interactions within ecosystems. grade 7 scienceinteractions within ecosystems what is an ecosystem?

Interactions within Interactions within EcosystemsEcosystems

Grade 7 Science

Interactions Within Ecosystems

What is an Ecosystem?What is an Ecosystem?

Grade 7 Science



• What is What is found in an found in an ecosystem?ecosystem?– Animals and Animals and

PlantsPlants

• An An organismorganism is any living is any living thing, such thing, such as a plant or as a plant or animal.animal.

Grade 7 Science



• Places where Places where organisms live are organisms live are called called habitatshabitats..

• Everything that is Everything that is needed for an needed for an organism to organism to survive would be survive would be found in a habitat.found in a habitat.

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• Non-living things Non-living things that affect that affect organisms are organisms are called called abiotic abiotic factorsfactors..

• What are some What are some examples?examples?– Water, rocks, Water, rocks,

sunlight, and airsunlight, and air

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• Living things that are found in an Living things that are found in an environment are called environment are called biotic factorsbiotic factors..

• Organisms are biotic factors.Organisms are biotic factors.

• How do animals affect each other?How do animals affect each other?– Feed each otherFeed each other– Compete with each otherCompete with each other– Help each otherHelp each other

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What is an Ecosystem?What is an Ecosystem?• An An ecosystem ecosystem is all the is all the

living and non living living and non living things in a particular things in a particular place.place.

• How large is an How large is an ecosystem?ecosystem?– Ecosystems can be very Ecosystems can be very

large, like the ocean or large, like the ocean or forest, forest,

– or they can be very or they can be very small, like under a log or small, like under a log or a nest in a tree.a nest in a tree.

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What is an Ecosystem?What is an Ecosystem?• There are four There are four

ecosystems in Atlantic ecosystems in Atlantic Canada:Canada:– Coastlines and oceansCoastlines and oceans

• Brown seaweeds, Brown seaweeds, barnacles, mussels, barnacles, mussels, starfish, rock crabsstarfish, rock crabs

• Water currents affect Water currents affect temperatures and temperatures and climateclimate

• Larger animals include Larger animals include cod, seals, and whalescod, seals, and whales

• Salt content affect Salt content affect organismsorganisms

• Deep water prevent Deep water prevent sunlight from reaching sunlight from reaching bottombottom

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– Freshwater: Rivers, Freshwater: Rivers, Lakes and PondsLakes and Ponds• Fish such as Fish such as

whitefish and whitefish and sticklebackssticklebacks

• Beavers, muskrats, Beavers, muskrats, ducks, and geeseducks, and geese

• Frogs, insects, snailsFrogs, insects, snails

• Water plantsWater plants

• Rain and snow Rain and snow supply watersupply water

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What is an Ecosystem?What is an Ecosystem?– ArcticArctic

• Northern LabradorNorthern Labrador

• Very low temperatures Very low temperatures and little precipitationand little precipitation

• Permafrost: soil is Permafrost: soil is always frozen one always frozen one metre below the surfacemetre below the surface

• Low shrubs, mosses, Low shrubs, mosses, lichens and small lichens and small flowersflowers

• Caribou, musk ox, Caribou, musk ox, wolves, arctic foxes, wolves, arctic foxes, arctic hares, lemmingsarctic hares, lemmings

• Birds during spring and Birds during spring and summersummer

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What is an Ecosystem?What is an Ecosystem?– ForestsForests

• Much of Newfoundland Much of Newfoundland and Labradorand Labrador

• Summers cool and Summers cool and winters wetwinters wet

• Balsam fir, white birch, Balsam fir, white birch, black spruce, mountain black spruce, mountain ashash

• Moose, caribou, black Moose, caribou, black bear, lynx, red fox, pine bear, lynx, red fox, pine marten, minkmarten, mink

• Sometimes bogs and Sometimes bogs and marshesmarshes

• Peat (buildup of Peat (buildup of decaying plant matter)decaying plant matter)

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• Most plants and animals have Most plants and animals have a range of tolerance.a range of tolerance.

• Range of Tolerance Range of Tolerance is the is the range of conditions within range of conditions within which an organism can live.which an organism can live.– Ex: heat, light, water, etc.Ex: heat, light, water, etc.

• Range of tolerance is the Range of tolerance is the factor that determines where factor that determines where organisms live.organisms live.

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• Abiotic Factors:Abiotic Factors:– 1. Light and light 1. Light and light

intensityintensity• All plants need light to All plants need light to

survive.survive.

• Some plants need Some plants need more light than others.more light than others.

• Animals can survive in Animals can survive in dark and light areas.dark and light areas.

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– 2. Temperature2. Temperature• All animals and plants have All animals and plants have

a certain temperature that a certain temperature that they need to survive.they need to survive.

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– 3. Soil3. Soil• Plants get nutrients Plants get nutrients

from the soil.from the soil.

• Plants grow roots Plants grow roots into soil.into soil.

• Animals form Animals form tunnels for air and tunnels for air and water to move water to move through.through.

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– 4. Air and Wind4. Air and Wind• Windy areas can Windy areas can

affect plant growth affect plant growth since these areas since these areas tend to be dry.tend to be dry.

• Plants usually grow Plants usually grow shorter than normal.shorter than normal.

• Animals that fly can Animals that fly can also be affected by also be affected by the wind.the wind.

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– 5. Water5. Water• All organisms need All organisms need

water to survive.water to survive.

• Some organisms can Some organisms can survive with smaller survive with smaller amounts of water.amounts of water.

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• What are biotic factors?What are biotic factors?

• Ecologists study Ecologists study ecosystems by first ecosystems by first studying a species.studying a species.

• A A species species is a group of is a group of organisms that can organisms that can reproduce to produce reproduce to produce similar, fertile organisms.similar, fertile organisms.

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• When only one organism is studied, that is When only one organism is studied, that is an an individual.individual.

• When many organisms of the same species When many organisms of the same species live in the same ecosystem, they make a live in the same ecosystem, they make a populationpopulation..

• A group of populations which interact and A group of populations which interact and share a common ecosystem form a share a common ecosystem form a communitycommunity..

• What populations are there in Clarenville?What populations are there in Clarenville?

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Habitat versus NicheHabitat versus Niche

• Habitat: the Habitat: the organism’s address; organism’s address; where does it live?where does it live?

• Ex. A moose’s Ex. A moose’s habitat is the boreal habitat is the boreal forest.forest.

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NicheNiche

• Niche: the organism’s job; what role Niche: the organism’s job; what role does the organism play in its does the organism play in its environment. It includes:environment. It includes:– where it liveswhere it lives– how it obtains foodhow it obtains food– how it affects its environmenthow it affects its environment

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NicheNiche

• Ex. A moose lives Ex. A moose lives in the boreal in the boreal forest, it is a forest, it is a herbivore (plant herbivore (plant eater), it provides eater), it provides a home for a home for parasites and it parasites and it provides food for provides food for coyotes.coyotes.

Grade 7 Science


QuestionsQuestions

interactions within ecosystems. grade 7 scienceinteractions within ecosystems what is an ecosystem?

Documents

light intensityall plants

climatelarger animals

light areas

range of tolerance

temperatureall animals

abiotic factors

range of conditions

nonliving things