Relationships in Ecosystems
…from competition to cooperation…
Obtaining Energy
• Producers: Make their own energy
• Photosynthesis: Use sunlight with
chlorophyll to produce energy
• Chemosynthesis: Use a chemical to
produce energy
• These organisms are usually found at great
depths in the ocean
Obtaining Energy
• Consumers: Organisms that cannot make
their own food
• Herbivores: Eat only plants
• Omnivores: Eat plants and meat
• Carnivores: Eat only meat
• Decomposers: Consume wastes and dead
organisms
Niches
• Niche: The roll of an organisms in its
environment
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What it eats & gets water
Where it gets shelter
Where it finds it mates and cares for its young
Where it avoids danger
Niches
• Special adaptations that improve an
organisms survival are often part of an
organisms niche
• A rotting log can provide for many
organisms, each with its own niche
• What types of niches might be provided by a
log?
Symbiosis
• Definition: Any close relationship between
organisms.
• Not all relationships involve food, they also
involve resources such as water and shelter.
Symbiosis
• Mutualism: A symbiotic relationship in which
both species benefit
• Commensalism: A symbiotic relationship in
which one species benefits, while the other is not
affected
• Parasitism: A symbiotic relationship in which one
species benefits and the other is harmed
Predator & Prey
• Predator:
• An organism that captures and eats other
organisms
• Prey:
• The organism that is caught and eaten
Predator and Prey
• Predators limit the size of the prey
population
• What benefits might exist due to limiting the
prey population?
• The existence of predators in an area
indicates that many organisms live in the
area
• Why do you think this is?
Cooperation
• Often individuals work together to improve
survival
• A deer will alert its neighbors to the presence of
wolves in an area
• These interactions are part of an organisms
niche
Your Turn
• Choose a local organism.
• Write a paragraph (4-5 sentences) about it’s
niche.
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Where it lives
What it eats
How it cares for its young
Interactions with other organisms
Etc.