GRADE 5, Science Ecosystems

Fifth Grade: Ecosystems
Background
What is a habitat?
A habitat is a special place where a plant or animal lives. Just like you have a home or place to live, so do animals
and plants. When we talk about an animal's or a plant's home it is more like a
neighborhood than a “house.” An animal needs five things to survive in its
habitat: food, water, shelter, air, and a place to raise its young
Animals require different amounts of space. Habitats can be big like a forest or
they can be much smaller like a burrow. Some animals defend a huge territory
or roam over a large area. Some other animals need only a small amount of
space and can put up with neighbors that live close by. An animal leaves its
“shelter” to get the things they need to live. If the population's needs are not
met, it will move to a different habitat.
Because resources like water and food may be limited, plant and animal species often compete with each other for
food and water. The only way that they can all live together is if they occupy slightly different niches or hold
different “jobs” in the community. No two species can occupy exactly the same niche. They all have their own
specific jobs or niches in the community. A niche is the smallest unit of a habitat that is occupied by a plant or
animal. The habitat niche is the physical space occupied by the plant or animal. The niche is the role the plant or
animal plays in the community found in the habitat.
What are the levels of ecological organization?

There are six levels of ecological organization:
 A species is a group of organisms that can reproduce and produce fertile offspring
 A population is a group of the same species that live in the same area at the same time
 A community is a group of populations living and interacting with each other in a defined area
 An ecosystem is a community of living organisms that interact with each other and their physical
environment
 A biome is a large geographic area with similar plants, animals, and other living organisms adapted to
common environmental conditions (a group of similar ecosystems)
 A biosphere is the sum of all ecosystems and living organisms on Earth
What are the main components of an ecosystem?

Ecosystems consist of life forms existing in a symbiotic relationship with their environment. Life forms in
ecosystems compete with one another to become the most successful at reproducing and surviving in a given niche,
or environment. Two main components exist in an ecosystem: abiotic and biotic. The abiotic (non-living)
components of any ecosystem are the properties of the environment; the biotic (living) components are the life forms
that occupy a given ecosystem.
What types of ecosystems are there?

There are two types of ecosystems: terrestrial (land-based) and aquatic (water-based). Any other sub-ecosystem
comes under any of these two categories. Major ecosystems include forests, deserts, grasslands, tundra, fresh water,
and marine.
What is a food chain?

All living things need to feed to get energy to grow, move and reproduce. But what do these living things feed on?
Smaller insects feed on green plants, and bigger animals feed on smaller ones and so on. This feeding relationship in
an ecosystem is called a food chain.
How is energy transferred through food chains and food webs in an ecosystem?
By feeding on plants and on one another, animals play an important role in the movement of matter and energy
through the system. A food chain always starts with a green plant (a producer), which is eaten by an animal (a
consumer) and ends with a predator (at the top of the food chain). The sun is very important for all living things –
without the sun the plants would not grow, without plants there would be no animals.
 Green plants make their own food. They use the energy from the sun to make their own food. Some of this
food is used, and some is stored in the roots, stems, and leaves. Plants are producers – they make/produce
their own food by photosynthesis.
 Animals cannot make their own food. Animals get their energy and biomass by consuming/eating other
organisms. All animals are consumers – they consume/eat. Animals that eat only plants are called
herbivores (or primary consumers). Animals that eat other animals are called carnivores. Carnivores that
eat herbivores are called secondary consumers, and carnivores that eat other carnivores are called tertiary
consumers. Animals that eats both plants and animal are called omnivores. Predators are organisms that eat
another organism. Preys are the organism which the predators eat.
 Decomposers and scavengers break down dead organisms (plants and animals) and their wastes.
Decomposers are very important for any ecosystem. If they weren't in the ecosystem, the plants would not
get essential nutrients, and dead matter and waste would pile up.
As energy flows in an ecosystem from producers to consumers to decomposers, about 90% of the total energy is lost
at each feeding level in the chain. Most of the energy is either used by the organism or is released as metabolic heat
when the organisms from one trophic level are consumed by organisms from the next level. The decrease of energy
at each successive feeding (trophic) level means that less biomass can be supported at each level. As a result, there
are few organisms at the highest level in a food web.
What happens when the top predator is removed from an ecosystem?

Ecosystems are complex and diverse, with many levels and intricate relationships between organisms. Removing
any level from an ecosystem disrupts a delicate balance that may have evolved over millions of years. These systems
are comprised of a series of checks and balances between predator and prey, that tend to balance the whole. The
removal of the top predators in an ecosystem has several impacts, some of which are expected, and others surprising.
 Population explosions. The most obvious result of the removal of the top predators in an ecosystem is a
population explosion in the prey species. Predators keep herbivore populations in check.
 Trophic cascade. Without any predators to limit population growth, herbivorous prey species reproduce
without check, and all of them are hungry. More herbivores eat more plants, and without anything to
control them, they can quickly degrade their habitat.
 Behavioral changes. Without predators, the preys (dears and elks) stay in one place and eat down to the
roots. With predators (wolves) to watch out for, they brows lightly, and moved on.
 Population sickness and migration. Without predators to control the population and alter feeding behavior,
the prey species quickly degrade and over-run its habitat. As food becomes scarce, the population becomes
sick and malnourished, and will either move or crash.
Trophic level in science refers to the position of an organism in a food chain or food web within an
ecosystem. There are typically four main trophic levels:
1. Producers (Autotrophs): Organisms at the first trophic level, such as plants, algae, and some
bacteria, that can produce their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. They
convert sunlight or inorganic compounds into organic matter, forming the base of the food
chain.
2. Primary Consumers (Herbivores): Organisms at the second trophic level that consume
producers for energy. These are typically herbivores like deer, rabbits, and grasshoppers that
feed directly on plants.
3. Secondary Consumers (Carnivores and Omnivores): Organisms at the third trophic level that
consume primary consumers. These can be carnivores that eat other animals or omnivores that
eat both plants and animals.
4. Tertiary Consumers (Top Predators): Organisms at the fourth trophic level that consume
secondary consumers. They are often top predators in the food chain, such as large carnivores
like lions, wolves, and sharks.
Each trophic level represents a transfer of energy and nutrients within an ecosystem. Energy flows from
lower to higher trophic levels, with each level supporting the one above it. Trophic levels are essential
for understanding the structure and dynamics of ecosystems, including energy transfer, population
dynamics, and ecological interactions.

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Fifth Grade: Ecosystems

What are the levels of ecological organization?

What are the main components of an ecosystem?

What types of ecosystems are there?

What is a food chain?

What happens when the top predator is removed from an ecosystem?

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