1. Humans and their impact on ecosystems
1.1. Fishing
1.1.1. Fishing is a traditional human activity, but over fishing is bad. Over fishing can lead to an imbalance in water ecosystems, usually taking out consumers and predators. The make the ecosystem unbalanced and it will just fall apart.
1.2. Pollution
1.2.1. Pollution can happen in many different ways. Humans can dump waste into area where animals are located, and it can be very harmful. pollution can because be human activities like mining, farming, building, and others. Not only can these activities destroy habitats, but the waste from it can pass onto animals, in turn creating catastrophic effects.
1.3. Invasive Species
1.3.1. Humans can introduce a invasive species accidentally. These animals have no natural predators, and they cause problems in the natural order of the ecosystem. They can either consume all of the food from producers, or contest it, and they can also be the next top predator, endangering all life in a ecosystem.
2. Ecosystem Elements
2.1. Abiotic
2.1.1. The Sun
2.1.1.1. The sun helps for all the plants, including grass and trees to grow, thus supporting entire ecosystems due to its sheer importance.
2.1.2. Water
2.1.2.1. Water provides hydration and even habitats for some organisms.
2.2. Biotic
2.2.1. Producers
2.2.1.1. Grass
2.2.1.1.1. Grass is a mandatory food source for many animals, especially rabbits, due to the abundance of it.
2.2.1.2. Trees
2.2.1.2.1. Decomposers break down whats left of the Detrivores and break down the decaying matter into simple nutrients for the soil. These organisms are usually microscopic. Examples of these organisms include Fungi, Mold, and certain Bacteria.
2.2.2. Consumers
2.2.2.1. Omnivores
2.2.2.1.1. Omnivores are animals in a ecosystem that consume both plants and living animals. Some examples of these types of animals include bears, monkeys, and other various animals in different ecosystems.
2.2.2.2. Dertrivores
2.2.2.2.1. Deterivores feed on decaying bodies, usually the large parts, only leaving behind the bones and other small parts. Examples of these types of animals are vultures, beetles, and raccoons.
2.2.2.3. Decomposers
2.2.2.4. Carnivores
2.2.2.4.1. Carnivores are consumers in the ecosystem structure. They eat only other animals, instead of plants. They are usually the top and primary consumer in a ecosystem. Examples of Carnivores include wolves, snakes, and predatory birds such as hawks .
2.2.2.5. Herbivores
2.2.2.5.1. A food chain is a chart that shows how food and other things flow from one living thing to another in an ecosystem. Arrows show the direction of the nutrient flow. The number of “links”in a food chain can vary, but the food chain always starts with a producer and ends with a consumer. A food chain can have just two organisms within it, a producer and a consumer. Other food chains are more complicated . A producer may be consumed by a herbivore (primary consumer), which is then eaten by a carnivore (secondaryconsumer). In some cases, another carnivore (tertiary consumer) eats the first carnivore.
2.2.2.5.2. Herbivores are animals that only consume plants. They eat directly from the producers in the environment, like trees and grass. These animals are usually small, and are hunted by bigger herbivores and carnivores. Examples of Herbivores include rabbits, deer, mice, and squirrels.
2.3. Food Chains
2.4. Food webs
2.5. Pyramid of numbers
2.5.1. A pyramid of numbers shows the energy level throughout the ecosystem in a way that is easy on the eyes using a pyramid shape. At the bottom of the pyramid, there are primary producers. They are the most common within an ecosystem . The numbers get lower as you go through the primary and secondary consumers, and then at the very top after the secondary predator being the primary predator. The number on top is usually very low because there cannot be a lot of predators because then the consumers will die out, the the predators, until all that remains are the primary producers.
2.6. Food chains show one producer being eaten by one consumer and perhaps another consumer eating the first consumer. Food chains are not that simple in real ecosystems. Producers are usually eaten by many different animals within an ecosystem, and most consumers are eaten by more than one predator. For example, a squirrel eats several different types of seeds, fruits, and nuts. The squirrel may be eaten by a fox, a hawk, or a raccoon. The raccoon also feeds on frogs, clams, birds’ eggs, and corn. Th e fox will also eat mice and grasshoppers; the hawk will also eat frogs, mice, and snakes. Most organisms are part of several food chains. A model that shows the connections between several different food chains is called a food web
3. Basic animal needs
3.1. Sunlight
3.2. Food
3.3. Water
3.4. Shelter
3.5. Air
4. Types of ecosystems
4.1. Rain forests
4.2. Deserts
4.3. Forests
4.3.1. Deciduous
4.3.2. Coniferous
4.4. Water
4.4.1. Fresh
4.4.2. Salt
5. Succecion
5.1. 1. Lichen
5.1.1. 2. Grass
5.1.1.1. 3. Shrubs
5.1.1.1.1. 4. Forest
5.2. 1. Bugs
5.2.1. 2. Rabbits and other consumers
5.2.1.1. 3. Small Mammals and predators
5.2.1.1.1. 4. Full ecosystem