UNIT 6: ENVIRONMENT

ECOSYSTEM

INTRODUCTION
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things that occur naturally. The term is
most often applied to the Earth or some parts of Earth. This environment encompasses the interaction
of all living species, climate, weather, and natural resources that affect human survival and economic
activity. The concept of the natural environment can be distinguished by components:
• Complete ecological units that function as natural systems without massive civilized human
intervention, including all vegetation, microorganisms, soil, rocks, atmosphere, and natural
phenomena that occur within their boundaries and their nature.
• Universal natural resources and physical phenomena that lack clear-cut boundaries, such as air,
water, and climate, as well as energy, radiation, electric charge; and magnetism, not originating from
civilized human activity. A structure of life and interaction between organisms and their surroundings
can be shown· in the following relationship based on increasing level of their complexity.
________________________________________________________________________
 Organism: is an _______________ living thing.
 Population: a group of organisms of the __________________ living together.
 Community: a group of organisms of __________________ living together in the same habitat.
 Ecosystem: _________________ in a given habitat and their interaction with their
___________ environment.
 Biome: a _______________________ which have their own characteristics.
 Biosphere: a thin _________________________ at the surface of the earth.
 Environment: is the sum of ________________(biotic) and ____________ (abiotic) component
in a given habitat.

CLASS WORK-
With your friend, choose an ecosystem and identify its parts.
 6.1 ECOSYSTEM
Ecosystem: is a ______________________ with the habitat in which they live or it is a given area
where biotic factors interact with abiotic factors.
 Biotic factors: consists of _____________________ in the ecosystem. It includes:
O___________
o ___________
o ___________
 Abiotic factors: Consists all ______________________ of the ecosystem. These include:
- Climatic factors such as; _____________________________________________ etc ...
- Edaphic factors: related to characteristic ____________________.
- Physiographic factors: related to the________________ of the land.
The size of an ecosystem ranges from small ecosystems like a single tree, aquarium or forest to big
ecosystem like biomes (desert, grass land etc.) sea, ocean even the whole world.
Types of Ecosystem
Ecosystem can be categorized and defined in various ways. They can be classified based on:
- ___________________ of plants and animals, they contain.
- ________________ conditions
- __________________ or __________________ etc ...
Basically, ecosystems can be categorized into two major types. These are:
1.Aquatic ecosystem
2.Terrestrial ecosystem
1.Terrestrial ecosystem: AII the ecosystems found ___________________. It Includes:
O_________________ ecosystem
o _________________ ecosystem
o _________________ ecosystem
i) Tropical rain forest
Tropical rain forest is an ecosystem which gets ________________________ (200- 400 Cm). - It has
a temperature of 20°C - 30°C, which is ____________.
-The rain falls ________________________. Thus, it has _____________________ season.
- It is a _____________for variety of organisms.
Among variety of plant species living in this ecosystem some of them include:
  ____________
 ____________
 ____________
 ____________
 _______________
 _______________
Among animals living in tropical rainforest some of them are:
• _____________ (termites, beetles and moths)
• _____________ (lizards, snake, crocodile)
• _____________ (rabbit, deer, chimpanzee, hyena, tiger)
• ______________
ii) Desert
Desert is a part of terrestrial ecosystem which gets ___________________________
- The annual rainfall is __________Cm.
- It is also characterized by ______________________.
- There is __________________ and___________ in desert ecosystem.
Animals living in desert include: Snakes, Desert Rats , Lizards, Bats, Birds, Rodents, Camel, Rabbits,
Kangaroo , Arthropods (Millipede, centipede, Scorpion etc.)
Plant that grow in desert include:
o ________________ like cactus, acacia, thorny bushes, euphorbia and desert rose.
o ________________ like welwithschia
iii) Grassland (Savanna)
Grass land is an ecosystem where the average annual rainfall is _______________________.
- It is ________________to support the growth of __________and other _________________ but it
is ____________to support ______________________ cover.
- It is a habitat for _____________________like zebra, giraffes, wild beets etc.
- It also ____________________________ like lion and tiger.
2. Aquatic system
Aquatic ecosystem includes all the ecosystems found in water bodies They can be
 Marine ecosystem: is ________________________.
Example: ________________________
 Fresh water ecosystem: __________________________.
It consists of available food and water. Animals living in fresh water are:
Fish - Insects
Frog -Worms
Birds -Protozoa
Crocodiles
Plants growing in fresh water includes Aquatic plants, Algae, etc.
Examples of fresh water habitat are river, pond, stream and lake.
Aquarium
Aquarium is an _____________________ of ____________ for keeping and studying aquatic
animals and plants.
It is important for showing the _______________ between plants and animals. Animals exhale
carbon dioxide which plants need for photosynthesis and plants releases oxygen which is needed by
animals for respiration. Such aquarium is called ______________________.

CLASS WORK-
ECOSYSTEM CLIMATE ORGANISMS PRESENT
 HOMEWORK- 9
Text book, Page 124-125 on text book

HOMEWORK- 10
1. Which one is written in correct sequence of level of organization from simple to complex in the
biosphere?

a. Organism___population___community_____ecosystem____biome___biosphere

b. Organism___population___environment__community____biome__biosphere

c. Population___organism___community___ecosystem___biome___biosphere

d. Biosphere___biome____community____ecosystem____population__organism

2. What are the components of an ecosystem?

a. Living things and abiotic factor c. Climatic factors and soil factors
b. Plants and animals d. Plants, animals and decomposers

3. In which ecosystem of the world are cacti and euphorbia commonly found?
a. Fresh water c. Rain forest
b. African savanna d. Desert

4. Which of the following are biotic factors?

a. Bacteria and green plants c. Living and nonliving things
b. Animals and climate d. Temperature and soil

5. Which habitat is characterized by high salt concentration?

a. River b. Sea c. Pond d. Lake

6. Which of the following is a biotic component of an ecosystem?

a. Sunlight c. Fungi
b. Rainfall d. Soil

7. Which of the following part of the earth are believed to contain the highest biological diversity?

a. Tropical rain forest c. Savanna grassland

b. Sahara desert d. Grass land

8. The smallest component of an ecosystem is:

a. Environment b. Community c. Population d. Organism
9. Which of the following ecosystem is characterized by the presence of plants like cacti, euphorbia
and thorny bushes?
a. Rain forest c. Fresh water
b. Grass land d. Desert

10. Which one of the following terrestrial habitats has a high variety of organisms?
a. Desert c. Savanna
b. Tropical rain forest d. Tundra

11. Which of the following comparisons between aquarium and terrarium is correct
Terrarium Aquarium
a. It is artificial It is nature
b. It is used for keeping animals It is used for keeping plants
c. It may vary in size It has a larger constant size
d. It is used for keeping organisms It is used for keeping land and water organisms
amphibious

12. The diagram below represents many species of plants and animals and their surroundings.

The diagram best represents

a. a population c. an ecosystem
b. a community d. the biosphere

13. Which of the following can be considered as abiotic component in a given ecosystem?
a. The number of parasites and diseases
b. The type of soils and rocks
c. The amount of food available
d. The number of predators

14. List the abiotic factors.

15. What are properties of savanna?
 6.2 Biological Association
Symbiotic relationship
Symbiotic relationship is the relationship between two organisms of different species.
In symbiotic relationship, the association could be:
- ________________________
- Beneficial to one but the other neither benefits nor is harmed.
- ______________________ and __________________.
Some of the biological (symbiotic) associations are:

 ___________
 ___________
 ___________
 ___________
1. Parasitism
Parasitism is symbiotic relationship between organisms of different species in which one organism
benefits (________________), while the other organism is harmed (_________). The parasites get food
and shelter from the host.
Parasite can be grouped into two types based on where they live. They are
• Ecto-parasites: are parasites that live on the ___________________ of the host.
Example: __________________________ etc.
 Endo-parasite: are parasites that live _____________________ of the host.
Example: _________________________ etc.

CLASS WORK-
1. How do parasites enter into human body?

2. What advantages do the parasites get from their host?

3. What are the measures that should be taken when a person attacked by a parasite?
2. Predation
 Predation is a symbiotic relationship between two organisms of different species in which one
organism is predator that _________________________________________ (prey)
Predator: an animal that naturally attack and kill the prey for food. They are strong and skilful.
Examples: ______________________
Prey: an animal hunted and killed by the predator for food.
Examples: __________________________

CLASS WORK-
1. Give an example for predator-prey relationship.

2. What are the characteristics of predator and prey?

3. Does population size matter for predator-prey relationship?

4. What kind of natural adaptation do you observe between the predator and prey?

3. Mutualism: a symbiotic relationship between two organisms in which ___________________

from the relationship. Some examples of mutualisms are:
• ____________: a mutual association between_______________ and ________________.
• _____________: a symbiotic association between the _____________ and
___________________.
Example: Relationship between____________ and _________________ like bee.
4. Commensalism: a symbiotic relationship between two organisms of different species in which
one organism is benefited and the other is neither benefited nor harmed.
Examples: The relationship between _______ and _________________. The remoras get
transported by the shark, while the shark is not affected.
- __________________ grow on the ___________________ where they receive light but they take
no food (nourishment) from the tree.
 -_______________: are micro-organisms such as fungi and bacterium that feed on dead organic
matter.
Example: Some bacteria and some fungi.
-_______________: are animals that feed on ruminants of predators.
Example: Hyena, vulture

CLASS WORK-
True or False
1. Biotic and abiotic factors interact in a given ecosystem. ______
2. Commensalism between two organisms in which both are benefited from the relationship.
_____
3. Rabbit and carrot relationship is an example for predator-prey relationship. ______
4. Tick is an endoparasite which get food from its host. _______
5. Rhino and bird is an example for commensalism. _______
6. The biological association in which one organism is affected while the partner is benefited is
known as
a. Mutualism b. commensalism c. parasitism d. scavenger
7. Association of algae and fungi is
a. Fern b. Lichen c. Moss d. Liver wort
8. The biological term of living together in a close association of two or more organisms of
different species is called __________________
a. Parasitism b. commensalism c. symbiosis d. predation
9. Ectoparasites are parasites which lives
a. Within the host’s body
b. On the outer body
c. Both on the outer and within the host’s body
d. All of them
10. Which one of the following is a mutual association between plants and plants?
a. Lichen b. insect and bee c. crocodile and bird d. bacteria-plant
 HOMEWORK- 11
Text book, page 129,130 on text book

HOMEWORK- 12
1.Which relationship best describes the interactions between lettuce and rabbit?
a. predator-prey c. decomposer-scavenger
b. parasite-host d. producer-consumer

2. Base your answers to question on the diagram below.

Which phrase belongs in area B?

a. athlete's foot fungus on humans c. teeth cleaning birth and crocodile
b. worm in intestine of human d. big trees and epiphytes

3. In the ocean ecosystem the small fish called remora take the advantage of being transported by
sharks. What is the relation that exists between these organisms?
a. Mutualism c. Parasitism
b. Protocooperation d. Commensalism

4. A relationship between two species where one benefits while the other is unaffected is called:
a. Mutualism c. Predation
b. Commensalism d. Parasitism

5. Which of the following is an example of predation?

a. Relationship between bees and flowers
b. Tapeworm living in the body of human
c. Ticks living on the body of cattle
d. A tiger killing a zebra

6. The association of an insect and flower is an example of:

a. Parasitism c. Predation
b. Commensalism d. Mutualism

7. To which of the following group do fungi and bacteria belong?

 a. Decomposers c. Ectoparasites
b. Scavengers d. Predators

8. Which relationship best describes the interaction between ascaris and human?
a. Producer - Consumer c. Parasite - Host
b. Prey - Predator d. Host - Decomposer

9. In lichens, algae produces food by photosynthesis and share their food with the fungus at the
same time the fungus give protection to algae. This kind symbiosis is said to be

a. Commensalism c. Parasitism
b. Mutualism d. Ammensalism

10. Which relation best describes the interaction between grass and a rabbit?
a. Producer-consumer c. producer-decomposer
b. Host-parasite d. Host-decomposer

11. A form of symbiosis in which both organisms get benefit from the relation is:
a. Commensalism c. parasitism
b. neutralism d. mutualism

12. Which of the following groups of organism act upon dead organic materials and complete
nutrient cycles?
a. Parasites c. Decomposers
b. Producers d. Consumers

13. A B
___ Predator a. Parasite that live on the outer side of the host
___ Prey b. Symbiotic relationship
___ Endo-parasite c. An animal killed by predator
___ Ecto-parasite d. Parasite that live within body of host
___ Mutualism e. An animal that kill the prey for food

14.

ECOSYSTEM PLANTS ANIMALS

Tropical forest
Desert
Grassland

15. List out the basic issues for classification of an ecosystem

-
-
 -

6.3 Physical Factors of the Ecosystem

Physical factors are the non-living (abiotic) factors of the ecosystem. The physical factors include:
- ________
- ________
- ________
- ________
- ________ etc.
Soil
Soil is an important abiotic factor of an ecosystem. It is a solid material on the earth surface that
results from the -interaction of weathering and biological activity on the parent material or underlying
rock.
Importance of the soil are:
- ________________ for plant growth
- ______________________ for variety of organisms
What are contents of soil?
Soil is composed of various substances. These are:
- _________________
- _________________
- _________________
- _________________ etc.
Soil is formed by the process that takes place over a long period from the __________________ and
______________________.
Factors that contribute for the formation of soil
The major factors that affect the formation of soil are:
a. ____________________: determines the materials from which the soil is made. This involves:
- _______________
- _____________ characteristics
- _____________content
 - _____________
b. _______________________: refers to all the __________________ ranging from microorganisms
such as bacteria and fungi through their decomposing effects plants and higher animals get
decomposed and makes up the portion of the soil.
c. ________________: involves factors like temperature, moisture the length of the growing season.
d. Other factors include:
o ______________
o ______________
The process of soil formation occurs in different ways. These can be:
i) Decomposition: is the breakdown of _________________ found in dead bodies into
_______________________
- The process is carried out by decomposers like bacteria and fungi.
- It is also supported by enzymes and chemical produced by the earthworms and termites.
ii) Humification: the breakdown of _______remains leading to the formation of different type of
___________.
Humus: is black organic material of complex composition which is the end product of the microbial
breakdown of plant and animal residues in the soil.
iii) Weathering: the action of external factors such as rainforest snow, sun or winds on
_________,changing their___________ and the_______________ in order to convert them into
the____
There are two types of weathering. These are
- ______________________: breaking down· of rocks into smaller particles.
- ______________________: due to the chemical composition of rock minerals.
Types of Soil
Basically, there are three types or soil. These are:
1. Clay soil
Clay soil contains a ____________________________________________ particles.
- The particle size of clay soil is less than __________________in diameter.
- It has __________________________.
- It is used for making _________________.
 - The particles are crowded together in compact masses and becomes sticky when wet, which
makes it difficult for cultivation.
- Its quality can be improved by adding lime which prevents it from becoming sticky.
2. Sandy Soil
Sandy soil contains _____________________________________ combined with little ________ and
_________________ or ______________.
- It is light and dry soil with particle size between _____________and _______________ in
diameter.
- It gives ________________ and _____________which enables the root to penetrate quickly during
germination.
- It is ___________________ all the year because the particle do not stick. ·
- It has _________________________ which may make the plant wilt or die during the dry season.
3. Loam Soil
Loam soil is the ____________________ of all the soil's because they possess all the characteristics
which promote vigorous growth.
- The best loam consists of about ______________, ____________and ______________.
- They are _____________, ___________, retain plenty of _____________ and
__________________.
- Loam soil is advantageous over sandy and clay soil.

CLASS WORK-
CLAY SANDY LOAM
Humus content
(Most-Medium-Least)
Particle size
(Big-Medium-Small)
Moisture content
(Most-Medium-Least)
Nutrient for plant
(Best-Medium-Worst)
Air content
(Most-Medium-Least)
Draining
 (Best-Medium-Worst)

Causes of soil erosion

The causes of soil erosion can be.
i) Natural factors - includes factors such as _____________________ and _______________
ii) Manmade factors - are factors that are related to inappropriate land use. These can be:
- Excessive use of _____________________;
- _________________;
- _________________.
Soil Conservation
Ethiopia among the countries that loses high amount of soil through erosion. Thus, setting
appropriate conservation mechanisms is important.
Methods of effective soil erosion control
Soil erosion can be controlled by implementing various soil control mechanisms. Among these some
of them are:
- Maintain good soil structure.
- Protect the soil surface by adequate crop and residues cover.
- Use special structural erosion control practices.
Some of the soil erosion improvement mechanisms include;
1. Keeping the soil covered by_____________ and ________________.
2. _____________________: is ploughing back and forth across the slope land rather than up and
down. It is similar to terracing except that it follows the contours of a hill more closely than terracing.
3. __________________: planting trees on the land which is lost its vegetation cover by
deforestation.
4. __________________: is the process of making slopes into steps so that rain cannot run down a
hill carrying the soil off.
The terraces should be built in stable way through
o Planting grasses
o Constructing walls
Other methods of soil conservation include:
- Crop rotation: ________________________________ on the same land in successive seasons.
 - Shelter belting: a planting __________ or ___________ in thick rows to break the wind and reduce
its speed
- Dams and reservoir: used to prevent and control run off water during heavy rain and floods.

CLASS WORK-
1. What is erosion? What are the reasons of erosion?

2. How to control soil erosion?

Water
Water is a clear, colourless, odourless and tasteless liquid. It is abiotic factors of an ecosystem which
is very essential for the survival of all life forms on the earth.
Some of the importance of water include:
- It plays role in the ___________________ cycle and country's economic growth.
- Water had high potential energy that can be converted into _____________________.
- It is important for productivity ______________________.
Biological Role of Water
Water plays various roles in the metabolic activities that take place in the body of living organisms.
Some of these include:
- It is __________________. Thus, most of the substances in the body can easily dissolve in water.
- ___________________It is involved in the transportation of substances across the body.
- ___________________- it is important for removal of waste materials form the body in the form
of faces, urine and sweat.
o It has _____________________ on the body through bathing.
 Note:
- Water covers 75% of than earth surface among which only 2.5% is consumable.
- Water also makes more-that 70% out body's weight.
- Water is a renewable natural resource that is very clod in nature.
Water Cycle
The water cycle involves various important processes. The main processes involved in water cycle
are:
- __________________: the change of liquid water into vapor.
- __________________: loss of water vapor from plants. ·
- __________________: change of water vapor to liquid water.
-___________________: any forms of water that falls to the earth s surface in the form of rain,
snow.
Water conservation
Water is among the most important abiotic factors of an ecosystem. Therefore, it is important to
conserve water by using various conservation methods in dry seasons.
Some of the water conservation mechanisms include:
- Building _____________________ on the rivers.
- Preventing excess ___________________
- ________________ in the rain seasons in reservoirs and store pads.
- _______________________ from the pipes which transport water from stronger to users.
- Eliminating unnecessary ___________________________.

CLASS WORK-
1. Which parts of the world get much amount of rainfall and which parts don’t get rain?

2. Write the steps of water cycle.

 3. What practical plans should do to conserve water in all seasons?

HOMEWORK- 13
Text book, page 144, 145,146 on text book

HOMEWORK- 14
1. Which of the following factors is useful for our environment?
a. Cutting trees c. Soil erosion
b. High population growth d. Afforestation

2. Which of the following is a physiological adaptation of xerophytes?

a. They have large leaves c. They have few stomata
b. Stomata open at night d. They have fleshy root

3. Which of the following may result in pollution?

a. Reforestation on very steep lands c. Shelter belting
b. Household and industrial wastes d. Making terraces on hill side

4. Which of the following statements is true about clay and sandy soil?
a. Clay soil is rich plant nutrients than sandy soil
b. sandy soil retain moisture than clay soil
c. sandy soil is rich plant nutrients than clay soil
d. Clay soil has low water retention capacity than sandy soil

5. All of the following factors are manmade factors for soil erosion EXCEPT:
a. mass slide due to gravity c. faulty farming system
b. housing construction and mining d. high crop intensity

6. Which of the following pairs of processes involved in water cycle are opposite to each other
a. Evaporation and transpiration c. condensation and precipitation
b. Evaporation and precipitation d. condensation and transpiration

7. Adjusting time of ploughing, weeding and harvesting to control insect pests is:
a. Cultural control c. Biological control
b. Physical control d. Chemical control

8. Weathering and breaking of rocks to form soil is done by:

a. yeast and ferns c. algae and euglena
b. lichens and mosses d. ferns and gymnosperms

9. The negative impact of rapid population growth includes:

a. The eradication of certain diseases
b. Soil erosion and desertification
c. Increase food production
d. Increased employment opportunities
10. Which of the following NOT a method of conserving water?
a. Planting trees on hill sides c. contour ploughing
b. Building dams d. Crop rotation

11. A sample of soil is mixed with water in a sedimentation tube and shacked thoroughly and
allowed to settle down. Finally, the result, as shown in the figure, is obtained. Based on
this, which type of soil particle is heavier?

a. A c. B
b. E d. F

12. Which of the following types of soil has the highest water holding capacity?
a. Clay b. Thick sand c. Fine sand d. Silt

13. The process in the water cycle include:

a. Transpiration, condensation and respiration
b. Humification, weathering and raining
c. Evaporation, condensation and precipitation
d. Evaporation, condensation and perspiration

14. Which of the following is a natural cause of soil erosion?

a. Overgrazing c. Rainfall
b. Deforestation d. Faulty land use

15. Which type of soil has the lowest water retention capacity?
a. Loam b. Silt c. Sand d. Clay

16. Protection of natural resources from destruction is called:

a. Pollution c. Contraception
b. Family planning d. Conservation

17. What are the components of loam soil?

a. Gravel, water and humus c. Clay, silt and fine sand
b. Sand, clay and humus d. Thick sand and fine sand
18. The loam soil differs from silt soil in that:
a. It contains humus abundantly c. It is the blend of sand and clay
b. its particles are closely packed d. it is poor in plant nutrients

19. Processes involved in the water cycle are represented by letters in the diagram below.

In which group are these processes correctly identified?

a. A-deamination; B-transpiration; C-condensation; D-evaporation
b. A-transpiration; B-evaporation; C-condensation; D-precipitation
c. A-condensation; B-precipitation; C-transpiration; D-evaporation
d. A-transpiration; B-deamination; C-condensation; D-precipitation

20. A
___ Terracing a. Ploughing back and forth across the slope
___ Shelter belting b. Agent of soil erosion
___ Crop rotation c. Change the water vapor to liquid water
___ Transpiration d. Loss of water vapor from the plant
___ Evaporation e. Change of liquid to water vapor
___ Condensation f. Planting trees in thick rows
___ Wind g. Making slopes into slopes
___ Contour ploughing h. Planting different type of plants on the same land
___ Afforestation i. Planting trees on the land which is lost

21. List out the problems that may result by soil erosion.

22. Describe some of the soil conservation mechanisms