2. Overall Structure of Ecosystems

[Bernard NebelKeymaster]

 

 The species present in any ecosystem can be separated into three categories

Producers: Producers are every kind of plant (giant tree to minute moss and algae) that carries on photosynthesis. They are called producers because via photosyntheses they produce the biomass that the rest of the system depends on and eats as food. 

Consumers: Consumers are every kind of animal (minute mite to elephant and whale) that subsist by feeding directly or indirectly on producers or what they produce (leaves, seeds, fruit). 

Detritus feeders and Decomposers: Detritus feeders are the multitude of critters (earthworms, termites, insect larva, millipedes, etc) that feed on dead plant and animal material.   Decomposers are fungi and bacteria that feed on any dead biological material. (This dead biological material is known as detritus.) In doing this, they cause its final breakdown to carbon dioxide and mineral nutrients that were originally withdrawn from the soil by producers and will be again. 

A worthwhile exercise is to select a small patch of undisturbed woodland floor (only a square foot or so) and carefully lift the dead leaves, dead twigs away from the soil. Notice fine white threads ramifying over the soil surface. These are the fungi (decomposers) feeding on the dead leaves and other organic waste. In doing so, they release  any nutrients contained back to the soil.

Explore any natural area and identify each living thing as a producer, consumer, detritus feeder or decomposer.

 Speculate what would happen to the ecosystem if any one of these three groups were absent?

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