energy
Hinweis der Redaktion
Look at this pond… what elements can you see?
Frogs, fish, birds, centipedes, dragonfly, bugs, worms, pond weed, lily pads, reeds
Dirt, water
Air, sunlight
What about this desert scene?
Birds, mice, fox, antelope
Grasshoppers, lizards, snake, scorpion
Grass, shrubs
Rocks, sand, sun
THESE ARE ECOSYSTEMS
How might the quality of the water or the soil or the air affect an organism?
Does the amount of sunlight have any effect?
Members of an ecological community provide food and shelter for others.
Birds in trees, fleas on deer, nectar for bees or bacteria attached to tree roots.
There are three types of consumers:
Herbivores ~ eat plants
Carnivores ~ eat herbivores or other carnivores
Omnivores ~ eat plants and other animals.
Food chains just show one possible pathway from plants through to animals and decomposers.
In an ecosystem the links are actually much more complex
The FOOD CHAINS link together – as can be seen in this Forest FOOD WEB
Can you find a food chain in this picture?
Food webs can be very complex!!
The whale is at the top of this food web…
Where do you think humans fit in??
Why is the human (man!) at the top?
Why is it wrong for us to be on the top?
Why is the second image a better view to take?
I am going to show you a snippet of “The Bee Movie”
If you haven’t seen this movie before, Barry the bee (who can talk!) found out that humans were using bees to make honey.
He takes the case to court and humans are banned from using honey or any of it’s products.
Look at the picture above… which of these food items do you think might be affected by the loss of bees?
The bee movie is obviously a bit of a stretch of the truth but this short film shows that in fact we really do need bees.
Watch this 5 min presentation regarding the practice of overfishing – with large nets and long lines
Think about the film clips you’ve just watch and look at the images on the next few slides…
Can you answer this question?