Ecosystems- Readings

Levels of Organization and

Components of an

Ecosystem

Directions: Read the passages and answer the

questions. If you don’t know an answer, look back at

the reading passage.

An ecosystem is a large, biological community of organisms, both living and non-living, interacting with one

another and their physical environment to sustain life. From marine ecosystems to deserts, the savanna to

the grasslands, ecosystems are diverse and varing. With an ecosystem, there are both biotic and abiotic

factors that contribute to sustaining life. Biotic factors are living things like animals, plants, and bacteria,

whereas abiotic factors are non-living things like air, temperature, and rocks. Both factors help plants and

animals flourish in the ecosystem.

There are three different types of biotic factors-

producers, decomposers and consumers, Producers

are organisms that use energy from the sun to create

their own food, like green plants using photosynthesis.

Decomposers are organisms that get their energy by

feeding on producers or animals that eat producers.

These biotic factors co-exist, cooperate, and compete

with one another within the ecosystem.

Dropdown

The living things in an ecosystem are the ​

Select answer

and the non-living things in an ecosystem are the ​

Select answer

Match

Match the following

• Producer

• Consumer

• Decomposers

organisms that use energy to create their own food

organisms that get their energy by feeding on other organisms

organisms that decompose organic material

• organisms that use energy to create their own food

• organisms that get their energy by feeding on other organisms

• organisms that decompose organic material

Labelling

Drag the labels to the correct place on the picture.

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

biotic

abiotic

biotic

Abiotic factors are important for survival, and there are three- sunlight, temperature, and water. Sunlight is

required for plants to grow, and it provides energy to warm the earth’s atmosphere. Temperature impacts

the types of animals and plants will adapt, migrate, or become dormant in order to survive in their

environment. Water is crucial for survival; without it, life would cease to exist! Most all organisms use

water in some way to sustain life.

Within an ecosystem, there are different levels of organization. The

smallest level is the organism, which is simply a life form. Next is a

niche, which is the organism’s role in an ecosystem and how the

organism responds to the the resources around it. A habitat comes

next,the natural home or environment of animals, plants, and other

organisms. A population is all of the organism of one species that

make up the group and a community is all the populations living in

an area. The ecosystem is the broadest and largest level of

organization, and the place where all living and non-living

organisms come together to live in harmony.

Match

Match the following

• organism

• populations

• community

• ecosystem

a single life form

all of the organisms of one species that make up a group

all the populations living in an area

place where all living and non-living organisms interact

• a single life form

• all of the organisms of one species that make up a group

• all the populations living in an area

• place where all living and non-living organisms interact

Poll

The role an organism plays in ints environment is its ________.

• habitat

• niche

• population

• ecosystem

Multiple Choice

The place where an organism lives is its ________.

• niche

• habitat

• ecosystem