UNIT 3 - Ecosystems and Ecology
Part 1 - Species and Populations
Significant ideas
Knowledge and Understanding
Significant ideas
- A species interacts with its abiotic and biotic environment, and its niche is described by these interactions.
- Populations change and respond to interactions with the environment.
- All systems have a carrying capacity for a given species.
- What strengths and weaknesses of the systems approach and the use of models have been revealed through this topic?
Knowledge and Understanding
- A species is a group of organisms sharing common characteristics that interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
- A habitat is the environment in which a species normally lives.
- A niche describes the particular set of abiotic and biotic conditions and resources to which an organism or population responds.
- The fundamental niche describes the full range of conditions and resources in which a species could survive and reproduce. The realized niche describes the actual conditions and resources in which a species exists due to biotic interactions.
- The non-living, physical factors that influence the organisms and ecosystem (e.g. temperature, sunlight, pH, salinity, precipitation) are termed abiotic factors.
- The interactions between the organisms (e.g. predation, herbivory, parasitism, mutualism, disease, competition) are termed biotic factors.
- Interactions should be understood in terms of the influences each species has on the population dynamics of others, and on the carrying capacity of the others’ environment.
- A population is a group of organisms of the same species living in the same area at the same time, and which are capable of interbreeding.
- S and J population curves describe a generalized response of populations to a particular set of conditions (abiotic and biotic factors).
- Limiting factors will slow population growth as it approaches the carrying capacity of the system.
Content |
Core Resources |
Support Material |
Species, habitat and niche Workbook 40, 50, and 51 |
Watch 'An inconvenient truth' and complete the worksheet questions. 1. An inconvenient truth worksheet 2. Species, habitat and niche Use the following quizlet to learn ecological terms: 3. Ecological terms flashcard activity |
Video
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Energy Flow through, food chain, webs and ecosystems Workbook 52, 56, 59 and 60 |
Make notes as you work through ppt 4. Energy flow through ecosystems 5. Notes to fill in 6. Energy flow DBQ |
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Ecosystems Workbook pg 57 and 63-64 |
Working through notes sheets on Ecosystems Food webs show all of the feeding relationships within a habitat.
9. Ecosystem ppt |
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Interactions Workbook pg 65-66 |
Lets explore food chains using a Gizmo: 10. Interactions of the community notes blank 11. Interactions of the community ppt 12. Predator prey worksheet |
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Population growth Workbook p90-96 |
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Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification |
Work through this worksheet using the attached video links: |