Understanding Ecosystems What Factors Influence Ecosystems?

Transcription

1 Understanding Ecosystems What Factors Influence Ecosystems? Living Things Affect Ecosystems Plants and animals each other and are parts of an These living parts are factors. Bio means. Biotic factors the and in many ways. provide for, (including ) also for Squirrels make dens in trees. Your probably contains from When animals one kind of, it gives kinds of plants to Animal make the Earthworms help the -- Chapter 4 Lesson 2 Guided Notes -- Page 1 --

2 , soil helps At the same time, too many plant eaters can be harmful. A herd of hungry can eat enough to a tree. A huge swarm of locusts can leave a field bare of plants. Animals one For example, wolves eat rabbits. If the becomes too, wolves can the rabbits. Then the wolves go Without the to eat them, the grasses A change in plants can also cause a change in animals. If dry weather or disease kills the, the rabbits Then the go, too. Disease can also kill animals in an ecosystem. Sometimes, a kind of or changes an ecosystem. CAUSE AND EFFECT: Explain how an increase in plants could affect an ecosystem. -- Chapter 4 Lesson 2 Guided Notes -- Page 2 --

3 Nonliving Things Affect Ecosystems Plants and animals are the living parts of an ecosystem. The nonliving parts include,,, and The parts are factors. They are just as as the biotic factors. A change in the can affect the things in an Too little rain causes many plants to wilt and die. Animals must find other homes. Some may die. An ecosystem with has many plants. Where the soil is, plants grow. Few plants means in the ecosystem. Soil is an factor. Air, water, and soil can contain substances. They can affect all living things. that affects things causes many problems for the,,, and. -- Chapter 4 Lesson 2 Guided Notes -- Page 3 --

4 CAUSE AND EFFECT: How might a change in the water supply affect a rabbit? Climate Affects Ecosystems Climate is a of other factors. Climate includes the of and in a It also includes the of the of the air the. Climate affects the soil. Some climates many to and dead plants. Animals that eat the plants leave behind their droppings. The decaying plants and droppings make the soil richer. Climate the of and in an ecosystem. For example, warm, wet climates support tropical rain forests. summers and winters result in forests. CAUSE AND EFFECT: What would happen to an ecosystem if its climate changed? -- Chapter 4 Lesson 2 Guided Notes -- Page 4 --

5 Understanding Ecosystems What Factors Influence Ecosystems? Living Things Affect Ecosystems Plants and animals need each other Plants and animals are living parts of an ecosystem. These living parts are biotic factors. Bio means life. Biotic factors affect the ecosystem and one another in many ways. Plants provide food for animals, (including people) Living Things Affect Ecosystems Plants also provide shelter for animals. Squirrels make dens in trees. Your home probably contains wood from trees. When animals eat one kind of plant, it gives other kinds of plants room to grow. Animal droppings make the soil richer. Earthworms help loosen the soil. Rich, loose soil helps plants grow. At the same time, too many plant eaters can be harmful. A herd of hungry deer can eat enough leaves to kill a tree. A huge swarm of locusts can leave a field bare of plants. -- Chapter 4 Lesson 2 Guided Notes -- Page 5 --

6 Animals affect one another. Understanding Ecosystems: What Factors Influence Ecosystems? For example, wolves eat rabbits. If the wolf population becomes too large, wolves can wipe out the rabbits. Then the wolves go hungry. Without the rabbits to eat the grasses, the grasses spread. A change in plants can also cause a change in animals. If dry weather or disease kills the grasses, the rabbits starve. Then the wolves go hungry, too. Disease can also kill animals in an ecosystem. Sometimes, a new kind of plant or animal changes an ecosystem. Living Things Affect Ecosystems CAUSE AND EFFECT: Explain how an increase in plants could affect an ecosystem. -- Chapter 4 Lesson 2 Guided Notes -- Page 6 --

7 Nonliving Things Affect Ecosystems Plants and animals are the living parts of an ecosystem. The nonliving parts include sunlight, air, water, and soil. The nonliving parts are abiotic factors. They are just as important as the biotic factors. A change in the water supply can affect all the living things in an ecosystem. Too little rain causes many plants to wilt and die. Animals must find other homes. Some may die. An ecosystem with rich soil has many plants. Where the soil is poor, few plants grow. Few plants mean few animals in the ecosystem. Soil is an abiotic factor. Air, water, and soil can contain harmful substances. They can affect all living things. Pollution that affects abiotic things causes many problems for the Earth, people, plants and animals. Nonliving Things Affect Ecosystems CAUSE AND EFFECT: How might a change in the water supply affect a rabbit? -- Chapter 4 Lesson 2 Guided Notes -- Page 7 --

8 Climate Affects Ecosystems Understanding Ecosystems: What Factors Influence Ecosystems? Climate is a combination of other abiotic factors. Climate includes the amount of rainfall and sunlight in a region. It also includes the repeating patterns of the temperature of the air during the year. Climate affects the soil. Some climates allow many plants to grow and help dead plants decay. Animals that eat the plants leave behind their droppings. The decaying plants and droppings make the soil richer. Climate affects the kinds of plants and animals in an ecosystem. For example, warm, wet climates support tropical rain forests. Hot summers and cold winters result in temperate forests. The frozen tundra suits the hardy caribou. The mosses they eat thrive there. Zebras could not survive in the tundra. They need the mild climate and tender grasses of the savanna. CAUSE AND EFFECT: What would happen to an ecosystem if its climate changed? -- Chapter 4 Lesson 2 Guided Notes -- Page 8 --