8D Ecological Relationships KS3 Biology 8D Ecological Relationships

8D Ecological Relationships Contents 8D Ecological Relationships Classifying animals and plants Habitats and adaptations Feeding types Food chains and populations Summary activities

Animal classification

Vertebrate classification

Invertebrate classification

Which type of invertebrate?

Plant classification Note: Green plants can be subdivided into those with vascular tissues (xylem and phloem) and complex leaves with a waterproof cuticle, and those without.

8D Ecological Relationships Contents 8D Ecological Relationships Classifying animals and plants Habitats and adaptations Feeding types Food chains and populations Summary activities

Which habitat?

Surviving in a habitat Organisms need to have special features which help them to survive in their habitat. These special features are called adaptations. For example, you have plenty of adaptations to survive in your habitat. Your fingers are an excellent adaptation. Without their ability to grip you would not be able to do all of that schoolwork! Some adaptations are obvious while others are not so obvious. Can you think of any other adaptations that you have?

Adaptations activity

8D Ecological Relationships Contents 8D Ecological Relationships Classifying animals and plants Habitats and adaptations Feeding types Food chains and populations Summary activities

Feeding types Animals can be grouped in several ways. One way of doing this is based on how animals feed. Some organisms are producers. Producers make their own food. Plants produce their own food using light energy from the Sun. Some types of bacteria can also make their own food by using light or chemical reactions. Consumers cannot make their own food. They must consume other organisms to get the food that they need.

Producer or consumer? This slide is the names of eight different organisms. Drag their name into the correct table depending on whether you think that they are a producer or a consumer.

Consumers Herbivores Carnivores Omnivores Consumers can be grouped into different types: Herbivores These consumers eat producers. This means plants and possibly bacteria. Carnivores These consumers eat other consumers. They eat animals. Omnivores These consumers eat other consumers and producers. They eat animals and plants. Most humans are omnivores.

8D Ecological Relationships Contents 8D Ecological Relationships Classifying animals and plants Habitats and adaptations Feeding types Food chains and populations Summary activities

Changes in food chain populations The organisms in a food chain are dependent on each other. Changes in the number of organisms in one part of the food chain can have dramatic effects on the rest of the food chain. grass rabbit fox What would happen to the number of rabbits and foxes if all the grass died out? Rabbit numbers would decrease because they would have less to eat and may starve or stop reproducing. Fox numbers would also fall as there would not be as many rabbits to eat.

Food chain populations plankton shrimp tuna dolphin 1. It has been a very bad year for plankton. Due to the lack of food their numbers have dropped dramatically. Use the sliders to show how this will affect the numbers of the other members of the food chain. Shrimp numbers indicator Tuna numbers indicator Dolphin numbers indicator

Food chain populations plankton shrimp tuna dolphin 2. Dolphins are often killed by being caught in the driftnets of fisherman. More dolphins than ever have been killed in this particular year and so the number of dolphins is very low. Use the sliders to show how this will affect the numbers of the other members of the food chain. Shrimp numbers indicator Tuna numbers indicator Dolphin numbers indicator

Food chain populations plankton shrimp tuna dolphin 3. Due to a mysterious disease the number of tuna has dropped dramatically. Use the sliders to show how this will affect the numbers of the other members of the food chain. Shrimp numbers indicator Tuna numbers indicator Dolphin numbers indicator

Food chain populations plankton shrimp tuna dolphin 4. Large numbers of shrimp larvae did not develop properly and because of this shrimp numbers have declined. Use the sliders to show how this will affect the numbers of the other members of the food chain. Shrimp numbers indicator Tuna numbers indicator Dolphin numbers indicator

8D Ecological Relationships Contents 8D Ecological Relationships Classifying animals and plants Habitats and adaptations Feeding types Food chains and populations Summary activities

Glossary adaptation – A feature that helps an organism live in a particular place. carnivore – An organism that only eats other animals. consumer – An organism that feeds on plants or animals. food chain – A sequence that shows feeding relationships and the transfer of energy between organisms. herbivore – An organism that only eats plants. omnivore – An organism that eats both plants and animals. population – The number of organisms of a species living in a habitat. producer – A plant that makes food by photosynthesis.

Anagrams

Multiple-choice quiz