Download Chapter 1 Parts of Ecosystems Lesson 1 “What Are Nonliving Parts

Chapter 1 Parts of Ecosystems
Lesson 1 “What Are Nonliving Parts of Ecosystems?”
 An ecosystem is made up of all the living and nonliving things that interact in an area.
 Living things depend on nonliving things to meet their needs. Example air, water, etc.
 Nonliving things in different ecosystems vary. This determines what living things live there.
Lesson 2 “What Are Living parts of Ecosystems?”
 An organism will survive only in an environment that meets its needs.
 All living things in an ecosystem make up a community Example: tortoise, cactus, snake, beetle,
coyote, etc.
 A population is all the members of a type of plant or animal in a community. Example: The
coyote population in Porter Ranch is getting smaller due to new construction of homes and
businesses.
Lesson 3 “What Are Some land Ecosystems?”
 Rainforest ecosystems are characterized by a lot of rain and very warm temperatures year
round.
 Nonliving conditions are different in different areas of a rainforest.
 Many different plants and animals meet their needs in different areas of a rainforest ecosystem.
 All deserts are characterized by very little rainfall, a lot of sunlight, and few nutrients.
 A chaparral ecosystem has generally wet, mild winters and hot, dry summers.
 Organisms in an ecosystem have characteristics that help then survive in that ecosystem.
 Taiga ecosystems are cold, with long, severe winters and short, cool summers.
 Only certain trees can survive there.
 Trees in the taiga have thin, waxy leaves that hold in moisture.
Lesson 4 “What Are Some Water Ecosystems?”
 Oceans have different areas that have different nonliving conditions.
 Different plants and animals meet their needs in different areas, including the shoreline, coastal
ocean, and open ocean.
 Corals are tiny animals that grow only in warm, sunlit water. When they die, they leave hard
casings that form coral reefs, which are homes to a vast array of plants and animals.
 Streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and wetlands are examples of freshwater ecosystems.
 Streams and rivers have flowing water. Ponds and lakes have still water.
 Wetlands are covered in water for at least part of the year.