1. Ecosystems
Learning Outcome: To understand what is meant by an ecosystem, and how the biotic and abiotic elements interact.
MOST: Should be able to explain how an ecosystem is an interdependent system
ALL: Must be able to define ecosystems and describe their elements
SOME: Should be able to highlight the fragility of an ecosystem
BLP:
Skill:

2. Your fist task:
What is in this pot?

3. Based on this…
What is an ecosystem?
“…a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.”

5. Pick one animal to go in each layer – this makes a food chain!
Trophic levels
Your Task:
Think about a pond!
Pick one animal to go in each layer – this makes a food chain!

6. Pond ecosystem
You have been given a worksheet to help understand the pond ecosystem.
Complete the 2 sections to show a CHAIN and a more complicated WEB.

7. Energy source (food or sunlight)
Freshwater food web
Species
Energy source (food or sunlight)
Algae and microscopic plants
Sunlight
Blackfly
Detritus
Caddis (small moth-like insect)
Mayfly, Blackfly
Dragonfly
Worms, Mayfly, Blackfly, Midge larva
Fish
Mayfly, Caddis, Stonefly, Great diving beetle, Dragonfly
Great diving beetle
Midge larva, Blackfly
Heron
Kingfisher
Mayfly
Midge larva
Detritus, Algae and microscopic plants
Stonefly
Blackfly, Mayfly
Worms

8. Freshwater food web Heron Kingfisher Fish Great diving beetle Stonefly
Caddis
Dragonfly
Midge larva
Blackfly
Mayfly
Worms
Detritus
Algae and microscopic plants

9. What’s the impact of changing one component on the ecosystem?
What would happen if;
A disease wiped out all of the Mayfly?
The number of Dragonfly increased?
The number of Dragonfly decreased?
The detritus was cleared from the pond?

10. Review - What is an ecosystem and how does an ecosystem function?
Key words
If______was taken out of the ecosystem the consequences would be…..
What would happen if I took
The sun
Herbivores
Precipitation
Soil
Leaf litter
Carnivores
Decomposers
Plants
Out of the ecosystem?
Spelling
EXPLAIN WHY

11. A Biome is just a very large Ecosystem.

12. Do you notice any similarity to another map you have studied?

13. Climate

14. Tundra

15. Savanna

16. Tropical Rainforest

17. Desert

18. Temperate Forest

19. Your Task
Around the room are BIOME PROFILES for each of the worlds major biomes.
You need to move around collecting enough information to fill in the fact-file for each.
Split your double page into 4 and create a profile for each.
YOU decide what goes into the profile!!