S3U4L2 - What is in an ecosystem?

S3U4L2 - What is in an ecosystem?

What kinds of things make up an ecosystem?

• An ecosystem is made up of living things and nonliving things.

Multiple Choice

Do living things always remain living? Do nonliving things always stay separate from living things?

• Yes, Yes

• No, no

Answer

• The answer is "no" for each question. Living things do not remain alive forever.

• And some nonliving things become part of living things.

• For example, water is nonliving but becomes part of the animals that drink it.

What's an ecosystem?

• An ecosystem refers to the living and nonliving parts of an environment.

• It's a community of plants and animals that live together and with nonliving things, such as water, soil, air, and sunlight.

Why are nutrients in the soil important to a forest ecosystem?

• These nutrients are taken up by the roots of the forest's plants and are needed to keep these plants healthy.

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Why is sunlight important to a coral reef ecosystem?

• The sunlight is needed for the algae and other producers to make food and to grow.

• Without sunlight, none of the living things in the coral reef could survive.

Open Ended

How can the two parts of the word "ecosystem" help you understand what the word means?

Answer:

• "Eco" means home, and a "system" is an organization of parts that work together.

• So an ecosystem is an organization of the living and nonliving parts of an environment, which is a home for living things.

On Earth's surface, is more space taken up by land ecosystems or water ecosystems?

• Much more space is taken up by water ecosystems.

• About three-quarters of Earth's surface is covered by water ecosystems, and about one-fourth is covered by land ecosystems.

How can an animal be a first-level consumer in one food chain and a second-level consumer in a different food chain?

• An animal can be a first-level consumer if it eats plants.

• The same animal can be a second-level consumer if it eats another animal.

• For example, a bear is a first-level consumer when it eats berries.

• The same bear is a second-level consumer when it eats fish.

Open Ended

Why do you think it's important for an ecosystem to have decomposers?

Answer

• Decomposers make it possible for plants to reuse matter that once was part of living things.

• Without decomposers, the matter from living things could not be used again after these living things died.

How can weather affect land ecosystems?

• Weather makes the conditions to support different types of living things.

• For example, if an ecosystem is always hot and dry, it will support desert plants and animals.

• If an ecosystem is always warm and wet, it will support tropical plants and animals.

Multiple Choice

Do you think you'll sort ALL the living things that are found in each ecosystem?

• Yes

• No

Answer:

• No, there are many living things in each ecosystem that you will not sort because there would be too many.

• But you will sort living things that are usually found in these two ecosystems.

Multiple Choice

In order for animals to live, do they need producers?

• Yes

• No

Answer:

• Yes. they do. Plants, algae, and other producers capture light from the sun to produce food. All living things—producers and consumers alike—depend on this food to live.

End of Presentation

To be continued