Chapter 5: How Ecosystems
Work
Section 1
Energy flow in Ecosystems
Life Depends on the Sun
• Photosynthesis is the process by which plants, algae,
and some bacteria use sunlight, carbon dioxide, and
water to produce carbohydrates and oxygen
From Producers to Consumers
• Producers (autotrophs) are self-feeders
– make organic molecules (food) from inorganic molecules
• Ex: bacteria, plants, algae
• Consumers (heterotrophs) eat other organisms or
organic matter
– Obtain nutrients from other sources
• Ex: animals, fungi
An exception to the rule
• Producers in deep-ocean communities
(bacteria)
– don’t receive sunlight so use hydrogen sulfide in
the water (chemosynthesis) instead of
photosynthesis
• Ex. worms, clams, crabs, mussels, and barnacles
What Eats What?
• Organisms can be classified by what they eat
• Types of consumers:
• Herbivores
• Carnivores
• Omnivores
• Decomposers
Burning the Fuel
• Cellular respiration is the process by which cells produce
energy from carbohydrates
– atmospheric oxygen combines with glucose to form water and
carbon dioxide
– energy obtained is used to carry out daily activities
– excess energy is stored as fat or sugar
Food Chains
• A food chain is a sequence in which
energy is transferred from one
organism to the next as each
organism eats another organism
Food Webs
• A food web shows many feeding relationships that are
possible in an ecosystem (many food chains)
Output Page – Food Chains
• BrainPop – Food Chains
Trophic Levels
• A trophic level is one of the steps in a food chain
or food pyramid
1. producers (bottom of pyramid) – contain the most
energy
2. primary consumers
3. secondary consumers
4. tertiary consumers (top of pyramid) – contain the
least energy
• ** Each time energy is transferred, some of the
energy is lost as heat less energy is available
to organisms at higher trophic levels
Output Page - Trophic Levels
Section 2
The cycling of materials
The Carbon Cycle
• The carbon cycle is the movement of carbon from
the nonliving environment into living things and
back
• Carbon is the essential component of proteins, fats,
and carbohydrates, which make up all organisms
The Carbon Cycle
• May be released into the soil or air when
the organism dies
• Fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) store
carbon left over from bodies of organisms
that died millions of years ago
Output Page: The Carbon Cycle
How Humans Affect the Carbon Cycle
• Increased levels of carbon
dioxide may contribute to
global warming
– Global warming is an increase
in the temperature of the Earth
The Nitrogen Cycle
• The nitrogen cycle circulates nitrogen among the air,
soil, water, plants, and animals in an ecosystem
• Nitrogen makes up 78% of the gases in the atmosphere
– Must be altered or fixed before organisms can use it
– Nitrogen-fixing bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen into
ammonia (archaebacteria) to be used
Decomposers and the Nitrogen Cycle
• Decomposers break down decaying plants and
animals which returns nitrogen to the soil
• Bacteria transforms nitrogen into nitrogen gas to
return to the atmosphere
Output Page: The Nitrogen Cycle
The Phosphorus Cycle
• The phosphorus cycle is the cyclic movement of
phosphorus in different chemical forms from the
environment to organisms and then back to the
environment
• Plants get phosphorus from soil and water when
rocks erode
• Animals get phosphorus by eating plants or other
plant-eating animals
The Phosphorus Cycle
• Some phosphorus washes off the land and ends up in
the ocean
– Not soluble so sink to the bottom and accumulate as
sediment
Fertilizers and the Nitrogen and
Phosphorus Cycles
• Fertilizers contain both nitrogen and phosphorus
– Excessive amounts enter terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
through runoff
• Problems from excess nitrogen and phosphorus:
– Can cause rapid growth of algae depletion of
oxygen dead fish and other organisms
Output Page: The Phosphorus
Cycle
Acid Precipitation
• Nitric oxide (burning of fossil
fuels) in air can combine with
oxygen and water vapor to form
nitric acid
– Dissolved in rain or snow, falls as
acid precipitation
Section 3
Ecological Succession
Ecological Succession
• Ecosystems are constantly changing
• Ecological succession is a gradual process of
change and replacement of the types of species
in a community
– New communities makes it harder for the previous
community to survive
Community in Equilibrium
• A pioneer species colonizes an uninhabited
area so other species can become established
– bacteria and lichens most common
– will make the new area habitable for other
species
• A climax community is the final, stable
community in equilibrium with the
environment
– may change in small ways but may remain the
same through time if it is not disturbed
Primary Succession
• Primary succession is a type of
succession that occurs in an area
that previously did not support
life
– Can occur on rocks, cliffs, or sand
dunes
Secondary Succession
• Secondary succession occurs on a
surface where an ecosystem has
previously existed
– One community replaces another
community that has been partially or
totally destroyed
• Disturbed by humans, animals, or by
natural process (storms, floods,
earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions)
Old-Field Succession
• Old-field succession is a type of
secondary succession that occurs
when farmland is abandoned
– grasses and weeds quickly grow and
cover the abandoned land
– Over time, taller plants, shrubs, and
trees take over
Fire
• Natural fires caused by lightning are
necessary for secondary succession
– Remove brush and deadwood
– Some animals feed on the vegetation
that sprouts after a fire has cleared the
land
Output Page: Ecological Succession
