Adaptation
 An adaptation is an inherited behavior or physical trait that helps an
organism meet its needs.
 Animal adaptations include body covering, respiration, reproduction,
locomotion, special features for protection, and special features for
eating food to name a few.
o Example (camel pictures): Camels are very well adapted to
their environments. They have a split upper lip which they use
to get hard to reach vegetation (each half can move
independently). Living in such a sandy environment, camels
have adaptations that help to keep the sand out of their eyes
(double row of eye lashes and a thin eye membrane) and noses
(they can close their nostrils). Camel humps store fat which
can be metabolized and used for energy during times when food
is scarce.
 Some plant adaptations include roots, stems, leaves (different shapes
and sizes for different environments), flowers or cones, seeds shaped
for different modes of dispersal, features for protection (thorns), and
growing toward light.
Questions:
 What is an adaptation?
 List 3 adaptations for an eagle.
 How are polar bears adapted to their environment?
 What are some adaptations of a cactus?
 Why is growing towards light an important adaptation in plants?
Ecosystem
 An ecosystem is made up of all the living and nonliving things in an
environment.
 Nonliving things include soil, rocks, air, water and sunlight.
 Living things include all the producers and consumers in the
environment.
 There are different ecosystems, each with its own temperature,
climate and living organisms. Some of these ecosystems are
freshwater lakes, rivers and ponds, oceans and tidal pools, deserts,
deciduous forests, tropical rainforests, grasslands, and the tundra.
Questions:
 What is an ecosystem?
 What are some nonliving things that make up an ecosystem? Why are
these important?
 What type of ecosystem would a woodpecker best be adapted for?
What living aspects of the ecosystem would the woodpecker need?
What nonliving things would the woodpecker need?
Freshwater:
Marine:
Desert:
Forest:
Grassland:
Tundra:
Niche
 The role that an organism plays in its habitat is called its niche.
 An organism’s role is determined by the kinds of food it eats, what
part of the habitat it lives in, and the different interactions it has in the
environment.
 A niche describes how the species meets its needs and how it affects
other organisms. Some organisms are producers, some herbivores,
carnivores, or decomposers. Some organisms aerate the soil, some eat
harmful bugs, and others help pollinate flowers. These roles help the
survival of the ecosystem as a whole.
o Example: Salt Grass – Salt grass is a producer (it makes its
own food). It provides a home for snails and protection for fish
and shrimp. It is also eaten by snails and other organisms.
When it dies, organisms in the water eat it, and decomposers
break it down to add nutrients to the marsh. Every way that salt
grass depends on and adds to the marsh is its niche.
 All organisms are interdependent. When a species is completely
destroyed, other organisms in that ecosystem are affected.
Questions:
 What is a niche?
 What is the niche of an earthworm?
 What is the niche of a bee?
 What is the niche of a lion?
Habitat
 The place where an organism lives is called its habitat.
 A habitat usually contains all the things an organism needs in order to
live. These things include food, shelter, water, and air.
 The habitat of a dolphin is the ocean. The habitat of a groundhog is a
burrow underground. The habitat of a woodpecker is a tree. Each of
these habitats provides for the needs of each animal.
Questions:
 What is a habitat?
 Compare the habitat of a cactus and an oak tree. How are they
similar? How are they different? What needs do both producers
need?
 List three animals and describe their habitats.
Producer/ Autotroph
 Producers/autotrophs are organisms that make their own food.
 Plants, trees, shrubs, grasses, and seaweed are all examples of
producers.
 Producers take in sunlight through the chlorophyll in their leaves,
carbon dioxide, and water and use them during photosynthesis.
 Photosynthesis produces sugar (which the plants use for food), oxygen
(which the plants give off through their stomata), and a small amount
of water (that is also given off through the stomata).
 Producers are eaten by herbivores and omnivores.
 The niche of producers is to provide oxygen for the ecosystem and
food for herbivores and omnivores. Some producers also provide
shelter to animals.
Questions:
 What is a producer?
 How is a producer different from a consumer?
 What do producers need in order to make their own food?
 What would happen to an ecosystem if all the producers suddenly
died?
Consumer
 Consumers are organisms that cannot make their own food.
Instead, they eat (consume) other organisms.
 Some consumers eat only plants. These are called herbivores.
 Some consumers eat only animals. These are called carnivores.
 Some consumers eat both plants and animals. These are called
omnivores.
 Some consumers eat only dead/decaying things. These are called
decomposers.
Questions:
 What are consumers?
 What are the different types of consumers?
 What type of consumer are most people?
 Describe what type of consumer each of the organisms are below:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Hawk
Cow
Frog
Mushroom
Earthworm
Deer
Spider
Decomposer
 A decomposer is an organism that gets its energy by breaking down
dead organisms and the wastes of living organisms.
 Mushrooms, some bacteria, earthworms, centipedes and pill bugs are
examples of decomposers.
 As decomposers break down wastes and dead organisms, they get the
energy they need to survive, and they return nutrients to the soil.
Plants can then use these nutrients in order to grow.
Questions:
 What is a decomposer?
 Why are decomposers so important for ecosystems?
 What would happen if there were no decomposers? (Think about
plants, animals, and the land.)
 List some examples of decomposers.
Predator
 Predators are animals that have to hunt and kill for food.
 Most predators have adaptations that help them survive.
o Hawks, eagles, and owls have sharp beaks, large talons, and
great eyesight to help them catch their prey.
o Lions learn hunting techniques to stalk their prey. They also
have good eyesight, hearing, agility, speed, sharp claws and
teeth.
 Some predators hunt in packs while others hunt individually.
Questions:
 What is a predator?
 What characteristics do sharks have that make them a good predator?
 Name a predator in each of the ecosystems below:
o Ocean
o Desert
o Forest
Prey
 The animal being hunted by a predator is called prey.
 Rabbits, mice, zebra, deer, and gazelles are all considered prey
because they are hunted by predators.
 Prey have adaptations to help them survive. They usually have great
hearing and give warning signals to other animals around them when
they sense danger. Some prey have large eyes located far apart on
their head so they can better see the area around them.
Questions:
 What is a prey?
 What prey would a lion hunt?
 What prey would an eagle hunt?
 What types of adaptations would help a prey survive an attack from a
predator?
Carnivore
 Carnivores are consumers that eat other animals (meat eaters).
 Some carnivores have adaptations to help them tear the flesh of the
food they eat. Some may have large, sharp teeth. Others might have
sharp beaks.
 Some animals that are considered carnivores eat things we might not
consider meat. Organisms that eat insects are also considered
carnivores.
o Ladybugs eat aphids (an insect)
o Spiders and frogs also eat insects.
Questions:
 What is a carnivore?
 What would happen if there were no carnivores on Earth?
 Name 5 carnivores and the organisms they eat.
Herbivore
 Herbivores are organisms that eat only plants and plant products.
 Herbivores get the energy they need by eating roots, stems, leaves,
flowers, fruits, and sometimes even plant sap.
 Examples of herbivores include elephants, gorillas, deer, cows,
rabbits, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and butterflies.
 Herbivores with teeth usually have flat teeth which are adapted to
grinding.
Questions:
 What is an herbivore?
 Where do herbivores get the energy they need to survive?
 What would happen if there were no herbivores left on Earth?
Omnivore
 Animals that eat both plants and animals are called omnivores.
 Most humans are omnivores.
 Other examples of omnivores include bears, raccoons, ducks,
cockroaches, coyotes, and crows.
Questions:
 What is an omnivore?
 What did you eat today that makes you an omnivore?
 Why are ducks considered omnivores?
Food Chain – Food Web
 All organisms need energy. They get this energy in different ways.
Producers use the sun’s energy, while consumers eat other things to
get their energy.
 A food chain is a path of energy from one organism to another.
o Food chains start with the sun’s energy which is passed to
producers.
o Producers are eaten by herbivores.
o Herbivores are eaten by carnivores.
 A food web shows the overlapping food chains in an ecosystem.
 Arrows in food chains and food webs show the direction that the
energy moves. For example, if the arrow points from a rabbit to a
snake it is showing that the snake gets its energy by eating the rabbit.
Questions:
 What is a food chain?
 What is the starting energy source for a food chain?
 What is a food web?
 Why would food chains overlap in an ecosystem?
 Using the picture on the front of the card, name a food chain.
Competition
 Sometimes organisms have to compete for the resources they need to
survive. This is called competition.
 Trees in a forest may have to compete for sunlight by growing taller
than the surrounding trees.
 Some animals may compete for a mate.
 Some organisms have to compete for territory or nesting grounds.
Questions:
 What is competition?
 Name an example of a competition that might take place between two
animals.
Extinction
 Extinction occurs when a species completely dies out. For example,
the dinosaurs, woolly mammoths, and saber tooth tigers are all
extinct.
 A species can go extinct for different reasons. Climate change,
habitat destruction, disease, and over-hunting can all lead to the
extinction of a species.
 Polar bears are a current day example of an animal that is facing
extinction. Polar bears are losing their habitats due to increasing
temperatures. If the population of polar bears continues to decrease,
one day they will be extinct forever.
Questions:
 How long will it take before an extinct species will come back?
 What are some causes of extinction?
 What are some things we can do to help save the endangered plants
and animals from extinction?