Describe the role that protists play in the ecosystem

Protists function in various ecological niches. Whereas some protist species are essential components of the food chain and generators of biomass, others function in the decomposition of organic materials. Still other protists are dangerous human pathogens or causative agents of devastating plant diseases.

What You’ll Learn to Do

• Identify protists that act as primary producers
• Provide examples of the protists’ important roles in decomposition
• Describe important pathogenic species of protists

Learning Activities

The learning activities for this section include the following:

• Primary Producers
• Protists as Decomposers
• Pathogenic Protists
• Self Check: Ecology of Protists