Study of an Ecosystem
You are required only to study any one
ecosystem, and to know five animals and five
plants from your ecosystem.
Examples of Flora (plants) that live in a
grassland
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Examples of Flora (plants) that live in
grassland.
1. Grass
2. Clover
3. Dandlion
4. Buttercups
5. Nettles
Plants
Grasses
Clover
Buttercups
Dandelions
Daisies
Nettles
Poppies
Thistles
Dock
Primrose
Bluebell
Examples of Fauna (animals) that live in a
grassland?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Fauna that live in a Grassland Habitat.
1. Snail
2. Squirrel
3. Bee
4. Ant
5. Woodlouse
Animals H = herbivore, C = carnivore,
O = omnivore, D = detritus feeder (detritus is dead and decomposing
organisms)
» Earthworms (D)
Rabbits (H)
Ladybirds (C)
» Slugs (H)
Foxes (C)
Wasps (H, C)
» Beetles (C, H, O)
Thrushes (C)
Moths (H)
Caterpillars (H)
Snails (H)
Badgers (O)
Bees (H)
Spiders (C)
Hedgehogs (O)
Butterflies (H)
Aphids (H)
Blackbirds (O)
Vertebrae: animals with a backbone
e.g frogs, rabbits, foxes
Invertebrates: Animals which do not have a
backbone
e.g. snails, slugs, worms, woodlice
Grassland: Draw a plan view map of the
grassland habitat
Use a key on the map to identify locations of
trees, roads, footpaths etc. Use a
compass to identify direction of north
• The study of an ecosystem involves
studying a number of sample habitats, as
follows:
• Mapping
• identifying plants and animals
• estimating the numbers of plants and
animals
• measuring the environmental (abiotic)
factors
• presenting the information
Apparatus to Identify organisms
You must be able to draw, identify and give a
function of each piece of equipment.
Equipment
Pooter
Pitfall Trap
Cryptozoic Trap
Beating Tray
Quadrat
Diagram
Function
Device
Procedure
Collected
Trowel
Dig
Plants, animals in soil
Pooter
Suck
Insects
Beating Tray
Shake bushes
Crawling animals
Pitfall trap
Sink into soil or sand
Crawling animals
Sweep net
Sweep through grass
Insects
Method
Procedure
Tullgren Funnel
Heat Soil (using a lamp) Small organisms from soil
Baerman Funnel
Heat soil in water
Small organisms from mud
Mammal traps
Set the trap
Mammals
Potassium permanganate
solution
Pour onto soil
Cryptozoic trap
Place on ground
Organisms
Earthworms
Slugs, snails, worms,
woodlice
A key is used to identify and name
organisms
A qualitative study records the presence or
absence of species.
A quantitative study records the number of
each species.
• A quantative study of plants in a habitat
involves using:
• Quadrats:
Advantages of Quadrats: 1. quick & easy to
obtain results 2. Widely used so results
are comparible
Disadvantages: 1. Can only be used to
identify slow moving animals 2. Cannot be
used for big things eg. Big trees.
Percentage Cover – The area of ground
occupied by ariel parts of plants
• Transects:
(a) Line transect (rope marked at intervals
– record what touches the line).
(b) Belt transect
(equivalent to quadrats
taken in a line –
methods used are the
same as for quadrats).
Quantitative studies can be:
• subjective (i.e. a personal judgement is
made as to the number)
• objective (i.e. an independent method of
calculating numbers is used)
Subjective methods are not recommended,
because they depend on individual
judgements, which may vary from person
to person.
•
A quantitative study of animals in a habitat involves
using:
the capture–recapture method, i.e.
Number =
C 1st × C 2nd
_____________
M 2nd
Method:
1. Go out first day and collect small animals e.g. snails
2. Mark animal on undersurface using non toxic nail polish count and release snails C1
3. Return a week later and capture a number of snails
4. Record the number you catch C2 . Count the number of sails marked on the first
visit you marked M1.
5. Release the snails back into the same place.
6. Do calculation
Three sample abiotic factors
Ecosystem
Sample factors
Grassland
Air temperature Thermometer
Soil pH
pH meter or
universal indicator
Light intensity
Measured by
Light meter
• Organisms show many adaptations that
allow them to survive in their habitat.
• The results of a study
can be presented in tables,
lists,
charts,
graphs,
diagrams, etc.
Effects of abiotic factors
Ecosystem
Abiotic factor
Influence
Grassland
Air temperature
Temperature
differences in different
parts of the grassland
will affect how well the
plants (and animals)
grow
Soil pH
Soil pH will favour
some plants and
therefore some
animals
Light intensity
Grasses grow better
at higher light
intensities