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BIOENERGETICS
OBJECTIVES
By the end of the lesson, students
should be able to:
distinguish among the terms ecosystem,
habitat, ecological niche using examples
discuss the way in which energy flows in
an ecosystem;
discuss the efficiency of energy transfer
between trophic levels;
discuss the concept of biological
pyramids;
OBJECTIVES CONTD
describe how nitrogen is cycled
within an ecosystem Including the
role of microorganisms.
distinguish between energy flow and
nutrient cycling within an ecosystem;
explain how energy flow and nutrient
cycling are important for ecosystems
to remain selfsustaining units.
Ecology
Ecology is the study of interrelationships between organisms and
their environment.
Its aim it to explain why organisms live
where they do.
To do this ecologists
studyecosystems, areas that can vary
in size from a pond to the whole
planet.
Definition of terms
TERM
DEFINITION
Ecosystem
Habitat
The
physical
or abiotic part
of
an
ecosystem, i.e. a defined area with specific
characteristics where the organisms live,
e.g. oak forest, deep sea, sand dune, rocky
shore, garden pond, etc.
Community
Biotic
DEFINITION
Abiotic
Population
Species
Ecological Niche
An organism that
produces food from
carbon dioxide and
water using
photosynthesis. Can
be plant, algae,
plankton or bacteria.
HERBIVORE
A consumer that
eats plants (=
primary
consumer).
AUTOTROPH
An organism that
manufactures its
own food (=
producer)
CONSUMER
An animal that
eats other
organisms
TOP CARNIVORE
A consumer at
the top of a food
chain with no
predators.
HETEROTROPH
An organism that
obtains its energy
and mass from other
organisms
(=consumers +
decomposers)
CARNIVORE
A consumer that
eats other
animals (=
secondary
consumer).
OMNIVORE
A consumer that
eats plants or
animals.
Definitions
Term
Definition
Plankton
Phytoplankton
Predator
Prey
Scavenger
Zooplankton
Detritus
Carrion
Decomposer
Detrivore
Saprophyte
Definitions
Terms
Definition
Symbiosis
Mutualism
Commensalism
Parasite
Pathogen
Class Activity 1
Class Activity 2
1. How many
producers are there?
2. Name 2 secondary
consumers.
3. Name 1 herbivore
and 1 carnivore.
4. What trophic level
does the crab and
the fish occupy?
5. Write 2 food chains
from the food web
with no fewer than
four trophic levels.