Ecosystems are amazing systems where living things and their surroundings interact in interesting ways. To better understand how these interactions happen, we can look at two main parts of ecosystems: biotic and abiotic factors.
Biotic factors are all the living things in an ecosystem. They include:
Producers: These are plants and algae that make energy using sunlight through a process called photosynthesis. For example, in a forest, trees take sunlight and turn it into energy, forming the foundation of the food chain.
Consumers: These living things need to eat others for energy. They can be broken down into:
Decomposers: These include bacteria and fungi that break down dead plants and animals. They return important nutrients to the soil, helping the producers grow.
Abiotic factors are the non-living parts that affect the ecosystem. Key abiotic factors are:
The interaction between living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) parts of an ecosystem happens through the flow of energy. We can think of this flow using a food chain or food web:
For example, here’s a simple food chain:
At each step, some energy is lost, usually as heat, which shows how energy is transferred.
In summary, ecosystems are lively systems where living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) parts work together. By learning about these interactions, we understand how life exists on our planet and how the balance that supports it stays intact!
Ecosystems are amazing systems where living things and their surroundings interact in interesting ways. To better understand how these interactions happen, we can look at two main parts of ecosystems: biotic and abiotic factors.
Biotic factors are all the living things in an ecosystem. They include:
Producers: These are plants and algae that make energy using sunlight through a process called photosynthesis. For example, in a forest, trees take sunlight and turn it into energy, forming the foundation of the food chain.
Consumers: These living things need to eat others for energy. They can be broken down into:
Decomposers: These include bacteria and fungi that break down dead plants and animals. They return important nutrients to the soil, helping the producers grow.
Abiotic factors are the non-living parts that affect the ecosystem. Key abiotic factors are:
The interaction between living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) parts of an ecosystem happens through the flow of energy. We can think of this flow using a food chain or food web:
For example, here’s a simple food chain:
At each step, some energy is lost, usually as heat, which shows how energy is transferred.
In summary, ecosystems are lively systems where living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) parts work together. By learning about these interactions, we understand how life exists on our planet and how the balance that supports it stays intact!