Transcript What are Ecosystems?

What are Ecosystems?
Chapter 2 Lesson 1
Ecosystem
• An ecosystem is an area where organisms
interact with one another as well as with the
nonliving parts of the environment.
• An ecosystem has both biotic and abiotic
parts
Biotic
Abiotic
• The biotic parts are the
living parts of an ecosystem.
This includes everything
from tiny bacteria to
gigantic trees.
• These parts help shape the
environment and also
interact with one another.
• The abiotic parts of an
ecosystem are its nonliving
parts, such as climate,
water, soil nutrients, light
and air.
• These parts help determine
what lives in it IE : climate,
temperature and moisture
levels
Population
• A population is a group of organisms of the
same species living together in an ecosystem.
Community
• All of the populations living in an ecosystem
make up a community.
Habitat
Mrs. K’s Habitat
• An organism’s habitat is the
part of the ecosystem in which
it lives.
• The habitat supplies everything
the organism needs- heat, light,
water, food, and shelter
Niche
• An organism’s niche is its role in an ecosystem.
– This includes everything the organism needs and
everything it does, such as how it gets food and
where it finds shelter.
Look at the broader picture…
• Organisms with a narrow niche usually live in
one particular habitat. They eat only a certain
type of food or live in only a small range of
conditions. How do you think a narrow niche
relates to a species becoming endangered?
Diversity
• Diversity is the variety of species in an
ecosystem.
• Some ecosystems are very diverse, while
others have just a few species.
• Climate and location are two of the most
important factors of diversity in an ecosystem
What location, do you think, has the most
diversity….
– Further from the equator?
– Closer to the equator?
HUMANS
• The actions of people are making ecosystems
less diverse.
• Can you brainstorm some ways that people
destroy habitats and/or food sources?
• Within an ecosystem, what do you think this
affects?
What are some things we can do to help the
ecosystems?
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