Transcript Unit 1: Interactions Within Ecosystems

Unit 1:
Interactions Within Ecosystems
Chapter 1: Ecosystems
Section 1.3: Biotic Parts of the Environment
(Slide Show #3)
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REVIEW:
Environment v.s. Ecosystem
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Environment
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An organism’s surroundings.
It is a place.
Ecosystem:
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The interactions that take place between the
biotic (living) and the abiotic (non-living)
factors in the environment.
An ecosystem is not a place but rather a
description of what is happening in a place.
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REVIEW:
Environment v.s. Ecosystem

You are now in your grade 7 classroom.
Describe the environment and the
ecosystem.
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REVIEW:
Environment v.s. Habitat

What is an organism’s habitat?
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A habitat is the environment in which an
organism lives.
Can you describe your current habitat and
environment?
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Biotic Parts of the Environment
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In Section 1.3, you will learn four new key
terms:
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Species
Population
Community
Niche
What do you already know about each of
these terms?
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Biotic Parts of the Environment
Introduction (p.24)

Why do you think it is important for
scientists to classify organisms into
different groups?
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Biotic Parts of the Environment
Introduction (p.24)

One way that scientists group
organisms is to identify
different species.
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A species is a group of
organisms that can
reproduce among
themselves to produce
offspring of the same type
that can also reproduce
successfully.
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For example: Cats and
dogs are different species
since they cannot mate
with each other.
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Biotic Parts of the Environment
Levels of Organization (p.25)
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
Let’s say that a scientist wanted to study
dogs. There are simply too many dogs in
the world to consider them all at one time!
So, usually, scientists consider just the
number (of dogs) in a particular ecosystem.

A population is the entire group of
individuals of the same species that live
together in one ecosystem at the same
time.
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Biotic Parts of the Environment
Levels of Organization (p.25)

What is the
population of dogs in
this picture?
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Biotic Parts of the Environment
Levels of Organization (p.25)
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Within any ecosystem there are many different
populations of species.
Below, list at least 5 types of organisms that you
would find during a fieldtrip of our schoolyard.
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These organisms you listed, along with all the other
organisms in our schoolyard, form a community.
Definition: All the interacting populations that live
together in an ecosystem form a community.
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Biotic Parts of the Environment
Levels of Organization (p.25)

How would you
describe this
community of
organisms?
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Biotic Parts of the Environment
Niche (p.25)
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Within a community, each species uses
the resources of the ecosystem in a
slightly different way.
A niche describes the organism’s
specific function (or job) in a particular
community.

It includes where it lives, how it feeds,
what it feeds on, and how it interacts with
its environment.
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Biotic Parts of the Environment
Niche (p.25)
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The niche of a moose:
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Lives in the boreal forests, bogs, and river
and pond edges.
Feeds on plants
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Sometimes they can have a negative impact on
plant growth where populations are not controlled
(by hunting)
Provides food for wolves
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In NL, no natural predators (although, sometimes
bears will eat calves or the very old).
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Biotic Parts of the Environment
Review
Choose an organism from the
picture. Use it to describe
the following:

Environment:

Ecosystem:

Habitat:
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Biotic Parts of the Environment
Review
(continued…)
 Species:
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Population:
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Community:
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Niche
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