Plants are producers.
An ecosystem is a representation of the interactions between the living and nonliving elements within a community. This includes the exchange of nutrients and energy. Ecosystems consist of producers, consumers and decomposers. The producers partake in the process of photosynthesis, the consumers obtain their energy by ingesting the producers, and the decomposers obtain their nutrients and deposit other nutrients to the ecosystem by breaking down dead plant and animal remains. A diagram of an ecosystem portrays this flow of energy and exchange of nutrients. In order to make a diagram of an ecosystem, you have to depict the living and nonliving entities, and put arrows where the flow of energy occurs.
Instructions
1. Sketch the living and nonliving components of the ecosystem on the poster paper. In order to make a diagram of an ecosystem, you have to depict how the living organisms and the nonliving elements of the community interact. The nonliving factors within the ecosystem typically consist of the sun and the soil. The sun provides the energy needed for photosynthesis, and the soil stores the organic matter that is created by the decomposers. The living organisms of the ecosystem typically consist of the plants, animals and fungi. The plants represent the producers, the animals represent the consumers, and the fungi represent the decomposers. Always make your sketches in pencil.
2. Distinguish between the primary and secondary consumers. In order to make a diagram of an ecosystem, you have to show that not all animals have the same feeding habits. This is why both herbivores and carnivores are displayed within the ecosystem diagram. The herbivores are usually insects, such as beetles. An example of a carnivore is a snake. Label the primary and secondary consumer on your diagram.
3. Label the other components of the ecosystem on your diagram. The sun should be labeled as the energy source. The plant should be labeled as the producer. The fungi should be labeled as the decomposer. Also, label the soil.
4. Draw arrows on the diagram to represent the flow of energy. WIthin an ecosystem, there is energy that is passed on and energy that is lost. Therefore, you should represent this concept using two different colors. For example, orange arrows can be used to represent the energy that is passed on, and purple arrows can be used to represent energy that is lost. Draw an orange arrow from the sun to the plants. Then draw an orange arrow from the plants to the primary consumer and a purple arrow from the plants to the surroundings. Draw an orange arrow from the primary consumer to the secondary consumer and a purple arrow from the primary consumer to the surroundings.
5. Depict the transfer of nutrients. Represent the nutrients that are transfered from the wastes of the organisms to the soil. This can be done using arrows of another color, such as blue. Draw blue arrows from the primary and secondary consumers that point down into the soil. The waste products of the primary and secondary consumers provide nutrients to the soil when the waste products are broken down by the decomposers. Draw a blue arrow from the soil to the plants.
6. Use the markers to color the words and features of the ecosystem that you originally sketched in pencil. Also, create a key that indicates which arrow color represents which process. In order to make a diagram of an ecosystem, it is necessary to color and label everything clearly.
