Key living things that shape ecosystems include:
Producers: These are mainly plants and tiny ocean plants called phytoplankton. They make up about 80% of the energy used in both land and water ecosystems.
Consumers: This group includes herbivores (plant eaters) and carnivores (meat eaters). They interact with producers, which affects how many there are in the ecosystem. For example, only 10% of energy is passed on from one level of the food chain to the next.
Decomposers: These organisms break down dead plants and animals. They help recycle nutrients back into the soil. However, about 60% of energy is lost when they breathe.
Species Interactions: How species compete, eat each other, or form partnerships has a big effect on the community structure and the variety of life. These complex relationships can influence more than 90% of the species in an ecosystem.
Key living things that shape ecosystems include:
Producers: These are mainly plants and tiny ocean plants called phytoplankton. They make up about 80% of the energy used in both land and water ecosystems.
Consumers: This group includes herbivores (plant eaters) and carnivores (meat eaters). They interact with producers, which affects how many there are in the ecosystem. For example, only 10% of energy is passed on from one level of the food chain to the next.
Decomposers: These organisms break down dead plants and animals. They help recycle nutrients back into the soil. However, about 60% of energy is lost when they breathe.
Species Interactions: How species compete, eat each other, or form partnerships has a big effect on the community structure and the variety of life. These complex relationships can influence more than 90% of the species in an ecosystem.