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Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems The following is a set up “Flip Card” to help learn the definitions of the ecosystem unit Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Ecology Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems The science of the relationships between organisms and their environments. Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Ecosystem Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems All living organisms that share a region and interact with each other AND non-living components of their environment…that is, their physical and chemical environment Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Biotic Factor Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Living things, their remains and features such as nest that are associated with the living thing’s activities. It includes insects, mammals, micro-organisms, plants, plant and animal remains, etc. Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Abiotic Factor Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems The non-living physical and chemical components of an ecosystem. Examples include temperature, wind, rainfall, air, water and minerals Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Autotroph Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems An organism capable of synthesizing its own food from inorganic substances using light or chemical energy. Green plants, algae and some bacteria are autotrophs. Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Heterotroph Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems An organism that cannot synthesize its own food and is dependent on complex organic substances for nutrition. Consumers are heterotrophs Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Sustainability Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Ability to maintain a natural ecological balance without weakening, interruption or loss of value Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Symbiotic Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems The living together (…or living relationship…) of two dissimilar organisms. It includes relationships such as mutualism, commensalism, predation and parasitism. Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Mutualism Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems A symbiotic relationship between individuals of different species in which both individuals benefit from the association. An example is the oxpecker (a bird) and the rhinoceros. An oxpecker eats ticks and other parasites that live on the rhino’s skin. The oxpecker gets food and the rhino gets pest control. Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Commensalism Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems A symbiotic relationship between two different kinds of organisms when one receives benefits from the other organism while the second organism in unaffected. An example a flatworm and a horsecrab. The flatworm attaches to the horsecrab and eats the scraps from the crab’s food; yet, the crab is unaffected. Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Parasitism Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems A symbiotic relationship where one organism (parasite) lives off of another organism (host) harming it and possibly causing death. The parasite lives on or in the body of the host. An example is Lyme disease. It is a bacteria that transmitted by blacklegged ticks. Once in the host, the bacteria thrives while the host suffers Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Competition Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems A symbiotic relationship wherein two organisms occupying the same area try to utilize the same resource (e.g., eat the same food) that is limited in supply Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Photosynthesis Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Process in which the Sun’s energy is converted to chemical energy (i.e., sugar) 6CO2 + 6H2O + Sun energy = 6O2 + C6H12O6 Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Cellular Respiration Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Process by which sugar is converted to carbon dioxide, water and energy 6O2 + C6H12O6 = 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Producer Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Organism that makes its own energy-rich food compounds using the Sun’s energy (i.e., light) On land, most producers are green plants, and their colour comes from chlorophyll which captures light energy Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Consumer Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Organism that obtains its energy from consuming other organisms. Consumers CANNOT photosynthsize Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Food Chain Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Sequence of organisms, each feeding on the next, shown how energy is transferred from one organism to the next. NOTE: Food Chains do NOT exist in nature. Rather, they are part of a complex set of relationships Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Food Web Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems A representation or illustration of the feeding relationships within a community. A Food Web is a group of interwoven Food Chains Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Trophic Level Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems The level of an organism in an ecosystem depending on its feeding position along a food chain Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Ecological Niche Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems The relational position of a species or population in an ecosystem The ecological role and space that an organism fills in an ecosystem The function a species serves in its ecosystem (e.g., consumption patterns, behaviour, habitat preferences Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Carrying Capacity Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems The maximum population size of a particular species (i.e., number of individual organisms) that a given ecosystem can sustain indefinitely NOTE: Carrying Capacity is not fixed. It can be altered by human intervention (e.g., draining part of a swamp) or by naturally by “species invasions” Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Biodiversity Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Variety of life in a particular area. It is measured by counting the number of species in a specific habitat or ecosystem Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Biome Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems A large geographical region defined by climate (e.g., temperature and precipitation) with a specific set of biotic and abiotic features For example, a tundra biome is characterized by very low temperatures, little precipitation, poor soil quality, low biodiversity, small plants Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Tolerance Range Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Abiotic conditions within which a species can survive Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Species Richness Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Number of species in an area A diverse and healthy ecosystem has high species richness Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Limiting Factor Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Any factor that restricts the size of a population Limiting factors can be biotic (e.g., number of prey) or abiotic (e.g., hours of sunlight) Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Succession Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems The gradual and usually predictable changes in the composition of a community and the abiotic conditions following a disturbance Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Primary Succession Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Succession on a newly exposed ground where “no life” previously existed. Usually follows a catastrophic event such as a volcanic eruption Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Secondary Succession Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Succession in a partially disturbed ecosystem. Follows a minor disturbance such as a forest fire Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Equilibrium Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Describes the state of an ecosystem with relatively constant conditions over a period of time Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Pollution Grade 9 Academic Science – Unit Ecosystems Harmful contaminants released into the environment