Ecosystem Basics

an ecosystem includes all living things in a specific area and their interactions with their surrounding environment. each ecosystem is linked to eachtoher as all living things depend on eachother for survival. ecosystems include all biotic and abiotic factors and how they affect eachother. a biosphere is made up of all of the ecosystems in the world. inside each ecosystem, there is a community each with a population and a single organism. trophic levels demonstrate interactions in an eccosystem. producers make their own food through photosynthesis, making them autotrophs. consumers are unable to make there own food and rely on producers and other consumers for their food, making them heterotrophs. consumers can be categorised as primary, secondary, tertiary and quarternary consumers. quaternary consumers are also known as the apex predator. decomposers break down dead plants and animals.

an energy pyramid shows the flow of energy from tropic levels. energy flows from the bottom of the pyramid to the top, starting with producers (or decomposers if they are included) and ends with tertiary or quarternary consumers. 100% of the available energy starts with the producers. 90% of it is lost as heat and 10% of it is transferred to primary consumers. 1% of the original energy is transferred to secondary consumers, 0.1% of the original energy is transferred to tertiary consumers and 0.01% of the original energy is transferred to the quarternary consumers. this is known as the rule of 10.

symbiosis is the close relationship between two organisms. there are three types of symbiosis. mutualism is a relationship where both organisms benefit (+/+). commensalsim is a relationship where one organism benefits and the other is unaffected (+/0). parasitism is a relationship where one organism gains (parasite) and one if harmed (host) (+/-).

the first nations people used the hunting and gathering technique to sustain their lifestyles and the ecosystem. this involves seasonal movement, not over hunting or gathering, sustainable practices such as leaving enough seeds for healthy regeneration, leaving eggs behind, not taking excess resources and allowing baby animals to grow. they didn’t rely on agriculture to sustain their lifestyle. first nationers also used cool burning to help the land and help rejuvination of plants, which ultimately benefits them. when australia was colonised, the colonisers relied on agriculture to sustain their lifestyle. this involved clearning the land, importing domestic animals and invasive species.