Ecology unit YEAR 9 SCIENCE UNIT Lisa Benjamin Plough back Activity: Create a diagram to show the complete energy flow through a FOOD CHAIN. Start with the sun showing how the consumer chains transfer the energy back into the system. Different ways to demonstrate energy flow in an ecosystem: Food Pyramid Food Webs ANIMAL KINGDOM Grouping Animals What do you already know? ACTIVITY Without looking at your notes can you name the 5 kingdoms of life AND write at least one point about each one Try and organise these living things into the 5 kingdoms! Animals Animals are spilt into two major groups: Invertebrates Vertebrates Vertibrates Vertebrates These are animals with a backbone. There are five groups of vertebrates: Amphibians Birds Fish Mammals Reptiles Amphibians Have moist skin Lay jelly coated eggs in water Larvae live in water and breathe through gills Adults live on land and breathe through lungs Changing body temperature Birds Have feathers Lay hard shelled eggs Constant body temperature Breathe through lungs Fish Live in water Breathe through gills Changing body temperature Most lay eggs in water (but some give birth to live young) Mammals Constant body temperature Most have fur or hair Breathe using lungs Give birth to live young (except platypus and echidna) All feed their young milk Reptiles Dry scaly skin Changing body temperature Lay eggs with a tough, flexible covering Breathe through lungs The Platypus Problem Numeracy moment How many… Which groups of vertebrates do you think have the most species in them? Write a list from 1 to 5, with 1 having the most and 5 having the least Category Vertebrate Animals Mammals Birds Reptiles Amphibians Fishes Total Vertebrates Species Totals 5,490 9,998 9,084 6,433 31,300 62,305 Invertebrates These are animals without a backbone There are 3 groups of invertebrates Molluscs Worms Arthropods Molluscs Most have a shell (can be internal or external) Some have no shell Soft body Most breathe through gills Live in water or moist surroundings Worms Can live on land, in water or as parasite to plants/animals Tube like body with no legs Breathe through their skin Arthropods Have lots of legs Exoskeleton (jointed body covering for protection and support) There are 3 groups of arthropods: Arachnids Crustaceans Insects Arachnids Have 8 legs Have bodies divided into 2 sections – thorax and abdomen Crustaceans Breathe through gills Most live in water Insects Have 6 legs Bodies divided into 3 sections – head, thorax and abdomen Quiz Without looking at your notes can you name the 5 kingdoms of life AND write at least one point about each one Try and organise these living things into the 5 kingdoms! Biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem Organisms in an ecosystem can be affected by two main sets of factors; one set of factors is due to the actions of living organisms, while the other set is due to the non-living surroundings. The living factors are called biotic factors. Living factors in the environment include predators, prey, parasites, fungi, infectious organisms, competitors, pollinators, disease and collaborators (such as a breeding partner). The non-living factors are called abiotic factors, also known as physical factors. These include water, air quality, the amount of light, temperature, wind, soil type, humidity of the air, tides, waves, lightning and fires. Abiotic factors Abiotic factors in an ecosystem can determine which organisms can live there. Activity: List as many abiotic factors as you can think of Sunlight Wind Temperature Availability of water Soil nutrients Rocks Abiotic factors influencing organisms Abiotic factors are non-living factors within an ecosystem and include water, temperature and fire. Water: Essential for chemical reactions Most vital factor for land animals Temperature: Affects speed of chemical reactions i.e. metabolism Ectothermic animals (fish, reptiles, amphibians) do not generate their own heat and must rely on the environment to regulate their body heat; they require less food to survive Endothermic animals (birds, mammals) generate their own heat internally and do not rely on the environment to regulate their body heat; they require much more food to survive Fire: Influences the types of plants (fire tolerant, fire inducted germination) and therefore the animals in the ecosystem Biotic factors Activity: List as many biotic factors as you can think of Plants Animals Fungi Micro-organisms (eg. Bacteria) Ecological niche We know that food chains and food webs are a key component of an ecosystem. Producers, consumers and decomposers are all present in order to keep the system balanced. However, within an ecosystem, species also exist within a specific ecological niche. This includes the role and position a species has within their environment, their habitat, the nutrition they obtain, how they reproduce and the relationships with their own and other species in the ecosystem. There are four key interactions within an ecosystem: competition; predator-prey; herbivore-plant; and symbiotic. Biotic factors – Interactions between organisms Organisms are surrounded and affected by other living things. These living things include plants, animals and microorganisms which form a community. The relationships between organisms are classified by how they interact with each other. Competition: organisms are in competition when they obtain the same resource especially if it exists in limited amounts. In the struggle for existence, the weakest individuals die. Predation: One organism kills and eats another organism (prey). Symbiotic: Both organisms live closely together and both benefit from the relationship. Pollination benefits the plants (reproduction) and the animals receive nectar. (Also called ‘mutualism’) Parasitism: One organism lives on or in another organism (host). The parasite feeds off and usually harms the host but rarely kills it e.g. parasitic worms. The parasite can not survive without the host. Commensalism: Both organisms live closely together and only one benefits from the relationship the other is unaffected. Commensalism is the relationship e.g. where arrow frogs raise tadpoles in pools of water trapped in bromeliad plants. Activity: We are going to find an example of one of these in our local ecosystem! Competition, Predation, Symbiotic, Parasitism, Commensalism 1. Go for a quick walk (without being disruptive to other classes) And find one example of a biotic interaction. 2. Explain the organisms you have seen in the interaction and the thpe of interaction you have been able to witness 3. Draw a picture of this interaction 4. Explain to another group what you have learned and they will explain their observations and knowledge with you. Adaptations Organisms are able to cope with the biotic and abiotic factors in their environment because they have special features that assist them to survive. These features are called adaptations. An adaptation is any feature that assists an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment. Adaptations are classified as structural, behavioural or functional features of the organism. Structural adaptations A structural adaptation is an adaptation of the structural part of an organism that enables its survival. Living organisms have needed to evolve over millions of years in order to adapt to changes in their environment. An example of a structural adaptation is the bat’s wings to enable it to fly. The bat’s fingers are very long and form struts to support skin. This forms a wing, which helps the bat to survive by giving it access to a wide range of food sources. The bats can exploit foods such as flying insects, plant fruits or nectar in high trees. Behavioural adaptations A behavioural adaptation is a feature of an organism’s habits, actions or way of life that helps it to survive. An example of a behavioural adaptation is that the Spinifex hopping mouse only comes out at night when the air has cooled, so that it does not lose water and dehydrate. The mouse avoids the heat of the day by remaining in its burrow. A burrow is cooler and the air there is humid, which helps to slow the evaporation of moisture from the mouse. Functional adaptations A functional adaptation is a feature of the way an organism’s body works. When you exercise, your body automatically makes your heart beat faster so that more blood is supplied to your muscles. This is a functional adaptation (also known as a physiological adaptation), not a behavioural adaptation, because it is controlled automatically – you cannot consciously change it. Ecosystem disruptions what can disrupt the balance of a fragile ecosystem? What do you already know about the disruption of ecosystems? What factors can disrupt the balance of our ecosystems? What is biodiversity? Drought, flood and fire: What role do these natural disasters play within an ecosystem? Biodiversity Biological diversity – or biodiversity – is the term given to the variety of life on Earth. It is the variety within and between all species of plants, animals and micro-organisms and the ecosystems within which they live and interact. Biodiversity is usually explored at three levels - genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity Ecological footprints and the keystone species Most ecosystems have a mixture of plants, predators and prey and the balance between producers and consumers in a food chain or web is a delicate one. This balance can easily be upset or broken by natural and artificial means and, if something happens to one of the links in the chain, it can be disastrous for all the others. The ecological footprint is the area of land and water required by a population for survival and reproduction and its critical that we don’t damage this area. Keystone species are critical to the survival of the whole ecosystem. Earthworms are critical to enrich the soil, which enables plants to grow. Loss of all earth worms would endanger the entire ecosystem. The earthworm is a keystone species. Without it the entire ecosystem would be endangered. What can disrupt and upset the balance of our world’s ecosystems? There are many things that can disrupt and upset the balance of our fragile ecosystems – both natural and man-made. Drought, flood, fire, introduced species and human impact all play a role in the destruction of environments and the organisms that live within them. Let’s look at two natural disasters that contribute to the impact on ecosystems – flood and bushfire. Flood Floods are a regular occurrence in Australia. In January 2011, one of the most devastating floods occurred in north-east Australia when huge amounts of freshwater from heavy rainfall flowed into the ocean at the ports of Bundaberg, Gladstone and Brisbane. Marine environments were threatened as sediments, nutrients and pesticides entered the ocean, with the potential to have a significant impact on sea-grass beds. Impact of this kind travels along the food chain affecting everything in its path, particularly if some species have difficulty finding another food source. What can disrupt and upset the balance of our world’s ecosystems? Bushfires Fires that burn natural vegetation in forests, woodlands and grasslands are called bushfires. They can be lit by humans – in a controlled environment or on accident or purpose – but many of them are caused by lightning strikes. There is evidence that bushfires have been affecting ecosystems in Australia for millions of years. Indigenous Australians have been using fire as a means to regenerate the land for many thousands of years. Fire has a major impact in Australia as it promotes the germination of many plant species. Over thousands of year, native plants have evolved and adapted to survive and thrive in the aftermath of these natural events. Human impact on the environment Humans have greatly impacted the delicate ecosystems around the world resulting in the extinction of species, many of which have occurred over the past 100 years. Habitat destruction, introduced species, chemical pesticides, pollution and overcropping are just a few. To learn about the Top 5 human impacts on the environment, click on the image. Are ecosystems resilient? What happens if a whole species is removed from an ecosystem? ACTIVITY;Discussion: What do you predict would happen if the following links were removed from the following food chain types? Rainforest Affect on ecosystem Desert 1 plant species 1 plant species Apex predator species Apex predator species 1 decomposer species 1 decomposer species Affect on ecosystem Lets look at the effects of losing apex predators from a food chain apex predators https://youtu.be/3N4K9n0hNOU What if there were no sharks? https://youtu.be/tAzxkDQFPe0 Bio-resilience Is it possible to restore balance to an ecosystem by reintroducing an apex predator? 1. Complete the worksheet activity 2. Write a paragraph to explain the role an apex predator has in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. How are you going??? - Tutoring/ assignment help available on Friday’s at first break in B3. - Bring in a USB if you would like a copy of the from this unit. resources Useful links The Carbon Cycle – Bill Nye https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Bill+Nye+Carbon+Cyc le&&view=detail&mid=DC3B5B5933B49E7BBECDDC3B5B5933B4 9E7BBECD&rvsmid=550A7ABB1DA46C167C80550A7ABB1DA46C 167C80&fsscr=0&FORM=VDMCNL Crash Course: https://www.youtube.com/user/crashcourse National Geographic: http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/ Image References Slide 7: http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab53/vtulip/Testing%2001/j0437356.jpg Slide 8: http://www.mstworkbooks.co.za/natural-sciences/gr8/images/gr8ll02-gd-0089.jpg Slide 9: http://study.com/cimages/multimages/16/Worker_ant_carrying_leaf.jpg Slide 10: http://ecosystemsbymanuela.weebly.com/uploads/2/4/6/2/24620548/2847915_orig.jpg; https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/5e/e5/93/5ee593cb57755a44ce309ecaf8e432c8.jpg Slide 11: https://images.sciencedaily.com/2012/02/120222154633_1_540x360.jpg; https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Caterpillar_feeding_on_leaf__20140906_121127_(cropped).jpg Slide 15: Unknown source Slide 16: Unknown source Slide 17: http://s2.thingpic.com/images/wA/PwH23KPLuMW1xtDoxzVuTepo.jpeg Slide 18: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Nitrogen_Cycle.jpg Slide 22: Pearson Science Yr 9 student text, page. 282 Slide 24: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Large_bonfire.jpg; http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/water-life-crop.jpg Slide 25: http://5thgradedecker.wikispaces.com/file/view/adaptations.jpg/280531726/411x304/adaptations.jpg Slide 26: Unknown source (image of bat); https://adaptations-of-organisms.wikispaces.com/file/view/PolarBear.jpg/173096817/209x177/PolarBear.jpg; http://science10biomeproject.weebly.com/uploads/2/7/4/7/27473091/4285285.jpg?497 Slide 27: Unknown source (image of mouse); http://helptheredpandas.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/1/2/10129550/716271470.jpg Slide 28: Unknown source Slide 32: http://awsassets.wwf.org.au/img/bi_different_feet_808x236_5174.jpg Slide 33: https://assets.rbl.ms/6453021/980x.jpg Slide 34; http://inapcache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/ausflood_01_03/a01_26457227.jpg Slide 35: http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2010/12/05/1225966/049654-bushfire.jpg; https://tcltickle.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/post-02_banksia-after-fire.jpg Slide 37: http://sciencewise.anu.edu.au/article_image_big/958/growth%20room2.jpg
