Ecosystem 4th Grade Mrs. Turk’s Science Class

Examples of Ecosystems

Learner Expectations Content Standard: 4.24 Identifies how matter and energy do or do not cycle in a ecosystem. Describes how matter cycles in a ecosystem (nutrients, producers, consumers and decomposers) but energy must always be added. Learning Expectations: The student will investigate how living things interact with one another and with non-living elements of their environment. Investigate the relationships among organisms in a specific ecosystem.

Vocabulary Ch.1 system stability ecosystem population community habitat decomposer energy pyramid consumer niche food web

Vocabulary producer energy pyramid climate diversity climate diversity intertidal zone near-shore zone open-ocean zone

Vocabulary Ch. 2 succession reclamation conservation redesign preservation

In this activity you will: Learn how living things interact with one another and with non-living elements of their environment. Write a paragraph using three facts you learned from this presentation.

What is a Population? A population is one species living in a specific area. For example, all foxes living in an area form a population. Another example, all dandelions growing in an area form another population.

What is a Community? A community is formed from all living populations found in an area. All the foxes, dandelions, grasshoppers, snakes, hawks, deer, and skunks living in one area each form their individual populations, but together make up a community.

What is a Ecosystem? An ecosystem is formed by the interactions between all living and non-living things How do living and non-living things interact in an environment?

What is Ecology? Ecology is how living and non-living things affect each other in their environment. We have already named several living things found in a community. Can you name non-living things in your community?

Non-living parts of your community Buildings Roads Bodies of water Automobiles Traffic lights

How non-living and living things affect each other Building more homes drives many animals out of their natural habitats or communities. Littering can destroy an animals habitat. Air pollution from automobiles and factories will affect the quality of life for all living things in a community, including people.

Writing Activity Write a paragraph about the effects that living and non-living things have on each other. Include three facts from this presentation and one fact that you discovered on your own.