ECOSYSTEMS

5.L.2 Understand the interdependence of plants and animals with their ecosystem

CLEAR LEARNING GOAL•As a student I will be able to differentiate

between an ecosystem and a habitat.

CLASSWORK- 30 Points

What is an ecosystem?

•An ecosystem is all the living and non-living factors in a specific area.

•An ecosystem exists wherever living things are found.

What is an ecosystem?

•An ecosystem contains a collection of habitats.

•A habitat is the small area where an animal lives and gets its resources to survive.

•EXAMPLE: If you have a dog, your dogs habitat is the house and yard with which it lives.

ECOCOLUMN- LAB DAY 1

CLEAR LEARNING GOAL•As a student I will be able to differentiate

between biotic and abiotic.

ECOSYSTEM PARTS:

There are several parts necessary for an ecosystem

to be successful. These parts (or factors) can be

classified as living and non-living. Both living and

Non-living factors are essential for an organism to

survive.

ECOSYSTEM PARTS: Biotic Factors

Living Factors are called Biotic Factors

Biotic Factors of ecosystems include:

1. Plants2. Animals3. Fungi4. Bacteria

ECOSYSTEM PARTS: Abiotic Factors

Non-Living Factors are called Abiotic Factors

Abiotic Factors of ecosystems include:

1. Air2. Water3. Soil4. Temperature5. Rocks

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Role of Abiotic Factors

ECOCOLUMN- LAB DAY 2

Journal Response

•In your journal please describe the differences between abiotic and biotic factors. Additionally, give four examples of each.

CLEAR LEARNING GOAL•As a student I will be able to identify the

major parts of an ecosystem.

ECOSYSTEM PARTS: OTHER PARTSPOPULATION: A population is the amount

ornumber of organisms from the same

species in anarea.

Example: All of the squirrels in your yard or all

of the tomato plants in your garden.

In this example; your yard has a population of

squirrels and a population of plants.

ECOSYSTEM PARTS: OTHER PARTS

COMMUNITY: A community is all of thepopulations found in an area.

Example: All of the tomato plants, squirrels, dogs, cardinals, ants, and spiders in your yard combine to create a large community.

In this example; your yard has a population ofsquirrels and a population of plants but acommunity that includes tomato plants andsquirrels.

ECOSYSTEM PARTS: OrganismsPlants and animals are types of organism. Each organism plays a specific role in an ecosystem.

This role is called a NICHE.

Niche: An organisms role/job in its environment.

Examples: 1. Spider: It’s Niche is to eat other insects2. Plants: Provide food, energy, and oxygen to

other organisms.

ECOCOLUMN- LAB DAY 3

CLEAR LEARNING GOAL•As a student I will be able to identify the

limiting factors that determine the size of an ecosystem

ECOSYSTEM SIZE:Ecosystems can be different sizes. Ecosystems

canbe large or small. However, the size of anecosystem is determined by its total CarryingCapacity.

Carrying Capacity: Carrying Capacity is thetotal amount of organisms an ecosystem can hold.

Large areas with similar ecosystems and climateare called Biomes.

CARRYING CAPACITY:The carrying capacity of an ecosystem isdetermined by factors that limit the

resourcesavailable in the system. These factors are

knownas limiting factors.

Limiting Factors are anything that controls the

population of an ecosystem

LIMITING FACTORSEXAMPLES:

1. Amount of Food2. Predators3. Prey4. Amount of Water5. Shelter6. Space

ECOCOLUMN- LAB DAY 4-WATER BALANCING

Journal Response

•In your journal please describe the differences what factors determine the size of an ecosystem. (3-4) Sentences.

CLEAR LEARNING GOAL•As a student I will be able to identify what

a producers is and explain their role in an ecosystem.

A CLOSER LOOK AT PLANTS AND ANIMALS!

As mentioned previously; every organism

in an ecosystem has a role (niche).

All organisms can be placed into three categories:

1. Producers2. Consumers

3. Decomposers

PRODUCERSProducers: Producers are organisms that

createtheir own food and energy.

Producers use the sun’s heat energy, water, and

nutrient rich soil to create sugars. These sugars act

as their food and provide energy.

This process is called PHOTOSYNTHESIS

PRODUCERS CONT:ALL PLANTS ARE PRODUCERS!!!

This includes: 1. Plants2. Flowers3. Trees4. Shrubs5. Bushes6. Grasses

PRODUCERS CONT:ALL PLANTS ARE PRODUCERS!!!

Plants produce and provide energy to allother organisms in the ecosystem. Withoutproducers animals would not be able tosurvive.

ECOCOLUMN- LAB DAY 5-WATER BALANCING

Journal Response

•In your journal please describe what a producer is and explain what a producer’s purpose is in an ecosystem. (4-5 sentences) Give 5 examples of producers.

CLEAR LEARNING GOAL•As a student I will be able to identify what

a consumer is and explain their role in an ecosystem.

ConsumersConsumers: Consumers are organisms thatconsume (eat) other organisms. They eat theseorganisms in order to get energy. Examples: bears, deer, rabbits, hawks, lions,

tigers

There are three different types of consumers:1. Herbivores 2. Carnivores3. Omnivores

Consumers: HerbivoresHerbivores: Herbivores are consumers that

onlyeat producers (plants). These organisms eatproducers in order to gain energy.

Herbivores are also knows as PRIMARYCONSUMERS Examples: rabbits, grasshoppers, deer, bees,koalas, cows, horses, sheep.

Consumers: CarnivoresCarnivores: Carnivores are consumers that onlyeat meat (other consumers). These organisms eatother animals in order to gain energy.

Carnivores are also known as higher orderconsumers Examples: lions, tigers, dogs, fox, wolves,

coyotes

Consumers: OmnivoresOmnivores: Omnivores are consumers that eatboth plants (producers) and animals (consumers)to get their energy.

Omnivores can be called secondary consumers orhigher order consumers Examples: black bears, skunks, meerkats, bats,pigs, humans

ECOCOLUMN- LAB DAY 5Adding Components

Grass/beans- Planting- TerrestrialFood/Worms/Leavers-/Pulled Grass- DecompositionSea Grasses/Plants- Aquatic

CLEAR LEARNING GOAL•As a student I will be able to identify what

a decomposer is and explain their role in an ecosystem.

Consumers: More infoIn every ecosystem organisms are required to

huntfor their food and protect themselves from otherorganisms that threaten their safety.

Organisms that are hunting are calledPREDATORS

The organism that is being hunted is consideredthe PREY

PREDATORS & PREYAn example of a predator and its prey can bedescribed using the example below.

An eagle spots a rabbit running through the fieldand swoops down through the trees looking for adelicious meal. The rabbit notices the threat andtakes off looking for safety.

Predator: EaglePrey: Rabbit

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DECOMPOSERSDecomposers: Decomposers are organisms thatbreak down dead matter and release the wasteinto the soil to provide nutrition needed forproducers to grow.

Decomposers get their energy from feeding ondead organisms.

When producers and consumers die they becomewaste. Decomposers break down this waste. Examples: worms, fungi, beetles, bacteria

Omnivores–Carnivores-Decomposers

In every ecosystem omnivores, carnivores, and

decomposers work together to create a system that

allows for the transfer of energy to occur from one

organism to another.

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CLEAR LEARNING GOAL•As a student I will be able to identify the

limiting factors that determine the size of an ecosystem

The transfer of energy from the sunto producer to primary consumer thenTo secondary consumer to higher orderconsumers and recycled back by

decomposerscan be shown in a FOOD CHAIN.

More Food Chains

Food Webs:

•Are interconnected food chains

•They show the feeding relationships in an ecosystem

Another way of showing the transfer of energy in an

ecosystem is the: ENERGY PYRAMID

Energy Pyramids Show

•Amount of available energy decreases for higher level consumers•Amount of available energy decreases down the food chain•It takes a large number of producers to support a small number of primary consumers•It takes a large number of primary consumers to support a small number of secondary consumers

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ECOSYSTEMS: Two Types

There are two types of ecosystems:

1. Terrestrial

2. Aquatic

TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS

Terrestrial Ecosystems are found on LAND.

Remember- Terrestrial ecosystems are found on

LAND, they are considered Land based.

Examples: Forests and grasslands

AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

Aquatic Ecosystems are found in WATER.

Remember- Aquatic ecosystems are found in

Water , they are considered water based.

Aquatic ecosystems can be either fresh water or

salt water ecosystems.

Examples: Ponds, lakes, oceans.

CLASSWORK- 40 POINTS

TERRESTRIAL BIOMESRemember: Biomes are groups of very largeecosystems.

There are three large terrestrial ecosystems that

we will focus on. We will call these largeecosystems biomes They are:

1. Rain Forest2. Grassland

3. Deciduous Forest

AQUATIC BIOMESAquatic Ecosystems are found in WATER.

There are three large Aquatic ecosystems that

we will focus on. We will call these largeecosystems biomes They are:

1. Salt Water Biome2. Fresh Water Biome

THE RAIN FOREST BIOME

Climate

• The average temperature in a tropical rainforest region would range between 20 and 29 degrees Celsius ( 68 and 84 degrees Fahrenheit.)

• Tropical rainforest are located at a latitude which keeps the average temperature and day length the same throughout the entire year.

• In tropical regions where the temperatures are constantly high, the rainfall count is greater then 1,800 to 2,500 mm a year.

• Rainfall occurs evenly over the course of the year.

Location

• Tropical Rainforests mainly grow in three different regions; the Malesian botanical subkingdom which includes Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuata, parts of Indochina, tropical Australia, tropical South and Central America, Amazon Basin, and West and Central Africa.

Animals

•Insects make up the largest group of animals in the tropical rainforest.

The tropical rainforest is home to some of the most beautiful birds. There are over 300 different species of parrots alone living there. Most of these birds reside on or in the canopies of trees.

Animals• Chimpanzees are one of the

most abundant species in the tropical rainforest. They dwell off different fruits and young leaves. They never stay long in one place which allows the vegetation to grow back while they’re gone. Chimpanzees create nests high in trees during the night for protection.

Bengal Tigers are huge predators in the tropical rainforest. They are nocturnal and are feared greatly by other animals at night. Bengal Tigers population is decreasing and there is only about 4, 000 left.

Vegetation

• Strangler figs are the most plants species to the tropical rainforest biome. Hundreds of different animals feed off the fruit of the fig trees. They constantly provide a source of food for animals because they always bear fruit.

Jambu is a small tree or shrub that grows close to the ground. They have leathery leaves and the flowers grow in clusters of 3 to 7.

Vegetation

• Bamboo is important to the tropical rainforest environment because it often reduces soil erosion and sucks up water that could cause flooding. Bamboo also provides a home for many tropical animals and acts as a food source as well.

Coconut trees grow in hot areas and produce a replenishing fruit with a hard outer shell. Inside is a white meat with a hollow middle where the coconut milk is present. The coconut tree provides food for tons of animals.

Other Animals & Vegetation• African Forest Elephant• Dawn Bat• Golden Lion Tamarin • Harpy Eagle• Jambu Fruit Dove• King Cobra• Kinkajou• Linn’s Sloth• Orangutan• Proboscis Monkey• Silvery Gibbon• Slender Loris• Sumatran Rhinoceros• Toco Toucan • Vampire Bat

Bougainvillea Curare Durian Kapok Tree Mangrove Forests Tualang

ANIMALS VEGETATION

Other Information•The Tropical Rainforest contains the most

diversity of species then any other biome•Rainforest cover less then 6% of land

surface on Earth•Tropical Rainforest produce about 40% of

Earth’s oxygen. •Tropical Rainforest have more kinds of

different trees then any other biome. •About one quarter of the medicines used

today come from rainforest plants.

Positive Effect of Humans• With increased tourism in

the tropical rainforest, more economic support has come forward allowing for more protection of the habitats to be created.

Increased tourism has created a positive effect on wildlife and protection of the rainforest species. Some species have increased in population size from the help of humans.

Negative Effect of Humans

• When agriculture was invented, tropical rainforest took a hit. Humans have been able to clear large parts of the forest to produce their crops, turning the area into an open farmland.

The tropical rainforest provides people with 250 different kinds of fruit and with the new genetic variations people use to invade the forest is damaging the fruit production greatly because of the new pests being used.

VIDEO DISCOVERY EDUCATION

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THE DECIDUOUS FOREST BIOME

THE DECIDUOUS FOREST BIOMECLIMATE

1.Humidity:• 60-80%

2.Average Temperature: • 50 Degrees F

3.Precipitation: • 30-50 inches annually (75-125) cm

4.The Deciduous Forest climate consists of four seasons:

• Winter (cold)• Spring (moderately cool to warm)

• Summer (hot)• Fall (mild)

•Oak Tree

•Birch Tree

•Flowering Dogwood

•Red Maple Tree

•Eastern Hemlock

•Witch Hazel

•Beech Tree

•Sugar Maple

***Hardwood Trees****

•Tawny Owls

•Salamander

•Black Bear

•Bobwhite Quail

•Northern Copperhead

•White-tailed Deer

•Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

PLANTS & ANIMALS

Burning Bush

Dogwood

Fringe Tree

Fragrant Sumac

Ginkgo

Hop Hornbean

Oak- Bur, White, Scarlet

Paw Paw

Sassafras

Sweet Gum

Blueberry Bush

North American Red Fox

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

Gray Wolf

Fungi

DECIDUOUS FOREST SAMPLE FOOD CHAIN

Interesting Facts

Location: Europe: British Isles and France through central and eastern EuropeEast Asia: the Russian far East, Manchuria, Korea and Japan.North America: Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean and south to the Gulf of Mexico.

5 Layers to a Temperate Deciduous Forest

1.Tree Stratum

2. Small Tree/ Sapling

3. Shrub

4. Herb

5. Ground

… there are many threats to the Temperate Deciduous forest, here is a list of some:

1- air pollutants from fuel burned are destroying the environments.

2- acid rain is destroying the forests causing plants to make less seeds

3- human occupation

4- forest fires

5- mining destroys the land

These threats are causing the forests and animals population to decrease. This biome is the most altered in the world and if not stopped future generations of animals and trees will have no home

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THE GRASSLAND BIOME

Climate and Landscape  • Temperate grassland and savannas are two types

of grassland biomes.• Found in areas of open grassland with very few

trees. • Temperate grasslands receive low to moderate

precipitation on average per year (20-35 inches).• Most of this precipitation is in the form of snow in

temperate grasslands of the northern hemisphere

Climate and Landscape

• Grasslands are composed of a rich mix of grasses and forbs and underlain by some of the world's most fertile soils.

• Temperatures in temperate grasslands vary according to the season.

• In winter, temperatures can plummet to well below freezing in some areas.

• In summer, temperatures can reach above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grassland- Animals and Plants 

Vegetation   Low to moderate precipitation makes grasslands a difficult place for tall plants, shrubs, and trees to grow. 

• Grasses of this area have adapted to cold temperatures, drought, and occasional fires. These grasses have deep, massive root systems that take hold in the soil. This allows the grasses to remain firmly rooted in the ground to reduce erosion and to conserve water.  Grassland vegetation can either be short or tall. In areas that receive little precipitation, grasses remain low to the ground. 

• Taller grasses can be found in warmer areas that receive more rainfall. • Some examples of plants in grasslands include: buffalo grass, cacti, sagebrush, 

perennial grasses, sunflowers, clovers, and wild indigos. 

Animals and Plants Wildlife Grasslands are home to many large herbivores. 

• Including bison, gazelles, zebras, rhinoceroses, and wild horses. • Carnivores like lions and wolves are also found in temperate 

grasslands. • Other animals of this region include: deer, prairie dogs, mice, jack rabbits, 

skunks, coyotes, snakes, foxes, owls, badgers, blackbirds, grasshoppers, meadowlarks, sparrows, quails, and hawks.’

Grassland- Animals and Plants 

Location of Grasslands 

Human Impacts• Humans have caused a lot of changes to the

Grassland Biome. Large areas of grassland have been turned into farmlands for growing crops and for grazing cattle.

• Sometimes, fires are started by humans and can spread quickly through grasses and damage the soils.

• A large number of animals have been hunted for their valuable body parts. For example, elephants were shot for their tusks, lions were killed for their fur and bison were hunted for their meats.     

Threatened Species• Buffalo and bison were hunted to near extinction for

their meat, fur, horns, etc.• Fortunately, the hunting of these animals had been

banned. Today, only about 1% of grasslands is officially protected but governments are now more aware of this issue.

• National parks have been set up to preserve the grasslands and grasses are replanted in some other places where grasses have been cleared for farming. This increasing awareness for protecting the grassland has biome become more apparent over the years

Interesting Fact

•  In the past, 40 percent of the earth was covered by grasslands. Today, the figure is down to less than 20 percent. Overgrazing by domestic animals and other human impacts are what have contributed to this decline.

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AQUATIC BIOMESAquatic biomes cover about 75% of the

Earth’ssurface. Because of this, the Aquatic

biomes areconsidered to be the largest ecosystems on

Earth.

The water biome is divided into two categories:

1. Freshwater- lakes, ponds, rivers, streams

2. Marine/Saltwater- oceans

CLASSWORK- 30 POINTS

THE SALTWATER BIOMEAN AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM WITH A LARGE AMOUNT OF SALT CONTENT

The aquatic biome includes:oceans, salt water marshes, glaciers, and estuaries

DIVIDED INTO THREE ZONES:1.Shallow Ocean Zone2.Middle Ocean Zone3.Deep ocean zone

THE SALTWATER BIOME

SHALLOW OCEAN ZONE

DEEP OCEAN ZONE

MIDDLE OCEAN ZONE

Majority of organisms live near the shoreline down as far deep as the continental shelf!

THE SHALLOW OCEAN ZONEMost of the organisms that live in the SALT WATER BIOME will stay near the surface of the water near the coastline.

REASONS:

1. Sunlight 2. Warm water3. Abundant Food

THE SALTWATER BIOME- PLANTS

SEAGRASSES

THE SALTWATER BIOME- PLANTS

SEAWEED

THE SALTWATER BIOME- PLANTS

ALGAE

THE SALTWATER BIOME- PLANTS

CORAL

THE SALTWATER BIOME- ANIMALS

SEA TURTLE

THE SALTWATER BIOME- ANIMALS

JELLY FISH

THE SALTWATER BIOME- ANIMALS

FISH

THE SALTWATER BIOME- ANIMALS

WHALES

THE SALTWATER BIOME- ANIMALS

SHARKS

THE SALTWATER BIOME- ANIMALS

OCTOPUSES

THE SALTWATER BIOME- ANIMALS

DOLPHINS

THE SALTWATER BIOME- DECOMPOSERS

ENCHINODERMS

THE SALTWATER BIOME- DECOMPOSERS

BACTERIA

THE SALTWATER BIOME- DECOMPOSERS

FUNGI

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THE FRESHWATER BIOME