Chapter 12:

Interactions
within
Ecosystems
(Part II)
TKGS Sec 2 Science
 Learning Objectives (Part II)
At the end of this chapter, students will be able to:
• show an understanding of an ecosystem as the interactions between a
community and its physical environment
• show an understanding of the interrelationships between various organisms in
a community (e.g., predator-prey relationship, mutualism and parasitism)
• show an understanding that energy flows through food chains and food webs
and how processes such as photosynthesis and respiration are involved
• evaluate the impact of human activities and technology on the environment
(e.g., motor vehicles and modern lifestyle)

2 Learning Objectives
 Learning Objectives (Part II – continued)
At the end of this chapter, students will be able to:
• show an awareness of how some cultures practise sustainable living through
their interactions with the environment.

3 Learning Objectives
 Ecology is the study of interactions
•between organisms, and
•between organisms and their
surrounding environment.

4 Definition of Ecology
 Key Ecological Terms
…………………….. Ecosystem
……………………
Habitat refers to the
refers to a group of refers to all the
refers to the interactions formed by
organisms of the populations of various
place where an living organisms in a
same species living organisms living and
organism lives. community and their
in a particular interacting with one
physical environment.
habitat. another in a habitat.

Niche
refers to the role
played or position
occupied by an Individuals with
organism in its characteristics suited to its
habitat. environment (adaptations)
are most likely to survive and
reproduce.
5
5 Key Ecological Terms
Ecological Relationships
refer to the relationships between Oppositional
organisms in an ecosystem. relationships, where
aspects of a species’
They are broadly classified into: survival directly oppose
that of another species

Symbiotic e.g.
relationships, where
species are in close ……………………
physical association ……………………

e.g. mutualism,
commensalism,
parasitism

6 Ecological Relationships
Symbiotic Mutualism is a
Relationships Commensalism relationship where both
involves one species species benefit from
Parasitic relationships deriving benefit, while one another
involve one organism the other species is
gaining benefit, while unaffected
harming the other
organism.

Anemone fish eats (therefore

removes) small fish, algae and
parasites from the sea anemone.
As they swim around, they allow
remora fish eating scraps of
better water circulation around
foreign animal and plant tissue off
the sea anemone.
the skin of the shark, while
https://www.wired.com/2014/09/absurd- enjoying the safety and
Sea anemone protects anemone
creature-of-the-week-disco-worm/ protection of being near the shark
fish from predators.
7 Symbiotic Relationships
Oppositional …………………. can
Relationships occur between
organisms for the same
……………………. resources (e.g. food,
relationships involve space, water)
the predator hunting
the prey for food

8 Oppositional Relationships
Ecological
Relationships

Activity 12.3.1:
Looking at
Relationships

In this activity, you will

examine how predator-prey
relationships affect
population size, and
examine several examples
of other ecological
relationships.

9 Activity 12.3.1
 Energy in
The forms of energy
Ecosystems useful to living
organisms are light
energy and
……………………………
…………………………….

Light energy is obtained

by producers from the
sun.

Chemical energy is
stored in molecules of
carbohydrates, proteins
and fats in the cells and
tissues of organisms.
10 Energy in Ecosystems
 Energy in
Ecosystems

grow Energy is used by

living organisms for
- growth
- movement
- reproduction
carry out chemical processes - other chemical
move
processes
occurring inside
cells, tissues and
organs
reproduce

11 Energy in Ecosystems
 Flow of Energy in
Ecosystems

A food chain
represents how energy
flows through an
ecosystem.
A food chain is a series of
organisms through which energy
is transferred in the form of food.

A food chain always begins with

a ………………………………………
12 Energy in Ecosystems
 Flow of Energy in
Ecosystems

Each stage in a food

chain is known as a
trophic level.

The trophic level (of

an organism) is the
position it occupies
in a food chain.

13 Energy in Ecosystems
 Flow of Energy in
Ecosystems

Food webs consist

of multiple
interlinked food
chains.

In a food web, the

same consumer can
occupy more than
one trophic level.
14 Energy in Ecosystems
 Flow of Energy in Producers obtain energy through
Ecosystems photosynthesis.

The role of a producer is to capture light

energy from sunlight, and convert the
light energy to chemical potential
energy in glucose molecules.

Recap of word equation of photosynthesis:

light energy
carbon dioxide + water → glucose + oxygen
chlorophyll
15 Energy in Ecosystems
 Flow of Energy in Consumers obtain energy by
Ecosystems feeding on other organisms.

- Primary consumers eat

producers, and are usually
herbivores.
- Secondary consumers eat
primary consumers;
- Tertiary consumers eat
secondary consumers.

Energy in food is released during

respiration, for cells to do work.
16 Energy in Ecosystems
 Flow of Energy in Decomposers obtain energy by
Ecosystems breaking down the remains of
dead organisms into simpler
substances, for their own
respiration.

Decomposers are usually not

represented in food chains and
food webs.

17 Energy in Ecosystems
 How does food After a consumer ingests food, the food is
become energy? digested and absorbed into the
bloodstream. Then, the digested food is
transported by the blood to all of the body’s
cells.
Glucose molecules are broken down in
the cytoplasm and mitochondria of cells,
in a process called respiration. Energy is
released in this process.
Word equation of respiration:

18 Energy in Ecosystems
 Photosynthesis and Respiration maintain the
balance of atmospheric carbon dioxide level
Removes carbon dioxide Releases carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere back to the atmosphere

• Plants take in carbon dioxide • Plants and animals give off

from the air during carbon dioxide during
photosynthesis to make glucose respiration.
(a carbon-containing compound). • Decomposers breakdown dead
• Animals obtain carbon- and waste matter. Carbon
containing compounds (in the dioxide is given off during decay.
form of carbohydrates, proteins • Fossilisation forms fossil fuels.
and fats) when they feed on During combustion (of the fossil
plants or other animals. fuels), carbon dioxide is given off.

19 Carbon Dioxide – Maintaining Balance

 Loss of Energy
Along Food Chains
Less than 10% of the energy
in a given trophic level is
transferred to the next
trophic level in a food chain.

Producer Primary Secondary Tertiary

consumer consumer consumer

Grass Rabbit Fox Tiger

Energy lost to the environment in the form of heat and waste products.
20 Energy in Ecosystems
 Loss of Energy
Along Food Chains Loss as Heat
Some energy is used by rabbit
Undigested food for movement, reproduction
Some parts of rabbit and lost as heat during
respiration.
cannot be digested, thus Energy is thus lost to the
the energy is not environment.
transferred to the
predator e.g. fur

Uningested food Small amount of energy

Not all parts of the rabbit that remains is stored in
edible parts of the rabbit.
are eaten by the predator, This (small amount of)
e.g. bones are not eaten. energy is transferred to its
predator.
21 Energy in Ecosystems
 Flow of Energy in
Ecosystems
Activity 12.4.1: We
Are All Connected

This activity aims to

explore how
multiple food
chains form a food
web in a simulated
ecosystem.

22 Energy in Ecosystems
 Revisiting: the After learning all about how living things
Importance of interact with, and depend on, their
Conservation environment, let’s revisit the importance of
conservation. Why conserve?
Preventing man-made For Science! Studying
extinction of species. biodiversity has enabled
Many species occupy us to understand
important niches in their evolution better, and to
habitats. Many species be more aware of our
also have nutritional and impacts on the
medicinal value to ecosystem. It helps us
humans. understand what to
protect, and how to
protect them.
23 Importance of Conservation
 Revisiting: the Why conserve? (continued)
Importance of
Conservation

For economic purposes. For a stable and

Biodiversity may have balanced ecosystem. To For recreational and
economic value to prevent disruption of the aesthetic purposes.
humans. They may delicate balance of food Who doesn’t like a
provide food, medicine, webs, atmospheric tranquil moment in a
materials for carbon dioxide levels and cool, quiet forest?
manufacturing and other nutrient cycles, to
construction, and much mitigate climate change.
more.

24 Importance of Conservation
 Closing Activity
How Can We Help to
Maintain a Stable
Ecosystem?

The SLS package

will be assigned to
you.
25 Closing Activity