Grade 7 Science
Unit 1
Interactions with
Ecosystems
Chapter 2
Review: Interactions in the
ecosystem
3 types
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Review: Interactions in the
ecosystem
3 types
Abiotic Abiotic
Abiotic Biotic
*Biotic - Biotic
Interactions between biotic factors
in an ecosystem
Symbiosis: Interactions between
the biotic parts of the environment.
There are 3 types:
1.Parasitism
2.Mutualism
3.Commensalism
1.Parasitism
One organism will benefit (the
parasite) and the other is harmed
(the host).
2.Mutualism
Both organism benefit
Commensalism
One organism benefits while the
other neither gains or loses.
Review: Niche
Niche: the organisms job; what role
does the organism play in its
environment. It includes:
where it lives
how it obtains food
how it affects its environment
What roles can organisms play?
Different niches:
Roles of organisms in the environment
4 major Roles:
1.Producers
2.Consumers
3.Decomposers
4.Scavengers
1.Producers
Plants can produce their own food
from the abiotic environment.
(photosynthesis)
2.Consumers
Animals must consume - eat
other organisms. (the biotic
environment)
Can be classified as 3 types
1.
2.
3.
herbivores,
carnivores,
omnivores.
Consumer - Herbivore:
Animals that eat ONLY plants
(producers).
Consumer - Carnivore:
Animals that eat ONLY other animals.
Consumer - Omnivore:
Animals that eat both plants AND
animals.
3.Decomposers
Organisms that break down dead and
waste materials into their basic parts.
3.Decomposers cont..
They make chemicals that break
apart dead organisms and absorb the
nutrients for their own use.
Examples include bacteria and other
microorganisms, fungi and worms.
4.Scavengers
Animals that eat decaying animals
and waste materials.
Examples include vultures, dung
beetle larvae, houseflies, crows and
some gulls.
Food chains
The transfer of energy from organism
to organism.
Arrows show the direction of energy
flow.
Green plants are the food (energy)
source for all consumers and
decomposers.
Energy Flow
**direction of arrows represents
energy flow
Make Your Own Food Chain!
Label the organisms as producer,
decomposer, scavenger, consumerherbivore, consumer-carnivore,
consumer-omnivore
Food chain activity
1.
Pick a card
2.
find the other members of their chain.
3.
Place yourselves in the correct position
within the chain.
4.
Copy down your food chain
5.
Could any changes be made?
Journal entry
Respond to the following in paragraph
form:
Without plants, no living organisms
could exist
Food webs
Interconnecting food chains.
Food webs can be VERY complex
Identify the relationships and
individual food chains in each:
Living food web activity
Pick an ecosystem
Every student pick an organism
Give one student an end to the string.
Where does the chain go from here?
Pass the ball of string to everyone
involved in the ecosystem
How many connections are there?
Food chain to Web activity
1.
2.
3.
4.
In groups of two or three, create a food
chain using index cards.
Write a name and draw a picture on each
of your cards.
Connect each organism with a string by
placing holes in the cards.
When every group is done connect all food
chains created to form one large food web.
Energy in food webs
Many producers are usually required
to provide the energy/food required
for a small number of consumers
Where do each of the
following get energy?
1.
Producers?
2.
Herbivores?
3.
Carnivores?
4.
Decomposers?
Where do each of the
following get energy?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Producers get energy from the sun
Herbivores get their energy from
consuming plants/producers
Carnivores get their energy from
consuming herbivores.
At the end of the food chain
Decomposers get energy from
consuming waste or waste products.
Energy Pyramid
Is a diagram to show how energy
moves and transfers through an
ecosystem.
Activity
Using the following simple food chain:
plants -->mouse--> snake--> Hawk
construct a pyramid to illustrate an
energy pyramid
plants -->mouse--> snake--> Hawk
Where is most of the energy?
Where does the rest of the energy go?
Where does the missing energy go?
Not all energy gets transferred
The missing energy has been used for
living functions such as:
1.
2.
3.
4.
growth,
movement,
reproduction
lost as heat
Journal entry
In paragraph form:
From what we have just discussed,
why would some people say the
following?
All flesh is grass
Nutrient Cycle
Nutrients, such as nitrogen and
carbon, are recycled in the
environment.
All organisms are eventually recycled
and their nutrients are returned to
the soil by the action of decomposers.
The role of decomposers
Decomposers, such as
bacteria and fungi do much
of the recycling in nutrient
cycles
