Science 7

NAME: _____________________________________________________ GRADE & SECTION: ________________

The Ecosystem

ECOSYSTEM – is the place where living ang nonliving things

interact with one another. It has two
components: biotic ang abiotic.

Biotic components – are the living things such as producers,

consumers, and decomposers.

Abiotic components – are the nonliving things such as

temperature, light intensity, humidity,
and air.

Biotic Components of an Ecosystem

1. Autotrophs or producers – are organisms that are capable of making their own food through either photosynthesis or
chemosynthesis (the production of food through synthesis of chemicals). Plants are example
of autotrophs.
2. Heterotrophs or consumers – are organisms that get food from producers or other organisms. There are three main
types of consumers: herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores.
3. Decomposers – are organisms that obtain energy by decomposition (the process of breaking down dead organisms into
simpler forms of matter). Some fungi and bacteria are decomposers.

Abiotic Components of the Ecosystem

1. Temperature – plays a big role in the survival of an organism. The minimum and the maximum temperatures in the
environment have effects on organisms.
2. Light Intensity – greatly impacts the life of organisms. Plants increase their food production when they receive sufficient
sunlight. Exposure to different types of light also affects animals.
3. Humidity – influences the amount of water and moisture in the air and soil, which, in turn, affects rainfall. Hence, the
amount of available water is one of the major factors affecting the number and location of plants in a region.
4. Air – contains several elements, notably oxygen. Most organisms, except for a few kinds of bacteria and certain
unicellular organisms, need oxygen for cellular respiration.

Ecological Relationship

Ecological Relationship – refers to the relationship between interacting organisms in in an ecosystem. The dependency of
organisms on each other could either benefit or harm each organism in the relationship.

Types of Ecological Relationship

1. Mutualism – is a relationship wherein both organisms benefit from each other. There are three types of mutualism:
Trophic, defensive, and dispersive mutualism.
 Tropic Mutualism – Both organisms receive benefits from each other. Example: Lichens form a
mutualistic relationship between fungi and algae.
 Defensive Mutualism – One species receives food or shelter, and the other one protects its
partner from predators and parasites. Example: Acacia trees provide ants with food and shelter.
In return, ants protect the tree from its natural enemies.
 Dispersive Mutualism – One species receives food in exchange for the pollen or the seeds of its
partner. Example: Bees suck nectar from the flower, as the flower gets pollinated by them.

2. Commensalism – is a relationship in which one species benefits from association with another organism, but the other
organism receives no benefit or harm. Example: Wooden plants give nutrients to epiphyte ferns.
3. Predation – is a relationship in which one species benefits from killing another organism. There are two participating
organisms: the predator (the animal that lives by killing the other members of one species) and the prey
(the animal taken by the predator as food).
4. Parasitism – is a relationship wherein a parasite benefits from its host. The host is always harmed in this kind of
relationship. A parasite may be an ectoparasite (found outside the body of the host) and an endoparasite
(found inside the body of the host).
5. Competition – is an interaction between or among organisms when there are limited resources. There are two types of
competition: Intraspecific (the competition between or among organisms within the same species) and
Interspecific Competition (the competition between or among organisms from two different species.