Activity 1: Interactions in the Ecosystem
While scratching your heads, dive into your knowledge centre, your brain. Based on your current understanding of the words commensalism, mutualism, and parasitism, develop a definition or an example of how it would describe the relationship between two different species living in a close association.
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Your predictions should be recorded in your individual Google document, Sustaining Earth's Ecosystems – Interactions in the Ecosystem.
Once you have finished your brainstorming you should move on to Time to Research portion of this activity. While you are reading the notes below and watching the videos, you should be making notes in your individual Google Document, Sustaining Earth's Ecosystems – Personal Notes, if you prefer you can record your "personal notes" on paper.
Once you have finished your brainstorming you should move on to Time to Research portion of this activity. While you are reading the notes below and watching the videos, you should be making notes in your individual Google Document, Sustaining Earth's Ecosystems – Personal Notes, if you prefer you can record your "personal notes" on paper.
Time to Research (Read, Watch, and Take Notes)
A Quick Review
An ecosystem is made up of many parts.
- Abiotic components: air, water, soil, nutrients, and light.
- Biotic components: plants, animals, and micro-organisms.
- Ecosystems can take up many hectares of land or can be small, such as a tide pool or a rotting log.
- A habitat is where an organism lives. A bird lives in a nest, a bear lives in a den.
Abiotic Interactions in Ecosystems
The abiotic components are what allow the biotic components to survive in an ecosystem.
- Oxygen is produced by the green plants and certain micro-organisms and is used by animals and most other micro-organisms.
- Water is necessary for all life.
- Nutrients often enter the food chain with plants and are very important for growth.
- Light is required for photosynthesis, which is the process in plants that converts and stores the Sun’s energy into starches and carbohydrates.
- Soil not only contains water and nutrients but also is home to many plants and animals.
Biotic Interactions in Ecosystems
A community = all the organisms that interact within an ecosystem.
- A species refers to all of the organisms within an ecosystem that have the same structure and that can reproduce with each other.
- A population refers to all of the members of a certain species within an ecosystem.
Symbiotic Relationships
Symbiotic relationships are the interactions between members of two different species that live together in a close association.
Commensalism – one species benefits, one is not affected
- Example: the barnacles on a whale
Mutualism – both species benefit
- Example: a bee gathering nectar from a flower
Parasitism – one species benefits, the other is harmed
- Example: hookworm living in dogs
Niches, Competition, & Predation
A niche refers to the role an organism has within an ecosystem, physically, chemically and biologically.
Competition occurs when a resource is needed by two or more individuals.
Predation is the relationship between the “eaters” and the “eaten”.
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Biodiversity in Ecosystems
Biodiversity refers to the variety and number of different individuals and species in an ecosystem.
Humans often have a negative impact on biodiversity.
- Healthy ecosystems generally have high biodiversity.
- Most biodiversity losses occur from the loss of habitat.
Humans often have a negative impact on biodiversity.
- Many efforts are now made to lessen this impact in order to maintain biodiversity.
- Ecological management programs try to balance human progress with maintaining biodiversity.
Videos
- Symbiosis: Mutualism, Commensalism, and Parasitism - by Untamed Science
- Parasites - Symbiotic Relationships - by MooMoo Math & Science
- Animal partnerships - David Attenborough - BBC wildlife - by BBCWorldwide
- Amazing Symbiosis: Ant Army Defends Tree | National Geographic - by National Geographic
- Body Invaders | National Geographic - by National Geographic
- Competition, Predation, and Symbiosis | Biology | Ecology - by greatpacificmedia
- Biological Niche & Habitat - by MooMoo Math & Science
- Avoiding Predators: How to Avoid Being Eaten - by naturalistoutreach
- Adaptations of Predators and Prey | Biology for All | FuseSchool - by FuseSchool
Check-In - To Be Completed Before Moving On
Let's have a check in. Take the time to answer the following questions; record your answers in Sustaining Earth's Ecosystem - Interactions in the Ecosystem. (You should be able to answer the following questions without having to refer to your notes).
Lastly take this time to write a new definition, or example, demonstrating your new knowledge for each of the following symbiotic relationships.
- What is the difference between an ecosystem and a habitat?
- What is the difference between a population and a community?
- What is predation?
- What resources do organisms compete for?
- List two ways that prey are able to avoid predators.
Lastly take this time to write a new definition, or example, demonstrating your new knowledge for each of the following symbiotic relationships.
- commensalism
- mutualism
- parasitism