The Environment

Mrs Lutchman

Definition

The environment is defined as everything

around us.

It is the physical and biological habitat

that surrounds us

Classifications of
Environment
(A) Physical Environment:
External physical factors like Air, Water,
and Land etc. This is also called the Abiotic
Environment.

(B) Living Environment:

All living organisms around us viz. plants,
animals, and microorganisms. This is also
called the Biotic Environment.

Classifications of
Environment

In the following diagram identify the abiotic

and biotic features in the environment:

Classifications of
Environment
Table showing Abiotic and Biotic components
in the environment
Abiotic

Biotic

Air

Plant

Soil/ Land

Rabbit

Water

Dog
Fish

Interaction between the Abiotic

and Biotic Environment

These two environments work together

closely as the physical environment
(abiotic) land, air and water helps the plants
of the living environment (biotic) to grow.

Plants from the biotic environment is what

helps animals survive

Interaction between the Abiotic

and Biotic Environment

The Biotic Environment has producers,

consumers and decomposers

The environment interacts with each other

in many ways one of which includes how
energy is transferred through feeding in the
environment.
To understand this system fully one must
note that the ecosystem have producers,
consumers and decomposers within it.

Producer

This is an organism that makes

it own food.

It includes green plants.

These plants takes inorganic

substances such as sunlight,
water and carbon dioxide into
food.

Consumer

These are organisms

that eat other
organisms to survive.

They can be:

Herbivores eats
plants only
Carnivores eats animals
only
Omnivores eats both
plants & meat

What is wrong with this

Picture?

Decomposer

These organisms feed only on dead

organisms.

They also break down the waste (poop) of

other organisms.

They include fungus and bacteria

Feeding in the environment

The use of food chains and food webs are
usually used to show the energy flow in the
ecosystem.
One should note the direction in which the
arrow is placed shows the flow of energy
from organism to organism.

Food Chain

A food chain is a simple linear relationship

that shows the flow of energy in a system.

E.g.
Plant

Rabbit

Dog

Note:
A producer is always first in a food chain
and is followed by a herbivore and then a
omnivore/carnivore.

FoodChain

This diagram shows a simple food chain...

Note the direction of arrows showing energy
flow.

Food Web

A food web is two or more food chains

together..
E.g.

Grass
Grass
Grass
Grass

grasshopper
snake
kookaburra
mouse kookaburra
eagle
mouse
snake
eagle
Rabbit

NOTE:
The above chains results in
the following food web....

eagle

Trophic Levels

This feeding level in which an organism

occurs is called a TROPHIC LEVEL is always
written in roman numerals. These levels is
represented as seen below:

TROPHIC LEVEL
I
II
III
IV

ORGANISM TYPE
Producer
Herbivore
Omnivore/ Carnivore
Top Carnivore

Information that can be derived

from a Food Web...

A food web can show feeding levels( Trophic levels) and

indicate the type of organism at each level.

TROPHIC LEVEL
V
IV

ORGANISM
Top carnivore

Carnivore

III

Omnivore /
Carnivore

II

Herbivore

Producers /
plant

Summary

The environment is everything around us

It is made up abiotic and biotic components that

interacts with each other

These interactions can be seen together in a food

chains.

Two or more food chains join together = a food web

Trophic Levels or feeding levels are easily observed

from food webs

Activity

Using the information you gained in this

lecture to design your own environment.

Label its important components eg

producer, consumer etc.