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Transcript
Ecosystem Part 1 ~~ Study Guide Ecosystems ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ An ecosystem is all living things from plants and animals to microscopic organisms that share an environment. It is formed by the interaction between biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) things. An ecosystem can be small, like a single log, or very large, like a forest. All living things in an ecosystem depend on the non-living things to survive. For example, to lay its eggs, a frog depends on the water in a pond. The living things also depend on one another. The frog rests on a lily pad. It eats flies. Habitats ~ the place in an ecosystem where an organism lives. Different ecosystems have different types of habitats. A forest ecosystem has fallen logs and trees. The logs provide a habitat for spiders and mushrooms. The trees provide a habitat for birds and squirrels. Ecosystems come in different sizes. It can exist in a small area such as underneath a rock, a decaying tree-trunk, or a pond. It can exist in large forms such as an entire rainforest. The Earth can be called a huge ecosystem! Biotic Factors (living) Primary producers ~ organisms that make their own food using the energy in sunlight. Producers on land include green plants, such as grasses and trees. In lakes and oceans, the main producers are algae. Consumers ~ get their energy from eating other organisms herbivore-plant eater carnivore-meat eater omnivore-plant & meat eater Decomposers ~ an organism that breaks down dead or decaying organisms: worms, bacteria, fungi. ● ● ● Abiotic Factors (nonliving) Abiotic factors are all the non-living things in an ecosystem. They are especially important because they directly affect how organisms survive. ● ● ● ● ● ● sunlight temperature wind water soil precipitation Readers Theater ~ Matter Cycles! ● Matter cycles through food chains, which means that all of the matter on Earth has been around since the beginning in different forms. This means you are breathing the same air that dinosaurs breathed and drinking water that George Washington drank. Levels of Organization ● individual-one single living organism An individual is any living thing or organism. Individuals do not breed with individuals from other groups. In the diagram, you will notice that Goldie, the goldfish, is interacting with her environment, and will only crossbreed with other goldfish just like her. ● population-all members of the same type of organism A group of individuals of a given species that live in a specific geographic area at a given time. For example; Goldie and her family and friends and other fish of Gill’s species. Populations include individuals of the same species, but may have different genetic makeup such as hair/eye/skin color and size between themselves and other populations. ● community-the group of living things of different species This includes all the populations in a specific area at a given time. A community includes populations of organisms of different species. In the diagram, populations of goldfish, salmon, crabs and herrings coexist in a location. ● ecosystem-all biotic & abiotic things that interact with each other An ecosystem includes all of the living things (plants, animals and organisms) in a given area, interacting with each other, and also with their non-living environments (weather, earth, sun, soil, climate, atmosphere). ● biome-large group of similar ecosystems A biome is a very large area on Earth where plants and animals adapt to their environment.There are 5 major biomes: desert, aquatic, forest, grassland and tundra. ● biosphere-the ecosystem of the planet Earth A biosphere is all the different biomes, each blending into the other, with all humans living in many different geographic areas. We form a huge community of humans, animals and plants, in their defined habitats. A biosphere is the sum of all the ecosystems established on Earth. 5 Basic Needs of All Living Things Sunlight: This is probably the most important need for all living organisms, because it’s the source of all energy. It provides heat for plants and animals. Water: Water is the medium in which living cells and tissue work. Water is also a living environment for many plants and animals. Air: Air is made up of several gases, but the two most important gases are oxygen and carbon dioxide. Without oxygen, animals will die, and without carbon dioxide, plants cannot survive. Food (nutrients): Living things need energy to function. Energy is needed to grow, reproduce, move, and to work. Think of what will happen if you went three days without food! A Habitat with the Right Temperature: Too cold or too hot? Every living organism needs the ideal temperature to survive either on land or in water.