Living Things and the Environment

Living Things and the EnvironmentA presentation by Ms. MusichVisualize!Picture a forest scene in your head.

What kind of plants do see?

What kinds of animals do you see?

What kind of non-living materials do you see?

Fontainebleau forest, Ile de FranceEcosystemAn ecosystem is all the living and non-living things that interact in a particular area.Animals?Plants?Rocks?Oxygen?Soil?Minerals?

HabitatsOrganisms live within a specific place within an ecosystem.

An organism obtains food, water, shelter, and other things it needs to live, grow, and reproduce from its surroundings.

The place where an organism lives and provides its needs is called its habitat.

For example

A prairie dogs habitat is in underground tunnels. A mushrooms habitat is in moist soil, tree bark, or mossy rocks.Habitats ContinuedAn ecosystem may contain MANY habitats.

An animal or plant lives in a particular ecosystem because it meets the organisms needs.

Habitat Video

Brainstorm!Types of Ecosystems (ex. Forest)

Brainstorm!Types of habitats (ex. Cave)

Checking for Understanding!What is the difference between a habitat and an ecosystem?

HOMEWORK:Pick an ecosystem and create a detailed illustration including at least 3 living items and 3 non-living items. This assignment must be colored in order to receive full credit. NO WRITING REQUIRED. Biotic FactorsAnimals interact with both living and non-living elements in the environment.

The living parts of an ecosystem are called biotic factors.

Quick GAME!Im going to call out a letter of the alphabet. You will have 45 seconds to pick a biotic factor starting with that letter. Try to be creative because if you and another student have the same answer, then youre out.

Winners will receive prizes!Biotic FactorsInclude:All plants

All animals

Decomposers Worms, Fungi, Protists, & Bacteria

Abiotic Factors All non-living parts of an ecosystem are called abiotic factors.

These factors include:Water ~ very important for photosynthesisSunlight ~ without plants we couldnt surviveOxygen ~ animals need it to surviveTemperature Soil ~ provides homes for many animals

With which abiotic factors is the frog interacting with here?

PopulationsWhat do you already know about populations?

A species is a group of organisms that are physically similar and can reproduce with each other to produce offspring.

A population is all the members of one species in a particular area.

For exampleDesigner Dogs AKA Goldendoodle & Morkie

Dogs can be bred with one another because they are all the same species: Canis familiaris

+

=

Golden RetrieverStandard PoodleGoldendoodle

+

=HippopotamusRhinocerous

For Example

The Giant Panda is a species.Panda Facts!

The Grizzly Bear is its own species.

Bears: Whats the Difference?Grizzly Bears Classification: Phylum: Chordata this means the animal has a backbone.Class: Mammalia this means the animal is a mammalOrder: Carnivora this means the animal is a carnivoreFamily: Ursidae this means the animal is in the bear family Genus: Ursus this designates the bear as a grizzly

We classify organisms in order to group them by similar characteristics.

Check out these other bears

SoIf a cat is an organism within a species

My oldest cat, Lucky

ThenAll of the cats within a particular area (my house) are considered to be a population.

LuckyButtonBennyFigaroStella

Other examples of populationsAll the prairie dogs in Texas

All the pigeons in New York City

All the daisies in a field

NOT A POPULATION!All the trees in a forestWhy is this not a population?

The area in which a population lives can be as small as a single blade of grass or as large as the whole planet.

Brainstorm other types of populations.

What makes up a community?

CommunitiesAll of the different populations that live together in an area make up a community.

Remember, ecosystems are made up of more than just one population of species.For example, a ocean ecosystem is made up of more animals than just whales.

A Prairie CommunityA prairie community may include:Prairie DogsHawksTall grassesBadgersSnakesInsectsAnd moreAll of these are populations on their own, but together make up a community.

EcologyEcology is the study of how living things interact with each other and the environment.