An ecosystem is all living and nonliving things in an area.

 A backyard  A pond  A playground

 The deserts of Africa  The rain forest of Brazil  The saltwater oceans

 Abiotic Factors  Biotic Factors

The nonliving parts of an ecosystem. They include water, minerals, sunlight, air, climate, and soil.

The living parts of an ecosystem. They include animals, plants, fungi, protists, and bacteria.

All organisms of a species living in the same area make up its population. All the populations living in an area make up a community.

Ecosystems are made of Habitats

Where Plants and Animals Live Habitat is a place where plants and animals can meet their needs. Animals get food, water, and shelter from their habitat.

Life in a Woodland Forest A woodland forest is a habitat that gets enough rain and sunlight for trees to grow well. When birds migrate in the fall they move to warmer places.

The four seasons of a woodland forest are: spring, summer, fall, and winter. In the spring animals have their young, and leaves began to grow on trees. In the summer animals find a lot of food, and the leaves are green on trees.

In the fall plant seeds stick to animals, and leaves on the trees began to change colors. In the winter some animals go into a deep sleep, and most trees do not have any leaves.

Life in a Rain Forest A rain forest is a habitat where it rains almost every day. Animals use trees and plants for food and shelter.

Life in a Desert A desert gets less rain in a year than most plants and animals need to live. Many animals hide below ground or under rocks to keep cool.

Life in the Arctic The Arctic is a very cold place, near the North Pole, where snow is on the ground for much of the year.

Plants grow low to the grow in the summer in the Arctic. Animals migrate in the winter in the Arctic to find food.

Habitat What It Is Like Woodland ForestEnough rain for trees to grow Rain Forest Rains every day and has many trees and plants Desert Hot and dry ArcticVery cold place with snow on the ground most of the year Ecosystems contain Habitats with diverse plants and animals