Vocabulary Building / 词汇建设
Before we begin our ecosystem exploration, it's important to understand the key terms that scientists use to describe how living things interact with each other
and their environment. These terms will help us communicate our observations and analysis clearly throughout our investigation.
English Terms
中文术语
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Ecosystem - A community of living organisms interacting with their
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生态系统 - 生物群落与其物理环境相互作用的系统
physical environment
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栖息地 - 生物生活的特定场所
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Habitat - The specific place where an organism lives
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食物网 - 生态系统中相互连接的摄食关系网络
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Food Web - The interconnected network of feeding relationships in an
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生产者 - 通过光合作用制造自己食物的生物
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消费者 - 吃其他生物获取能量的生物
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分解者 - 分解死亡物质的生物
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生物的 - 生态系统中的生物组成部分
ecosystem
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Producer - An organism that makes its own food through photosynthesis
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Consumer - An organism that eats other organisms for energy
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Decomposer - An organism that breaks down dead matter
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Biotic - Living components of an ecosystem
Additional important terms include: Abiotic (非生物的) - Non-living components of an ecosystem; Predator (捕食者) - An animal that hunts other animals; Prey (猎
物) - An animal hunted by others; Competition (竞争) - The struggle between organisms for limited resources; Adaptation (适应) - A trait that helps an organism
survive; Biodiversity (生物多样性) - The variety of life in a habitat or ecosystem; and Sustainability (可持续性) - Using resources in a way that maintains ecological
balance.
Identifying Ecosystems Around Our School / 识别我们学校周围的生态系统
An ecosystem can be as vast as an ocean or as small as a puddle. Our school grounds contain multiple micro-ecosystems, each with its own unique combination of living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic)
factors. In this section, we'll learn to identify and analyze these different ecosystems that exist within our school environment.
Every ecosystem, no matter how small, is characterized by its physical conditions and the organisms that have adapted to live there. The abiotic factors include elements like sunlight exposure, moisture levels,
temperature, soil type, and wind conditions. These factors determine which organisms can survive in each ecosystem.
School Garden Ecosystem
Water Features
Look for planted areas with flowers, vegetables, or ornamental plants. Notice the soil quality,
Does your school have a pond, fountain, or even drainage areas where water collects? These
watering patterns, and sunlight exposure. What insects, birds, or other animals visit this area?
create unique habitats for water-loving organisms and attract visitors like dragonflies and birds.
Tree and Shrub Areas
Urban Surfaces
Trees create their own micro-ecosystems with different light levels, temperatures, and habitats
Even paved areas, walls, and buildings host life. Look for mosses between cracks, spiders in
from ground level to canopy. Look for life on and around trees.
corners, and adaptable plants growing in seemingly inhospitable places.
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." - Marcel Proust
Worksheet Questions:
1.
List 3 different ecosystems you observed in the school. For each, provide the location and at least 3 living organisms you found there.
2.
Describe the physical characteristics (abiotic factors) of each ecosystem. Include measurements or estimates of: sunlight exposure (full sun, partial shade, full shade), moisture level (dry, moist, wet),
temperature (compared to other areas), and any other relevant physical factors.
3.
How do the abiotic factors in each ecosystem influence which organisms can live there? Provide specific examples.
4.
Predict how one of your ecosystems might change with the seasons. What would be different in winter versus summer?
Building a School Food Web / 构建学校食物网
Every ecosystem contains a complex network of feeding relationships called a food web. Unlike a simple food chain, a food web shows all the interconnections between who eats whom in an
ecosystem. Understanding these relationships helps us see how energy flows through the ecosystem and how all organisms are connected.
In a food web, arrows point from the organism being eaten to the organism doing the eating, showing the direction of energy flow. The organisms in a food web can be classified into several
categories:
Producers (生产者)
Consumers (消费者)
Decomposers (分解者)
These organisms make their own food through photosynthesis,
These organisms get energy by eating other organisms:
These break down dead material and return nutrients to the
converting sunlight into energy. In your school, these include:
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Trees (such as camphor trees common in Shanghai)
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Grasses and lawn plants
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Garden vegetables and flowers
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Algae in ponds or damp areas
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Moss growing on walls or between paving stones
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Primary consumers: Eat producers (caterpillars, aphids,
soil:
grasshoppers)
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Fungi (mushrooms and molds)
Secondary consumers: Eat primary consumers (spiders,
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Bacteria
small birds, frogs)
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Earthworms
Tertiary consumers: Eat secondary consumers (hawks,
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Pill bugs (roly-polies)
larger birds)
Worksheet Questions:
1.
List at least 8 organisms you observed in your school ecosystems. For each organism, note where you found it and classify it as a producer, consumer (specify primary, secondary, or tertiary), or
decomposer.
2.
Identify one predator-prey relationship in your food web. Explain how each species might have adaptations that help it either catch prey or avoid being eaten.
3.
Choose one organism from your food web. If this organism's population suddenly increased dramatically, how would it affect the populations of other organisms in the web? Consider both direct
and indirect effects.
Remember that energy is lost at each level of the food web, which is why there are typically many more producers than top predators in a healthy ecosystem. As you build your food web, think about
these energy relationships and population sizes.
Investigating Adaptations / 调查适应性
Adaptations are special features or behaviors that help organisms survive in their specific environments. These adaptations develop over many generations through evolution and natural selection. By studying adaptations, we can understand
how organisms are perfectly suited to their ecological niches and how they overcome environmental challenges.
Adaptations come in three main types: structural (physical features), behavioral (actions), and physiological (internal processes). The school ecosystem contains numerous examples of each type if we look carefully. Even common organisms
like ants, birds, and plants display fascinating adaptations that have evolved over millions of years.
Plant Adaptations
Look for adaptations like waxy leaf coatings to prevent water loss, thorns
for protection, bright flowers to attract pollinators, or seed dispersal
mechanisms
Spider Adaptations
Study web-building techniques, hunting strategies, specialized leg
structures, or venom production
Insect Adaptations
Observe camouflage coloring, specialized mouthparts for different food
sources, compound eyes for wide vision, or warning coloration
Bird Adaptations
Notice different beak shapes for specific foods, feet adapted for perching
or walking, feather colors for camouflage or attraction
Worksheet Questions:
1.
Choose two organisms from your school food web. For each organism, identify and describe two adaptations (structural, behavioral, or physiological). Explain in detail how each adaptation helps the organism survive in its environment.
2.
How might changes in the environment affect your chosen organisms' adaptations? Consider specific scenarios such as:
Human Impact on School Ecosystems / 人类对学校生态系统的影响
Humans are powerful agents of change in every ecosystem, including the micro-ecosystems around your school. Our actions can have both positive and negative consequences for the organisms that share
our space. By observing these impacts closely, we can better understand our role in the ecosystem and make more informed choices about how we interact with our environment.
Common Human Impacts in School Ecosystems:
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Negative Impacts: Littering, trampling plants, chemical use (cleaning products, pesticides), noise
pollution, light pollution, habitat destruction, introducing invasive species
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Positive Impacts: Creating gardens, installing bird feeders or insect hotels, composting, reducing
waste, planting native species, environmental education programs, conservation efforts
Every action we take causes ripple effects throughout the food web. For example, using pesticides
might kill harmful insects, but it can also eliminate beneficial pollinators and harm birds that eat
insects.
Human activities can have immediate visible effects, like litter that pollutes habitats, or more subtle
long-term effects, like changes to soil chemistry from fertilizers. Some impacts are intentional, like
creating gardens, while others are unintended consequences of our presence.
Remember that ecosystems are complex, and human impacts can have unexpected consequences. The best solutions often involve careful observation, scientific understanding, and a willingness to adapt our
approaches as we learn more about how our actions affect the natural world.
Ecosystems Beyond the School / 学校以外的生态系统
Our school ecosystem doesn't exist in isolation—it's connected to the larger ecosystems of Shanghai. The city contains a variety of ecosystems, from
urban parks like Century Park to waterways like the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek. By comparing our school ecosystem to these larger systems, we
can better understand ecological principles and see how different environments support different communities of organisms.
Shanghai's ecosystems face unique challenges and pressures due to the city's dense population and rapid development. Air and water pollution,
habitat fragmentation, invasive species, and climate change all affect the city's biodiversity. Yet these ecosystems also demonstrate remarkable
resilience, with species adapting to urban conditions and conservation efforts helping to protect important natural areas.
Urban Parks
Waterways
Urban Built Environment
Wetlands
Century Park, Zhongshan Park,
Huangpu River, Suzhou Creek,
Streets, buildings, urban gardens
Chongming Island, coastal areas
Gongqing Forest Park
canals
Understanding the interconnections between ecosystems helps us see how environmental changes in one area can have far-reaching effects. This
systems thinking is essential for addressing complex environmental challenges in our increasingly connected world.