1. Biotic Factors: The living parts of an ecosystem.
Examples:
Animals
Fungus
Trees
Plants
Humans
Bacteria

2. Abiotic Factors: Non-living parts of an ecosystem.
Examples: -Soil -Rocks -Minerals -Water -Air/Gases -Weather/Climate

3. Biosphere: Area where there are living things on earth
-From the bottom of the ocean to 10 miles of atmosphere.

4. Biome:
A large natural area classified by its characteristics of vegetation and climate.

5. Ecosystem: A habitat where a community of organisms—animals, people, and plants—interact with one another and with their physical environment. It includes other components such as soils, water, and nutrients that support the organisms living in an ecosystem. Human well-being depends on the services provided by ecosystems and their components.

6. Examples of Ecosystems
River
Stream
Puddle
Rainforest
Forest
School

7. Using your homework from last night, explain how your biotic factors rely on each other and on the abiotic factors of your ecosystem to survive.

8. Read the front and back page on the board titled “The Biosphere
Read the front and back page on the board titled “The Biosphere.”Write the following sentences in your notes section and fill in the blanks with these words: population, biome, niche.
A __________ is specific to a creature. It usually explains how something behaves, lives, and protects itself. A habitat is smaller than an ecosystem and is classified by the ___________ or community. We live in an area with a temperate deciduous forest. This area named for its vegetation and climate is called a __________.

9. Read the front and back page on the board titled “The Biosphere.”
Think about the differences between a biome, ecosystem, habitat and niche.

10. Primary Producer Any living plant-like organism that produces energy.
Produces it’s own energy through photosynthesis.
Examples: Tree, Flowers, Blueberries, Watermelon, Algae

11. Consumer
Any organism that eats another organism to gain energy.

12. Primary Consumer
An organism that directly eats primary producers. (Plants)- Plant-eating animals
Examples: Caribou, Elk, Deer, Flying Squirrels, Insects, Zebras

13. Secondary Consumer Eats primary consumers (Eats the plant-eater).
Examples: Owls, Weasels, Raccoons, Skunks

14. Tertiary Consumer
Can eat secondary and primary consumers
Examples: Lions, Tigers, Bears, Humans,

15. Carnivore A living organism that only eats meat
Carnivore A living organism that only eats meat. Herbivore A living organism that eats only plants. Omnivore A living organism that eats both plants and animals.

16. Share 10 biotic factors with your group and their classifications
Share 10 biotic factors with your group and their classifications. Be sure to circle any answers that you are unsure of.

17. Food Web
Interconnected food chains that show the diversity of animals eating habits.

18. Food Chain
Links that show the relationship between biotic factors in an ecosystem.

19. Decomposers
A biotic factor that breaks down dead organisms.

20. Adaptation
A change in an organism that allows it to change to its environment or be more successful.

21. Structural Adaptation
When an animal has something specific about their body that helps them to survive.
A change in the organism’s body that happens over time.

22. Functional Adaptation
Allows the organism to adjust its body systems or functions to different environments.

23. Behavioral Adaptation Helps an animal find food, protect itself or its young, or build homes.

24. Structural Adaptations
Examples:
Polar Bear thick skin-keep warm
Giraffes have long necks-reach leaves
Deer and Elk flat teeth-grind food
Tiger and Lions sharp teeth-rip apart meat
Birds beaks to eat-different wings to fly/swim/soar
Camel has hump to store water and fat
Ducks have webbed feet-to swim

25. Functional Adaptations
Examples:
Mammals warm blooded-keep body temp (Some mammals have ability to hibernate)
Cold-Blooded animals- change body temp
Alligator/Turtle- lungs can fill to stay under water

26. Behavioral Adaptations
Examples:
Migration- food, warmth, housing
Hibernating- (Gathering food for winter, eating before winter.)
Beaver-Builds home and dam around water