Ecology Decomposers
Dec 13, 2015
Review: Producers
• Producers are organisms that make their own food using air, sunlight, and water• Such as, green plants and algae
Review: Photosynthesis
• Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants make their own food using the sun’s energy, water and carbon dioxide.
Sunlight + CO2 + Water (H20) O2 + Glucose (C6H12O6)
Formula:
Photosynthesis
• Leaves have little openings called stomata• These stomata on the leaves are
used for gas exchange
Components of a Food Chain
2.PRODUCERS
3. CONSUMERS
4. DECOMPOSER
1.SUN
Consumers
• Consumers cannot make their own food• Consumers are organisms that must
eat other organisms (plants or animals) for their food
Consumers
• What are plant-eating consumers called?
-Herbivores
• What are meat-eating consumers called?
-Carnivores
Consumers
• What are consumers that eat both plants and animals called?
-Omnivores
• What are consumers that eat dead plants or dead animals called?
-Scavengers
Levels of Consumers
• Primary (1°) Consumers = “first eaters”
• Secondary (2°) Consumers = “second eaters”
• Tertiary (3°) Consumers = “third eaters”
Components of a Food Chain
2.PRODUCERS
3. CONSUMERS
4. DECOMPOSERS
1.SUN
Decomposers
• Decomposers are organisms that break down the cells of dead material and recycle the nutrients back into the ecosystem
Examples of Decomposers
1. Bacteria-very important decomposers-important for recycling nutrients-widely distributed-can break down just about any type of organic matter-a gram of soil typically contains 40 million bacterial cells!
Examples of Decomposers
2. Fungi -includes yeast, mold, and mushrooms-primary decomposers of litter in many ecosystems-primary decomposers in forests
Examples of Decomposers
3. Worms-various types of worms can act as decomposers-they can break down organic materials and add nutrients to the soil-they can also help loosen the soil so air can circulate-This helps plants grow!
What would happen if we didn’t have decomposers?• The earth would be covered in a layer of dead
flies almost 20 feet deep!• Decomposers recycle the nutrients back into the
ecosystem• If we didn’t have decomposers, producers would
not get their nutrients and would die• If we didn’t have producers (plants), all living
things would die!
What would happen if we didn’t have decomposers?• Think of pop can recycling. When pop cans are
recycled, they are melted down into aluminum and sent off to processing plants so the metal can be used again
• If we did not recycle pop cans, we would run out of aluminum in the future
• Likewise, if nutrients were not recycled in our environment they would not be available to other organisms
But what is the difference between Scavengers and Decomposers?
• Scavengers eat dead material that they find (they have mouths).
E.g. Vulture
• Decomposers “break down” the cells of dead material. E.g. Mold
Exit Slip
1. Producer A. Green pigments that absorb light
2. Herbivore B. Consumers that eat both plants and animals
3. Consumer C. The process by which green plants make their own food
4. Photosynthesis D. Organisms that break down the cells of dead material and recycle the nutrients back into the ecosystem
5. Carnivore E. Plant-eating consumers
6. Chloroplasts F. Consumers that eat dead plants and dead animals
7.Omnivores G. Meat-eating consumers
8. Decomposer H. Where photosynthesis occurs
9. Scavengers I. Organisms that need to eat plants or animals for their food
10. Chlorophyll J. Organisms that make their own food