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1. Unit 6 THE BIOSPHERE SUMMARY
Living things in an ecosystem can be...
The biosphere is the largest ecosystem because it is made up of planet Earth and all the
living things that inhabit it.
PRODUCERS CONSUMERS DECOMPOSERS
Living things that produce
their own food from sunlight,
water and mineral salts from
the soil (plants and algae).
Living things that eat other living things (animals) Living things that decompose
the remains of other plants
and animals so the minerals
of these living things return
to the soil (fungi and bacteria)
Primary consumers are animals that eat plants (herbivores
as rabbits, and insects as grasshoppers)
Secondary consumers are animals that eat herbivorous
animals (owls, foxes)
Tertiary consumers are animals that eat secondary
consumers (hawks)
Predators are
carnivorous animals
that hunt other
animals for food
(lions).
Scavengers are
carnivorous animals
that eat the dead
bodies of other
animals (vultures).
Parasites feed of
living things without
killing them
(mosquitoes).
Food chains show how the
species in an ecosystem are
connected to one another by
their food relationships.
Food webs are a combination
of various food chains.

2. Unit 6 THE BIOSPHERE SUMMARY
LOSS OF
BIODIVERSITY
Extinction occurs when every single member of a species dies and none
are left alive.
Ex. Dinosaurs, flying reptiles and the
golden toad in Costa Rica.
Causes
·Humans are responsible for most of the recent
loss of biodiversity in the world
·Climate change
·Pollution
·Hunting and capturing animals
·Over-exploiting resources
·Releasing pets into the wild
·Alteration of habitats
PROTECTING
BIODIVERSITY
Endangered species are those which are in danger of extinction
(Ex. Iberian lynx, Iberian imperial eagle)
National parks and biosphere reserves are created to protect wildlife
and its environment (Monfragüe National Park, Doñana National
Park)