Life Sciences - Term 2 - Week 7

Ecosystems consist of biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components. Biotic components include plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms, while abiotic components encompass water, soil, air, and climate. These components interact in complex ways, forming food webs and nutrient cycles that sustain life. Understanding these interactions is crucial for studying ecological balance and health.

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life forms within a given ecosystem. It is essential for ecosystem resilience, providing stability and the ability to recover from disturbances. High biodiversity contributes to ecosystem services such as pollination, nutrient cycling, and climate regulation. Loss of biodiversity can lead to ecosystem collapse, affecting human survival and well-being.

Consider a simple grassland ecosystem. Grass (producer) is eaten by grasshoppers (primary consumer), which are then preyed upon by frogs (secondary consumer). If the frog population declines due to pollution, the grasshopper population may explode, leading to overgrazing of grass. This example illustrates how changes in one species can impact the entire ecosystem.

Students will work in groups to analyze a local ecosystem, identifying its biotic and abiotic components. They will create a diagram representing the food web and discuss how changes in one component could affect others. Each group will present their findings, focusing on the importance of maintaining biodiversity in their local area.

Students will choose a specific threat to biodiversity, such as habitat destruction, climate change, or invasive species. They will research the chosen topic, focusing on its causes, effects, and potential solutions. Each student will prepare a short report and a presentation to share their findings with the class.

• Biotic and abiotic
• Producers and consumers
• Herbivores and carnivores
• Primary and secondary

Answer: Biotic and abiotic

Ecosystems are made up of living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components that interact with each other.

• Ecosystem stability
• Increased food production
• Reduced disease spread
• Increased pollution

Answer: Increased pollution

Biodiversity helps reduce pollution by maintaining ecosystem health, while increased pollution negatively impacts biodiversity.

Answer: Biodiversity refers to the variety of different species of plants, animals, and microorganisms in a particular ecosystem.

This definition captures the essence of biodiversity as the variety of life forms in an ecosystem.

• A linear sequence of energy transfer
• A complex network of feeding relationships
• A diagram showing only producers
• A list of all species in an ecosystem

Answer: A complex network of feeding relationships

A food web illustrates how different species in an ecosystem are interconnected through various feeding relationships.

Answer: Habitat destruction and climate change.

These factors significantly impact species survival and ecosystem health.

• Increased ecosystem resilience
• Enhanced food security
• Higher risk of ecosystem collapse
• Improved air quality

Answer: Higher risk of ecosystem collapse

Loss of biodiversity can destabilize ecosystems, making them more vulnerable to collapse.