Title: Communities
Tuesday, February 5,
2019
Learning Objective:
How do organisms interact in a community?
Starter activity:
Knowledge checker …What do you
know so far?
• Try to answer as many questions
as you can
• You have 2 minutes!
• Don’t worry if you are unsure.
Review your learning
Review your knowledge checker – How many questions could
you answer confidently?
What is your RAG rating now?
I am not confident about…
I can describe some ideas…
I am confident about…
Developing
Describe what is meant by
ecosystem, population, and
community. List some resources
that living things need.
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Securing
Describe why one species
relies on another.
Define the terms community,
population, habitat,
ecosystem, abiotic factor,
biotic factor.
Extending
Describe what a stable community
is and give an example. Suggest
how one species relies on another.
What do animals and plants need to survive?
Animals
Plants
What do animals and plants need to survive?
Animals
Animals need:
1) Food
2) Water
3) Shelter
4) Space
Plants
Plants need:
1) Light
2) Carbon dioxide
3) Water
4) Nutrients
(minerals)
Resources
What do different organisms
need to survive?
Is it different for animals or
plants?
End
TASK:
As we go through some
key words all about
ecosystems write down
definitions for each of the
words on your sheet.
All the organisms and the environment in which they live form
an ecosystem.
Groups of the same species of animals form populations within the
ecosystem.
All the populations of organisms that live and interact in an
ecosystem form a community.
Each population lives in a particular habitat within the ecosystem.
Ecosystems
What is an ecosystem?
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants
and animals) sharing an environment. The largest
ecosystems are called biomes.
What is a biome?
A biome is a very large ecosystem e.g. Tropical
Rainforest.
Developing
Describe what is meant by
ecosystem, population, and
community. List some resources
that living things need.
Securing
Describe why one species
relies on another.
Define the terms community,
population, habitat,
ecosystem, abiotic factor,
biotic factor.
Extending
Describe what a stable community
is and give an example. Suggest
how one species relies on another.
Ecosystems
The animals and plants
within an ecosystem all
interact with each other
and depend on each
other for resources- they
are interdependent.
Ecosystem
All the organisms and the
environment in which they live.
Population
A group of the same species that
live in a particular area.
Community
All the different organisms that live in
a particular area.
Habitat
The area in which an organism or
population lives.
Interdependent
When two organisms are dependent
upon each other.
List as many ecosystems as you can
List as many ecosystems as you can
Tropical rain forest
Savannah grassland
Deciduous forest
Desert
Coniferous forest
Tundra
Ecosystems
The animals and plants
within an ecosystem all
interact with each other
and depend on each
other for resources- they
are interdependent.
Our world contains many different ecosystems – how many can you
think of?
For example:
Forest
River
Mountain
Coastal
Desert
Plains
Habitats within the woodland ecosystem
trees
Tree canopy
soil
Moss bed growing
on rock outcrop
Forest floor
All the organisms living in the forest make up the
forest community
Ecosystem: Mountain
The high grassland is a
habitat
All the organisms living on the mountain
make up the mountain community
The mountainous
woodland is a
habitat
Task:
1. Which
ecosystems
can you see?
2. Identify some
of the habitats
3. Suggest some
organisms you
would find in
the
community.
4. For each
habitat,
suggest
potential
organisms that
could make
up a
community in
the habitat.
GROUP ACTIVITY!!
TASK:
1. Sketch a diagram to show the relationship
between the terms population, community and
ecosystem.
2. Add an example of each to your diagram.
EXTENSION:
What environmental factors would affect the
ecosystem you have chosen?
I am going to use a
pond as an example:
The ecosystem is the community of
organisms and the environment
together.
The community is all the
living organisms
Population
of fish
Population
of water
lilies
Progress Check
What resources do both animals and plants need?
How are populations and communities linked?
List some factors that make up an ecosystem.
Choose two organisms- describe and
explain why their habitats are different.
Review your learning
Review your knowledge checker – How many questions could
you answer confidently?
What is your RAG rating now?
I am not confident about…
I can describe some ideas…
I am confident about…
Developing
Describe what is meant by
ecosystem, population, and
community. List some resources
that living things need.
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Securing
Describe why one species
relies on another.
Define the terms community,
population, habitat,
ecosystem, abiotic factor,
biotic factor.
Extending
Describe what a stable community
is and give an example. Suggest
how one species relies on another.
Communities: keyword matching task
A: Environment
1: all the members of a single species living in a
habitat eg minnows
B: Habitat
2: all the populations of different organisms living
together in a habitat
C: Population
3: all the conditions surrounding any living organism the living things and the non-living things
D: Community
E: Ecosystem
4: a community of animals, plants and microorganisms, together with the habitat where they live
5: a place where plants & animals live eg a pond
Abiotic and biotic factors
Tuesday, February 5,
2019
Learning Objective:
What factors affect the distribution of organisms?
Starter activity:
Knowledge checker …What do
you know so far?
• Try to answer as many
questions as you can
• You have 2 minutes!
• Don’t worry if you are
unsure.
Review your learning
Review your knowledge checker – How many questions could
you answer confidently?
What is your RAG rating now?
I am not confident about…
I can describe some ideas…
I am confident about…
Developing
Identify factors as biotic or
abiotic Use an instrument to
measure
an abiotic factor.
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Securing
Describe how a factor
influences the distribution of
organisms.
Extending
Record measurements of
abiotic factors.
Abiotic Factors
Abiotic factors are the non-living parts of the environment that can
often have a major influence on living organisms.
• light intensity
• temperature
• moisture levels (water)
• soil pH and mineral content
• wind intensity and direction
• carbon dioxide levels for plants
• oxygen levels for aquatic animals.
Developing
Identify factors as biotic or
abiotic Use an instrument to
measure an abiotic factor.
Securing
Describe how a factor
influences the distribution of
organisms.
Extending
Record measurements of
abiotic factors.
Biotic Factors
Biotic (living) factors which can affect a
community are:
• availability of food
• new predators arriving
• new pathogens
• one species outcompeting another so the
numbers are no longer
sufficient to breed.
Developing
Identify factors as biotic or
abiotic Use an instrument to
measure an abiotic factor.
Securing
Describe how a factor
influences the distribution of
organisms.
Extending
Record measurements of
abiotic factors.
Review questions
• 1. Describe the difference between abiotic and biotic factors,
giving a named example of each.
• 2. Re-organise the information into a table of Abiotic and Biotic
factors giving 4 examples of each
• 3. Why are competition and disease classed as biotic factors?
4. What effect do limiting factors have on the size of a
population? 5. How do biotic and abiotic factors act as limiting
factors?
Developing
Identify factors as biotic or
abiotic Use an instrument to
measure an abiotic factor.
Securing
Describe how a factor
influences the distribution of
organisms.
Extending
Record measurements of
abiotic factors.
Key questions
1.What is an abiotic factor?
2.What is a biotic factor?
3. Why is light intensity important for living organisms?
4. Why is temperature important for living organisms?
5. How are moisture levels so important for living organisms?
6. How are soil pH and mineral content important for living organisms?
7. How are carbon dioxide and oxygen levels so important for living
organisms?
8. List the biotic factors that affect the distribution of species
Developing
Identify factors as biotic or
abiotic Use an instrument to
measure an abiotic factor.
Securing
Describe how a factor
influences the distribution of
organisms.
Extending
Record measurements of
abiotic factors.
Light
• Plants grow only where
there is enough light
• Photosynthesis
• The Length of a day is the
main stimulus that plants use
to detect the time of year.
• Germination of seeds,
Flowering and growth occur
at specific times of the year
and can only happen when
conditions are suitable.
Measuring light
intensity
• Light meters can be used to
measure light intensity. The meter is
held at the soil surface and
pointed in the direction of the
maximum light intensity, and then
the meter is read.
• Errors can be made when
measuring light intensity by
accidentally shading the light
meter. The reliability of the results
can be checked by taking many
samples.
Temperature
• Temperature affects the rate of
growth and reproduction in living
organisms.
• Has an effect on biological
processes.
• Most organisms function best within
a specific range of temperatures.
• Temperatures vary between night
and day, also vary during seasons.
• The temperature of the air can be
measured with a thermometer. The
temperature of the soil can be
measured with a temperature
probe.
• Water makes up 70% of the
weight of most living things.
• Essential chemical reactions
take place in water.
• Water transports dissolved
substances inside and
between cells.
• Vegetation is dense where
water is plentiful.
• The distribution of animals is
determined by the type and
variety of vegetation.
• Water is recycled in and
between ecosystems.
Moisture levels
• Soil is important for plant
growth as it provides water
and mineral salts and holds
the plant firmly in the ground
• The type of soil will determine
the type of plant that will grow
there
• Mineral content, pH, moisture,
particle size and composition
all need to be done back in
the lab.
• To do this we need to collect a
soil sample from each area we
visit. The sample will need to
be sealed in a plastic bag until
we perform tests on it.
Soil Analysis
• Moving air
• Wind is greater at high altitudes
which can effect the growth of
trees
• Wind assists in the pollination of
flowers and distribution of fruits and
seeds
Some plants adaptations to survive
in wind:
Sunken stomata
Needle like leaves
Thick waxy cuticles
Wind intensity
and direction
Atmospheric oxygen and carbon dioxide
• Atmospheric gases like
oxygen, nitrogen and
carbon dioxide:
All organisms require
oxygen for respiration.
• Carbon dioxide is used
by green plants to
make food by the
process of
photosynthesis.
Title: Communities
Tuesday, February 5,
2019
Learning Objective:
How do organisms interact in a community?
Starter activity:
Knowledge checker …What do you
know so far?
• Try to answer as many questions
as you can
• You have 2 minutes!
• Don’t worry if you are unsure.