6th Grade Chapter 6
- 2. Ecosystems Section 6-1H.W. pg. 156 ques. 1-4 In a forest live many organisms. There might be deer, insects, plants, mushrooms, birds, deer, etc.. All of these organisms, along with other nonliving things, like rocks, and water, composed what we call an ecosystem. An ecosystem is made up of organisms interacting with one another and with nonliving factors to form a working unit.
- 3. Ecosystems An example of when organisms interact with one another would be when a lion hunts down its prey, or when two organisms mate to produce an offspring. An example of when an organism interacts with nonliving things would be when an animal hides beneath a rock for shelter or protection.
- 4. The Largest Ecosystem Ecosystems come in all sizes. A forest is a large one, and a pile of leaves can be considered a small one. The largest ecosystem is called the biosphere. The biosphere is the part of the Earthwhere organisms can live. It includes the topmost layer of the Earth’s crust, all bodies of water, and the surrounding atmosphere. The biosphere is made up of all of the Earth’s ecosystems combined.
- 5. Living Parts of an Ecosystems Some examples of ecosystems are deserts, mountains, rivers, prairies, wetlands, forests, plains, oceans, etc…. Each ecosystem contains many different living organisms. Take a rotting tree trunk for example. Bacteria, insects, birds, and other animals can all live there at once. The living parts of an ecosystem are called biotic factors and they depend on other biotic factors for food, shelter, and protection.
- 6. Nonliving parts of an ecosystem Abiotic factors are nonliving factors of an ecosystem. They include the air, water, soil, rocks, etc…. These factors affect the type and number of organisms living in a particular environment. We are going to take a look at some important abiotic factors such as; water, soil, temperature, and sunlight.
- 7. Abiotic Factors Soil- this is an abiotic factor that can affect which plants and organisms are found in an ecosystem. Not all soils are the same. Within soil there are many elements and compounds, as well as minerals and vitamins that plants and other organisms need to survive. Different soils have different amounts of these vitamins and minerals, and compounds. And these different levels are different for each ecosystem. The soil you find in Iowa is not going to be the same as the soil in California.
- 8. Abiotic Factors Temperature- this also can determine which organisms live in a particular place. Tropical plants will not survive in a dry desert. Water- Water composes most of living things. We are more than 65% water. It also helps out living things carry out many important processes such as digestion and waste removal. Also the amount of water in an ecosystem can determine how many organisms can live in a particular area. It can also serve as shelter and as a way to move from place to place.
- 9. Abiotic Factors Sunlight- The sun the main source of energy for most organisms on Earth. Sunlight is used by plants to go through photosynthesis and produce food. Humans and other animals obtain their energy by eating the plants, so the energy we get from plants was once sunlight.
- 10. A Balanced System Every ecosystem is made up of many different factors that work together. When these factors are in balance with one another the whole ecosystem is in balance. Ecosystems are always changing and many events can change the balance of an ecosystem, like a drought. Some organisms like plants or fish would not survive to long without water and might have to find new homes.
- 11. Relationships Among Living Things Sec. 6-2 H.W. pg 164 ques. 1-4 & pg 172 ques. 1-5 We have to know that ecosystems are organized by scientists so that it is easier to study. They study hoe the members of a group interact with each other and their environments. Now lets look at groups of organisms. Take a sea horse for example. They live in coral reefs in warm waters. The coral reefs are the ecosystem that the sea horses live in. And all the seahorses that live in this particular coral reef are considered a population. A population is a group of the same type of organisms living in the same place at the same time. What are some other populations that might live in this coral ecosystem?
- 12. Groups of Populations Many populations live within an ecosystem, like the coral reef. All of the populations that live in an ecosystem are called a community. So in our coral reef ecosystem the community that might live there are the seahorses, sponges, algae, fish, etc….. The members of a community depend on each other for food, shelter, and some other needs.
- 13. Population Density In this class there is a population of students and this classroom is a certain size. So if there are 22 students in this class and this room is 100 square feet. This means that the population density is 2.2 students per square foot.