Ecosystems

What do these pictures have in common? -

Activity Get into 4 groups. Each member must perform, but elect a team leader. He is going to help guide you. Designate a task to each member of your team. Chose a picture:group 1- swamp group 2- desert group 3- arctic group 4- coral reef Using the materials provided Chose 1 animal that lives there and build the home it would live in, eg. An ants lives in an ant hill. This place where the organism lives is called its habitat. Is this organism the only one of its kind there? Are there others? _______________________________________________ If there are others of its kind, this is called a species. The number of this species is called the population. Populations interact to form habitats. Are there other organisms that live in this environment? If yes, what organisms? _______________________________________________. Add these organisms to your project. (you may have to either cut out, build or place the organism in position) This is now called an ecosystem. An ecosystem is Place your ecosystem at various positions in the lab. This is now called a Biome. Biomes are a number of ecosystems where several habitats exist, such as Earth. In the habitat are there only living organisms? If No, list some other non-livings things (called Abiotic factors) that the living things (biotic) need to survive. ______________________________________________________________________________ Add/build as many of these in your habitat/ecosystem. Are there any other factors that you know affects the lives of these living organisms but cannot draw or build it? ______________________________________________________________

Because these organisms are living in a habitat and no two organisms can live in the same habitat, relationships develop: Mutualism Parasitism commensalism

Assessment A Habitat is _________________________________ It may consist of __________ and non-living factors. Living organisms are called ___________ and non-living are called ____________. These non-living factors affect the survival of the living organisms. These factors are: ___________________________________ A habitat can make up an_____________ such that a number of P___________ live in that ecosystem. 5. Ecosystems can exists as neighbours to make _________. 6. If an ecosystem is like a linked chain, and any of the components that make up an ecosystem is removed, what do you expect will happen? _______________________________________________________________________________________ 7. From your ecosystem establish examples for each type of relationships that exist. Mutualism – Parasitism – Commensalism – 8. Identify the biotic and abiotic factors in your model.