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Aim: What are the different roles of
organisms in an environment?
DN: What is meant by carrying
capacity? Does every species have the
same carrying capacity in an ecosystem?
Explain.
What ecological level is this?
Community
The different
types of
populations in
a given
ecosystem
Habitat
A specific area where an
organism lives
What is Nemo’s habitat?
Does everybody in a community
have the same job?
 No, each
organism has its
own ROLE in a
community or
NICHE
What is the niche of a plant
population in a community?
To produce
food using the
energy from
the sun
 Producers organisms that
can make their
own food

What is the niche of herbivores
in a community?
To eat plants
 To act as a limiting
factor to help maintain
the carrying capacity
of plants
 Primary Consumersanimals that eat
plants.

What is the role of
carnivores in a community?
To eat animals/meat
 Secondary Consumerseat primary consumers.
 To act as a limiting
factor for the herbivores.

Keeps the population of
herbivores in check (not
too many!)
What is the niche of
bacteria & fungi?



To return nutrients
back to the soil by
breaking down dead
organisms
Decomposers –
breakdown dead
organisms
Bacteria & Fungi
(mushrooms).
Why are decomposers the
“Recyclers” of the ecosystem?
They break down dead
organisms & at the
same time return raw
materials back to the
ecosystem.
What is a scavenger’s niche?
To eat animal’s
that were killed
& leftover by
secondary
consumers
What happens if two organisms
occupy the same niche?
Organisms would
compete until the best
adapted population wins.
 Organisms can
sometimes appear to
occupy the same niche,
but under more careful
examination, they do not.
