Unit 2

In order to understand our natural environments it is crucial that we appreciate the complex interrelationships between the biotic (living plants and animals) and abiotic (non-living structures such as rocks, soils, sunshine and water)

All ecosystems consist of a number of components that must interact in order to function well

Any change in one component of an eco system will result in changes to other elements of the system

Changes to vegetation of a forest ecosystem that involve the removal of habitat such as hollow bearing trees will impact on breeding c

Questions1. Using your observations from last weeks

bike ride, explain how much of an impact you feel the drought has had on the local wetland environments. List as many changes as you can

2. Using the data collected during last weeks ride how would you rate the overall quality of the natural environment you visited. Explain why

3. What could you say about the level of biodiversity within quadrats 2 & 3

(Refer to the picture)

4. Compare your results from all 3 Quadrats. What are the similarities? What are the differences?

5. Why do you think there are similarities between the Quadrat at the school and our samples during the ride?

6. If we were to complete a Quadrat at another location (Alpine Area) what would be notice?

Complete Learning Activity 2.4 on page 70

Organisation of MaterialEarthBiosphereEcosystemCommunityPopulationOrganism

The BiosphereA shell approx 20km wide surrounds the

Earth and stretches from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains

Within the biosphere there are 3 major regions of the earth that interact:The Atmosphere – a gaseous envelope of air

surrounding the EarthThe Hydrosphere – all water on the water,

including vapour in atmosphere, oceans, lakes, rivers and ice caps

The Lithosphere – the soil and rocky crust of the earth, its mantle, and core of molten rock

Components of an ecosystemThe interaction occurring between organisms

and their environments is referred to as an ecosystem

The concept of an ecosystem was developed to make the study of different parts of the biosphere easier. The components of an ecosystem can be grouped in various waysOrganismSpeciesPopulationCommunity

Organism - Refers to individual living things

A species is a group of organisms of the same type, which are capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring

A population is a group of organisms of the same species living together in the one area

A community consists of a number of populations of different species living together in a particular environment