Ecosystems 5

Ecosystems

By Gabriel Sánchez

​5th course of primary

​WHAT IS AN ECOSYSTEM?

​LIVING THINGS

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT​

​An ecosystem consists on all the living things and non living things in a specific area and the interaction between them.

interaction​

• flora (plants)

• fauna (animals)

• other organisms

• soil

• air

• water

• temperature

• humidity

• climate​

All ecosystems have living things and non-living things (physical environment)​

​

1. LIVING THINGS: (biocenosis)

All the animals, plants and other living things as algae, fungi, bacteria.

A rich ecosystem has highly diverse fauna (animals) and flora).​

ELEMENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM

​

SPECIES: a group of individuals with similar characteristics. They can successfully reproduce.

POPULATION: All the individuals of the same species living in a particular place.

COMMUNITY: All the populations that live in a particular place.​

BIOSPHERE: All living things on Earth.​

The ducks are a species (the ones from this lake and others that live in other places)

These ducks from the lake are a population ​(they live there)

The ducks, fish, insects, plants... form a community​

​

In this ecosystem...

These antelope are a population.

The antelopes, the plants and the tiger are a community.

Yes, there is a tiger. It is hidden...

poor antilopes.​

In this ecosystem...

Multiple Choice

What is a population?

• Different animals and plants that live in the same place

• Several animals of the same species that live in the same place

• All the animals with the same or similar characteristics, they can reproduce

• All the living things of the world

All ecosystems have living things and non-living things (physical environment)​

​

2. PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (biotope)

Non-living components that interact with living things and with each other.

• Non-living things (rocks, water, air...)

• Factors (temperature, humidity, light...)​

ELEMENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM

​

HABITAT: The place where an animal or plant usually grows or lives.

It has to have good conditions for the living-thing to live there.

​

THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT ECOSYSTEMS, found in two types of physical environments:

1. Terrestrial environments

2. Aquatic environments

Multiple Select

Choose the non-living things, leave out the factors:

• Air

• Temperature

• Humidity

• Water

• Light

​Humid climate and cool summers.

Fauna: bullfinches, bears, wolves...​

​Replace this with your body text.

​Duplicate this text as many times as you would like.

Have a nice day. Happy teaching!

​TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS

1: Forests

​ATLANTIC FORESTS

​MEDITERRANEAN FORESTS

FORESTS are ecosystems with many trees.

Trees provide shelter and food for animals.​

​In tropical areas.

Fauna: elephants, giraffes, zebras, lions...​

In humid regions with cold winters

Flora: grasses, clovers, wildflowers

Fauna: butterflies, grasshoppers, bison, wolves..​

​TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS

2: Grasslands

SAVANNAH

PRAIRIES

GRASSLANDS are large flat areas dominated by grasses.​

STEPPES

In very dry regions with extreme temperatures.

Flora: small shrubs.

Fauna: hares, mice, lizards...​

​TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS

3: Deserts

DESERTS are the driest and hottest places on Earth. Temperature are extreme: very high during the day, very low at night.

​Flora: cacti, small bushes

Fauna: lizards, snakes, camels, scorpions...

​TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS

4: Tundra

TUNDRA is the coldest ecosystem on Earth. It is also very dry. It is located in the land areas near the North Pole

​Flora:

There are any trees.

Lichens, mosses and grasses.​

Fauna: Reindeers, caribou, artic foxes, polar bears, white wolves...

​TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS

5: Tropical Rainforest

TROPICAL RAINFOREST are warm and wet all year long.

Half of the plant and animal species on Earth live there.​

​Flora:

Evergreen trees, orchids, ferns...

Fauna: Snakes, monkeys, jaguars, insects and tropical birds.

Multiple Select

Terrestrial Ecosystems include...

• Atlantic Forests

• Savannah

• Steppes

• Tundra

• Wetlands

Multiple Choice

Forests' characteristics are

• Many trees.

  Always humid climate and warm summers.

• Many trees.

  Some forests are humid with cool summers; others are dry with warm summers

• Many trees. In mediterranean forest we can find bears, wolves...

• Many trees. Atlantic forests have warm summers and Mediterranean forests cold summers.

Multiple Select

The three types of grasslands are:

• Savannah

• Tundra

• Prairies

• Steppes

• Deserts

Multiple Select

What ecosystems have humid or wet climate?

• Tundra

• Desert

• Atlantic Forests

• Tropical Rainforests

• Prairies

These are affected by tides and waves​. The are home to seagulls, oystercatchers, sand fleas and sandworms

​These are shallow areas with sunlight which allow algae to grow. They are home to starfish, seagulls, octopuses, sea anemones, moray eels and seaweed.

AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

Sandy beaches

Rocky shores

There are two types of aquatic ecosystems: marine and freshwater ecosystems.​

1: Marine ecosystems

Marine, or saltwater ecosystems, have high salinity.

This is the deep sea far from the coast.

It is home to jellyfish, sea turtles, tuna, sharks, dolphins and whales.

​Off all the marine ecosystems coral reefs are the richest in number of species.

AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

Open ocean

Coral reefs

Water in MARINE ECOSYSTEMS is in constant movement due to waves and currents

The water is always moving, living things adapt to the flow.

Fish, crocodiles, otters, turtles, frogs.​

AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

Flowing water

2: Freshwater ecosystems

Water in FRESHWATER ecosystems has very low salinity​

Rivers

Streams

Ponds are smaller than lakes.

There are no waves.

Fish, tadpoles, ducks, dragonflies and water lilies.​

​

AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

Standing water

Lakes and ponds

Wetlands

Freshwater covers the soil. Sometimes, during the dry season, the water evaporates.

Ducks, herons, frogs, snakes, water beetles.​

Multiple Select

These are marine ecosystems:

• Wetlands

• Coral Reefs

• Lakes

• Open Oceans

• Tundra

Multiple Select

Freshwater ecosystems...

• Have water with low salinity

• Water can move or not

• Only exist in humid regions

• always have fish

ARTIFICIAL ECOSYSTEMS

1: Terrestrial

FARMLANDS

GARDENS, PARKS, GREENHOUSES, ORCHARDS, ZOOS, TERRARIUMS..

Humans have created artificial ecosystems for their own benefit.

They can be Terrestrial or Aquatic.

ARTIFICIAL ECOSYSTEMS

1: Terrestrial

CITIES AND TOWNS​

​Urban ecosystems occupy only 2% of the land surface on the planet, but half the human population live there.

Fauna: dogs, cats, birds, mosquitoes, rats, flies, pigeons, storks...

Flora: grassess, trees, bushes, flowers.​

ARTIFICIAL ECOSYSTEMS

2: Aquatic

Artificial ponds

Aquariums: to observe aquatic living things

Fish farms: to raise fish for food

Multiple Choice

Farmlands, _________ and parks are artificial terrestrial ecosystems

• cities

• ponds

• rainforests

• fish farms

Multiple Choice

What are these: heat, humidity, light

• a population

• artificial ecosystems

• factors of physical environments

• non-living things