Components of Ecosystems



Ecosystems and Biodiversity

A drop of water is one. A whole ocean is one. So is a rotten log in the forest. So are a coral reef and the bark of a tree. One what? An ecosystem. You might think of an ecosystem as something huge. But, actually, it can be any size. An ecosystem can be found in any spot where living organisms are interacting with each other and their nonliving environment. The study of the relationship between organisms and their environment is called ecology. The living and nonliving parts of a specific environment make up an ecosystem. The nonliving parts of an ecosystem are called abiotic factors (without life). Some examples are: air, water, sunlight and soil. The living things are called biotic factors and they need the abiotic factors in the environment to survive.

Directions: The picture below shows a pond ecosystem. The parts of this ecosystem are listed below. Next to each part, write biotic if it is living and abiotic if the part is not living.

[pic]

The place Where an organism lives is its habitat. A habitat provides all of an organism’s needs like food, shelter, air and a place to reproduce. Sometimes different species share the same habitat. For example insects and mushrooms may share the same rotting log. Birds, squirrels and insects might live in the same tree.

Organisms also have jobs and roles in their communities. An organism’s job is called its niche (NICH). Typically the niche of an animal is what it eats. Living things may have the same habitat but they do not have the same niche. For example, tigers and deer share a habitat in Asia. But while tigers chase and eat deer – deer eat grasses. They do not have the same niche.

What To Do: Read the descriptions below and determine if it is a habitat or a niche. Place a check in the column.

|Description |Habitat |Niche |

|1. Eaten by fish | | |

|2. Under rocks | | |

|3. Hole in a tree | | |

|4. Eat mice | | |

|5. Nest on a tree branch | | |

The picture below shows a student observing and recording a square of his schoolyard. This small square is called a microhabitat.

In the chart below list the biotic and abiotic factors in the microhabitat.

|Biotic Factors |Abiotic Factors |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

Millions of different kinds of things inhabit the Earth. Some live on land while other live in the water. Other organisms spend their time under the soil. No matter where they live, they depend on one another to stay healthy, even to stay alive. The disappearance or extinction of even one kind of living thing may affect the health or survival of other living things.

The variety of organisms in a place, whether it is small or large is called biodiversity. Biodiversity is a contraction of the phrase “biological diversity”. Bio means life and diverse means different. You can think of biodiversity as meaning different kinds of life - both in the variety of species and in the variety of genetic material. The more links in a food web, the more stable it is. If there are only a few links in a food web, the extinction of one organism can cause the entire ecosystem to die.

Sustainability of an ecosystem is the ability of that ecosystem to maintain itself in the face of external stress such as disease, tornados, floods or pollution. The greater the biodiversity in an area, the healthier and more sustainable the area will be. Biodiversity keeps life in balance and healthy on Earth, or in any ecosystem.

Directions: Observe the pictures below and answer the questions.

Questions:

1. How many different kinds of apples do you see? ______

2. How many different kinds of bananas? __________

3. How many different kinds of oranges? __________

4. If all the Golden Delicious (yellow) apple trees became diseased and died out would you still be able to bake an apple pie? ____________________________________________

5. If all the Satsuma Orange trees became diseased and died out would we still be able to have orange juice with our breakfast? _________________________________________________

6. If the Cavendish banana trees became diseased and died out would we still be able to have banana on our cereal? ________________________________________________

There are many types of banana trees in the world but most of them cannot make seeds that have embryos inside. This makes farmers have to clone their old banana trees to get new ones. These cloned banana trees are genetically identical. This means that a disease could spread very quickly and wipe out all of our favorite bananas because none of them would have any resistance to the sickness. Without genetic biodiversity our favorite banana trees could become extinct. So, yes you could still have a banana on your cereal, but it would have to be a different type of banana than you are used to.

Questions:

1. Tropical Rainforests tend to have the most biodiversity because of the many types of plants and animals that live there. Which of the following habitats would have the least biodiversity?

 

A. A forest with 12 different species of trees

B. A desert with 7 different species of animals

C. The grasslands with 6 different species of grasses

and weeds

2. How does biodiversity contribute to sustainability?

A. The higher the biodiversity the more sustainable

B. The lower the biodiversity the more sustainable

C. Biodiversity does not contribute to sustainability

Name: _____________________ Period ____ Date_______

[pic]

The oak tree above is like a neighborhood for many animals. On or in the oak tree is the specific habitat and niche for each animal. Read the information below and determine the habitat and niche for each animal.

Place the information in the chart on the next page.

1. The robin nests in the lower branches and feeds on insects and worms found on the ground. Circle in blue.

2. The gray squirrel nests in the upper branches of the tree and feeds on the acorns. Circle in yellow.

3. The downy woodpecker feeds on the insects and grubs that live in the bark of the tree. It may also nest inside a dead branch of the tree. Circle in green.

4. The caterpillar feeds on the leaves of the tree and spins its cocoon there. Circle in brown.

5. The Baltimore oriole nests high in the branches of the tree and feeds on the insects that live on the tree. Circle in red.

6. The whitetail deer finds shelter under the tree and feeds on the acorns that drop to the ground. Circle in purple.

|Organism |Habitat |Niche |

|Robin | | |

|Grey Squirrel | | |

|Downy Woodpecker | | |

|Caterpillar | | |

|Baltimore Oriole | | |

|Whitetail deer | | |

List all of the biotic and abiotic factors in the picture.

|Biotic Factors |Abiotic Factors |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

Name _________________period _____Date: _________

EXIT TICKET - What’s an Ecosystem?

1. One advantage of biodiversity in an ecosystem is that it –

A. Guarantees that the largest organisms will control the area

B. Ensures a large amount of identical genetic

material

C. Increases the chance that some organisms will

survive a disease that attacks the ecosystem.

2. If only one type of tree is planted in an abandoned field, the ecosystem will –

A. Evolve quickly and be come extinct

B. Contain little genetic diversity

C. Be unable to cycle materials

3. Which describes the habitat of an organism?

A. Rotting log

B. Chases deer

C. Eats grass

4. Which describes the niche of an organism?

A. Rotting log

B. Chases deer

C. Eats grass

5. Which of the places below would be considered a microhabitat?

A. East Texas Piney Woods

B. A small part of the soccer field

C. Mojave Desert

Name _________________period _____Date: _________

EXIT TICKET - What’s an Ecosystem?

1. One advantage of biodiversity in an ecosystem is that it –

A. Guarantees that the largest organisms will control the area

B. Ensures a large amount of identical genetic

material

C. Increases the chance that some organisms will

survive a disease that attacks the ecosystem.

2. If only one type of tree is planted in an abandoned field, the ecosystem will –

A. Evolve quickly and be come extinct

B. Contain little genetic diversity

C. Be unable to cycle materials

3. Which describes the habitat of an organism?

A. Rotting log

B. Chases deer

C. Eats grass

4. Which describes the niche of an organism?

A. Rotting log

B. Chases deer

C. Eats grass

5. Which of the places below would be considered a microhabitat?

A. East Texas Piney Woods

B. A small part of the soccer field

C. Mojave Desert

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