LESSON 5 Ecosystem

“Be the Change
for a Green
Tomorrow.”
Learning Objectives:
1. Students will be able to define the term "ecosystem" and
identify its key components.
2. Students will understand the interdependence of living
organisms within an ecosystem.
3. Students will be able to describe different types of
ecosystems and their characteristics.
4. Students will recognize the importance of maintaining a
balanced ecosystem.
Ecosystems
An ecosystem is a geographic
area where plants, animals, and
other organisms, as well as
weather and landscape, work
together to form a bubble of life.
Components of Ecosystem
BIOTIC Factors - are the living things that have a direct or indirect
influence on other organisms in an environment. For example
plants, animals, and microorganisms and their waste materials.
ABIOTIC COMPONENTS - of an ecosystem include all chemical
and physical elements i.e. non-living components. Abiotic
components can vary from region to region, from one ecosystem to
another. They mainly take up the role of life supporter. They
determine and restrict the population growth, number, and diversity
of biotic factors in an ecosystem. Hence, they are called limiting
factors.
Structure of Ecosystem
The significance of Biotic and Abiotic Components
Producers
These include all the autotrophs. They use light energy and
synthesize food on their own, e.g. plants, green algae, etc.
Consumers
These include all the heterotrophs that directly or indirectly depend
on producers for their food. Consumers are further categorized as
herbivores, carnivores, omnivores and parasites.
Decomposers
These include saprophytes which act on dead matter and decay
them for their nutrition.
Food Chain
A food chain is a
chain which shows
how organisms are
linked to each other
through food. A food
web shows how two
food chains are
connected. A single
food web consists of
many food chains.
Every food chain
begins with
producers and ends
with top carnivores.
Every factor in an
ecosystem depends on
every other factor,
either directly or
indirectly. A change in
the temperature of an
ecosystem will often
affect what plants will
grow there, for
instance. Animals that
depend on plants for
food and shelter will
have to adapt to the
changes, move to
another ecosystem, or
The whole surface of Earth is a series of
connected ecosystems. Ecosystems are
often connected in a larger biome. Biomes
are large sections of land, sea, or
atmosphere. Forests, ponds, reefs, and
tundra are all types of biomes, for example.
They're organized very generally, based on
the types of plants and animals that live in
them. Within each forest, each pond, each
reef, or each section of tundra, you'll find
many different ecosystems.
Types of
Ecosystems
Terrestrial Ecosystems
Terrestrial ecosystems are exclusively
land-based ecosystems. There are
different types of terrestrial ecosystems
distributed around various geological
zones. They are as follows:
● Forest Ecosystem
● Grassland Ecosystem
● Tundra Ecosystem
● Desert Ecosystem
Aquatic Ecosystems
Aquatic ecosystems are ecosystems
present in a body of water. These can be
further divided into two types, namely:
● Freshwater Ecosystem
● Marine Ecosystem
Threats to Ecosystems
The Philippines continues to experience an alarming rate of
destruction of its important resources brought about by over
exploitation, deforestation, land degradation, climate change, and
pollution (including biological pollution), among others.
Forest cover has declined over the past years because of over exploitation
and deforestation. Illegal logging and other illegal activities in forest has
been identified as the major cause of forest cover loss. According to the
data from the Forest Management Bureau (FMB) of the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources, the Philippines is losing
approximately 47,000 hectares of forest cover every year. In 2003, the
country’s forests comprised 7.2 million hectares but in 2010 it went down
to about 6.8 million hectares which is about 4.6 percent decline. The
country is down to less than 24 percent of the original forest cover in the
1900s.
Rebounding Ecosystems
Ecosystems can recover from destruction, however. The delicate
coral reef ecosystems in the South Pacific are at risk due to rising
ocean temperatures and decreased salinity. Corals bleach, or lose
their bright colors, in water that is too warm. They die in water
that isnt salty enough. Without the reef structure, the ecosystem
collapses. Organisms such as algae, plants such as seagrass, and
animals such as fish, snakes, and shrimp disappear.
Most coral reef ecosystems will bounce back from collapse. As ocean
temperature cools and retains more salt, the brightly colored corals
return. Slowly, they build reefs. Algae, plants, and animals also return.
Fast Fact
The most diverse
ecosystem in the
world is the huge
Coral Triangle in
Southeast Asia.
The Coral Triangle
stretches from the
Philippines in the
north to the
Solomon Islands in
the east to the
islands of
Indonesia and
Papua in the west.
Thank you and God bless!

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“Be the Change

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