Chapter 4: ECOSYSTEMS & BIOMES
Learning Target
Lesson 1
I can identify the
needs that must be
met by an organism’s
surroundings . . .
Vocabulary Word
Definition
Facts or Examples
a ________________
thing
organisms get __________,
water, __________and other
things it needs to live,
________, and reproduce from
its environment.
the _________________
that provides the
_____________ things an
organism needs
Ex. Forest, prarie
organism
habitat
I can identify the two
parts of an
organism’s habitat . . .
biotic factor
abiotic factor
parts of a __________
that are __________ or
once living and
interact with the
organism
___________ parts of an
organism’s habitat
Ex. plants, worms, bacteria,
decomposing leaves,and
other animals.
Ex. sunlight, air, wind, oxygen,
temperature, water, sand,
rocks
Symbol/Picture
I can describe the
levels of organization
within an ecosystem
...
species
a group of organisms
that can _________
with each other and
produce ___________
that can also mate
and reproduce.
Ex. black-tailed prarie dog,
Fox squirrel
population
the members of one
species living in a
____________ ________
Ex. prarie dog town located in
a field in Nebraska.
community
all the different
________________ that
live together in an
area.
Ex. in a Nebraska field, the
community would include
prarie dogs, snakes, hawks,
grass, butterflies.
ecosystem
all the ____________
and _____________
things that interact in
an area
Ex. in a Nebraska field, the
community would include
prarie dogs, snakes, hawks,
grass, butterflies, soil, sunlight,
oxygen, etc.
ecology
the study of how
organisms
_____________ with their
environment.
Lesson 2
I can name and
describe the energy
roles that organisms
play in an
ecosystem…
producers
an organism that
________________ its
own food
autotrophs like plants, algae
get energy from
_____________; some bacteria
get it from hydrogen sulfide
gas
can be first level consumer
when it eats __________.
Second, third, fourth level
consumer when it eats
_____________ that eat other
animals that eat plants.
consumers
an organism that
obtains energy by
______________ on
other organisms.
herbivore
organisms that eat
only __________
Ex. caterpillars, rabbits, deer
carnivore
organisms that eat
only ___________
Ex. wolves, snakes, walruses
omnivore
organisms that eat
both _____________
and ____________
Ex. crows, bears, humans
scavenger
decomposers
I can explain how
energy moves
through an
ecosystem.
a ______________ that
feeds on the bodies of
dead organisms.
organisms that break
down biotic ________
and dead organisms
and return the
_________________ to
the ecosystem.
food chain
a series of events
when one organism
________ another and
obtains energy.
food web
consists of many
overlapping ________
energy pyramid
Ex. catfish, vultures
“Nature’s recyclers”
Ex. mushroom, bacteria, mold
__________ in an
ecosystem
organisms can have more
than one role. Ex. A crayfish is
a first level consumer when it
eats plants but a second level
consumer when it eats snails.
a _____________ that
shows the amount of
____________ that
moves from one
feeding level to
another in a food web
The most energy is available
at the _________ level of the
pyramid. As energy moves up
the pyramid, each level has
________ energy than the level
below.
Lesson 3
I can name and
describe processes
involved in the water
cycle . . .
I can explain how the
carbon and oxygen
cycles are related. . .
evaporation
process by which
molecules of liquid
water ________ energy
and change to a gas.
Energy for evaporation comes
from the heat of the sun.
condensation
process by which a
gas changes to a
__________ and gives
off ____________
water droplets collect around
dust particles and form
clouds.
precipitation
rain, ____________,
snow or ___________
may soak into soil (infiltration)
into groundwater or run off
into rivers and oceans
carbon cycle
producers take in
_______ from the air by
photosynthesis and
use the carbon to
make _________
Carbon is passed to other
organisms by food chains and
returned to the air and soil by
___________________.
oxygen cycle
animals and plants
take in _________.
Animals do this by
respiration (breathing).
Producers release ________ as
a result of photosynthesis
I can define and
describe the nitrogen
cycle . . .
human impact
_________________
reduces the amount of
O2 and causes too
much _______in the air
________________ (burning
trees, factories, car exhaust)
causes too much CO2 to be
in the air.
nitrogen cycle
bacteria “fix” or
change nitrogen from
the ________ into a
form that plants make
nitrogen into
_____________ which
animals eat.
_______________ return
nitrogen from animal and
plant waste into the soil where
bacteria release it back into
the air.
nitrogen fixation
process of changing
free ____________ into
a usable form of
trogen.
This is done by bacteria in
nodules on the roots of
legumes (clover, beans,
alfalfa, peanuts)
a group of ecosystems
with ____________
climates and
organisms
Ex. desert, rain forest,
grassland, deciduous forest,
boreal forest, tundra
Lesson 4
I can name the six
major biomes found
on Earth . . .
biome
climate
average annual
_______________ and
amount of
________________
desert
an area that receives
less than _____ cm of
rain per year
Temperatures can vary Ex.
Namib, Africa – hot day, cool
at night,
Gobi Desert, Asia – temp
below freezing
rain forest
forests in which
__________ amounts of
rain fall each year
________________ – having
moderate temperatures, ex.
Pacific NW, USA
________________ – climate is
warm and humid year round,
ex. Amazon
emergent layer
tallest layer of the
_____________; receives
most ___________
can reach up to _____ meters
canopy
trees up to _____
meters tall create a
leafy roof
understory
layer of _______ trees
and vines around
____ meters high
plants in this layer can
grow in shade
grassland
an area that is
populated mostly be
__________ and other
______________ plants
Most grasslands receive __-__
cm of rain each year. Fires
and drought are common.
savanna
Grasslands that are
located closer to the
______________
receives as much as ____ cm
of rain each year, some small
shrubs and trees grow.
deciduous forest
forest that have trees
that shed their
__________ and grow
new ones each year
common trees are oaks and
maples. Temp varies and at
least ____ cm of rain each
year. Ex. OHIO
boreal forest
________ forest found in
_____________
hemisphere
Ex. Canada & Northern Asia,
contain coniferous trees.
coniferous tree
trees that produce
their seeds in ______
and have leaves
shaped like _________
Sometimes called the ________
forest. Cold, snowy winters,
rainy and cool summers.
tundra
extremely ________
and ______ areas
little precipitation, northern
most latitudes
permafrost
soil that is __________
year round
Lesson 5
I can name and
describe the two
major types of
aquatic ecosystems
...
freshwater
ecosystem
streams, _________,
lakes and __________
Only _____% of Earths surface
water is fresh water
marine
ecosystem
__________ and oceans
___% of Earth’s surface water
estuary
a place where the
______ water of a river
meets the _____water
of an ocean
Many animals use this area as
breeding grounds.
biogeography
the study of where
organisms __________
and how they got
there
continental drift
____________ plates
have moved from a
time when they all fit
together (Pangea)
dispersal
___________of
organisms from one
place to another
Lesson 6
I can identify what
factors affect species
dispersal . . .
caused by gravity, _________,
water, or living things
exotic species
Limits to
dispersal
Other terms
I can explain what
primary and
secondary
succession are . . .
an organism that is
____________ into a
new location by
____________
They have contributed to the
decline or elimination of
native species.
Three things that limit
dispersal are:
__________________
__________________
__________________
succession
Examples:
primary
succession
Examples:
secondary
succession
Examples:
For Primary succession:
Pioneer species
For secondary succession:
Climax species
Learning Targets Chapter 4
Lesson 1
An organism gets the things it needs to _________, __________ and _________________ from its _____________________.
___________________ (living) and _____________________ (nonliving) factors make up a habitat.
The levels of organization in an ecosystem are the ___________________, __________________ and ____________________.
Lesson 2
Each of the organisms in an ecosystem fills the energy role of ________________________________, _________________________ or
____________________________________.
___________ moves through an ecosystem when one animal eats another.
The most energy is available at the ______________ level of the energy _______________. As energy moves up the pyramid,
each level has ____________ energy available than the level before.
Lesson 3
The processes of ___________________________ , ________________________________ and ________________________________
make up the water cycle.
The processes by which _______________ and ______________ are recycled are linked. Producers, consumers and
decomposers play roles in recycling both.
___________________ moves from the air into the soil into living thins and back into the air or soil.
Lesson 4
The six major biomes are ______________________, _________________________, __________________________,
_________________________, __________________________, and _______________________. The one we live in is the
_______________________________________ biome.
Lesson 5
There are two types of aquatic, or water based ecosystems, ___________________ and ______________________.
Lesson 6
_____________________________, _____________, _______________ and living factors are all means of distributing species.
Other factors such as ________________ barriers, _____________________, and _______________ can limit species dispersal.
Other
The difference between primary succession and secondary succession is _______________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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