Standard 6e Preknowledge
6e) Students know a vital part of an ecosystem is the stability of its producers and decomposers.
CALIFORNIA FRAMEWORKS SUMMARY:
An ecosystem’s producers (plants and photosynthetic microorganisms) and decomposers (fungi and microorganisms) are primarily responsible for the productivity and recycling of organic matter, respectively. Conditions that threaten the stability of producer and decomposer populations in an ecosystem jeopardize the availability of energy and the capability of matter to recycle in the rest of the biological community. To study the interaction between producers and decomposers, students can set up a closed or restricted ecosystem, such as a worm farm, a composting system, a terrarium, or an aquarium.