B4 Whole Unit Ecosystems UA Satchel
B4 Whole Unit Ecosystems UA Satchel
B4 Whole Unit Ecosystems UA Satchel
B4.1.1 Ecosystems
Lesson objective:
We are learning about the organisation of animals in an
ecosystem
Starter:
How do you know
that you are all
the same
species?
Success criteria
You will be able to define and make sentences that use the
following key words: Habitat, Population, Community,
Ecosystem, Species, Biomass
You will be able to construct and label food chains and food
webs.
You will be able to explain why food chain lengths are limited
Producers - Decomposer –
Organisms that consumer that
can make their eats dead or
own food by decaying matter
photosynthesis
– plants and
algae
Consumers – organisms
that cannot make their
own food – they need to
eat something
Be careful with your arrows- they show energy flow from one thing to another so
they should go from the thing that is eaten to the thing that eats it
Why is a food
chain
unrealistic ?
Shrew
Mouse Beetle
Slug
Grasshopper
Grass
Questions
1) Which organisms are primary and secondary
consumers?
2) How many producers are there ?
3) Are their any organisms that are both
secondary consumers and top carnivores?
4) How many herbivores are there ?
5) Why is a food web compared to a food chain
a more realistic representation of an ecosystem?
Which is the odd one
out and why?
What is the difference between a
detritivore and a decomposer?
• Decomposers are microorganisms. These bacteria and microscopic fungi
break down, or decay, dead organic material at a microscopic level. They also
break down animal waste, including faeces and urine. Through
decomposition nutrients are released which can then be recycled. Organisms
that feed on dead material in this way are called saprophytes.
• Detritivores are small animals. They speed up decomposition by shredding
organic material into very small pieces. This creates a larger surface area for
decomposers to work.
Enzyme secreting
part of the Dead
decomposer remains
Enzyme secreting
part of the Dead
decomposer remains
Enzyme secreting
part of the Dead
decomposer remains
• You will be measuring plant growth or distribution using a quadrat. You can
measure local frequency which is where if the organism is found in a square you
count it as 1. You can also measure percentage cover – each square represents 1%.
• You will be measuring soil pH. You will need to make a solution of soil with water
then use pH paper to test it.
• You will be measuring soil moisture. Mass some soil. Microwave it for 1 minute
and use this equation to calculate the percentage moisture
Keywords: pyramids of biomass
They are scale diagrams and the width of the bar presents
the biomass of an organism in the trophic level.
Which are
pyramids of
numbers and
which are
pyramids of
biomass?
Sparrow hawk = 0.5 kg Ladybirds = 0.002 kg
Sparrow = 5 kg Aphids = 0.001 kg
Earthworms = 30 kg Rose bush = 4 kg
Dead leaves = 200 kg
Triple only
Keywords: competition, population,
interdependence, predation, mutualism, parasitism
Starter:
Give examples competition
between:
• Two animals
• Two plants
• A plant and an animal
Success criteria
You will be able to define competition and give
examples of resources that organisms compete
for.
Decomposition (Triple)
Lesson objective:
We are learning about what happens to animals waste and
animal and plants remains
Starter: What causes this to happen? What factors affect
the rate at which this happens?
Success criteria
You will be able to define decomposition
Enzyme secreting
part of the Dead
decomposer remains
When nitrogen in
the air is converted
Nitrifying
into nitrates in the
bacteria
soil by bacteria
When nitrogen in
Nitrogen the air is converted
fixation into nitrates in the
soil by bacteria
Converts ammonia
Nitrifying in the soil into
bacteria nitrates.
Nitrogen Cycle – Use the diagram to fill in
the gaps
• Nitrogen makes up nearly 80% of the
atmosphere. Organisms use nitrogen to make
DNA and proteins. Most organisms can only use
nitrogen when it is part of a compound, such as
nitrate.
• Nitrogen exists in the soil as _______ dissolved in
water.
• The water is taken up by the roots and ______ is
made.
• When the plant is eaten, the _______ compounds
are passed on to an animal.
• When the plants and animals die, these
compounds are broken down and released back
into the soil as _______.
• Animals also put nitrogen back into the soil in
faeces and urea.
• Some plants such as peas and beans (legumes)
form mutualistic relationships with _______
_______. They live in their roots and combine
nitrogen from the air with oxygen to form
nitrates. These are then used by the plant.
• Please look at what I have written and improve in green font. DO NOT delete anything from the slide, just
add in your improvements.
transpiration
Surface run off evaporation
percolation
ocean
Water Cycle Adventure
• Using your diagram, describe the journey of a
water molecule from a river high in the
mountains, through the atmosphere and
eventually back to the starting point.
Success Criteria:
NAME: Answer in full sentences:
• How does nitrogen exist when it is in the soil?
Exam Question: Explain the process of the • What is made in the plant?
Keywords:
Nitrogen, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, decomposers, ammonia, nitrifying
bacteria, nitrates, denitrifying bacteria.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWj3u8voDSg
Keywords: decomposers, death, Date:
photosynthesis.
Living things are made up of elements they take from the environment. For
example plants take in carbon, hydrogen, oxygen , nitrogen etc. etc.
Plant turn these elements into complex compounds such as carbohydrates,
proteins and fats that make up living organisms.
These are taken in by animals when they feed on the plants.
The elements are recycled which means they are returned to the environment
i.e. the soil and the air) through the waste products or through breathing or when
the animals die.
Dead organisms and waste products decay because they are broken down by
decomposers (usually microorganisms) – that’s how the elements are returned
back to the soil. breathing, complex compounds ,animals die,
decay, decomposers, Waste products , living things,
carbon , recycled, environment.
Success criteria
You will be able to state ways in which CO2 is
added and removed from the environment.
3. Volcanic activity
2. Marine sediments
Atmospheric CO2
is
es
th
yn
os
ot
Ph
The carbon cycle
• The carbon is now present in the plant as sugar and other
molecules.
Atmospheric CO2
is
es
th
yn
os
ot
Ph
The carbon cycle
• This carbon can follow a number of different routes:
Atmospheric CO2
is
es
th
yn
os
ot
Ph
The carbon cycle
• If the plant is eaten by an animal it will be incorporated into
the animal (assimilation)…
Atmospheric CO2
is
es
th
yn
os
ot
Ph
Fe
ed
ing
The carbon cycle
• …or excreted by the animal (urine and faeces)…
Atmospheric CO2
is
es
th
yn
os
ot
ph
fee
din
g
waste
The carbon cycle
• The sugar can be broken down to CO2 by respiration.
Atmospheric CO2
is
es
th
yn
os
respiration
ot
ph
fee
din
g
waste
The carbon cycle
• Sugars in the plant will also be converted to CO2 when the
plant respires.
Atmospheric CO2
s
ira esi
th
n
yn
tio
os
respiration
ot
sp
ph
re
fee
din
g
waste
The carbon cycle
• Animal waste, and dead organisms undergo decomposition
by microbes such as fungi and bacteria.
Atmospheric CO2
s
ira esi
th
n
yn
tio
os
respiration
ot
sp
ph
re
ass
imi
lati
on
dea
waste
death
th
Microbes
The carbon cycle
• Again, the carbon is either assimilated into the microbe or
released by respiration as CO2.
Atmospheric CO2
s
ira esi
th
n
yn
tio
os
respiration
ot
sp
ph
respiration
re
fee
din
g
dea
waste
death
th
Microbes
The carbon cycle
• However, sometimes dead organisms and waste are not
completed decomposed by the microbes.
Atmospheric CO2
s
ira esi
th
n
yn
tio
os
respiration
ot
sp
ph
respiration
re
fee
din
g
dea
waste
death
th
Microbes
The carbon cycle
• The carbon in these remains can go on to form fossil fuels.
Atmospheric CO2
is
es
th
n
yn
tio
os
respiration
ira
ot
sp
ph
respiration
re
fee
din
g
dea
waste
death
th
Microbes
The carbon cycle
• The burning of these fuels (combustion) converts the carbon
into atmospheric CO2 and other gases such as methane.
Atmospheric CO2
is
co
es
m
bu
th
n
yn
st
tio
io
os
respiration
ira
n
ot
sp
ph
re
fee
din
g
dea
waste
death
th
Fossil fuels
The carbon cycle
• CO2 can also dissolve in water.
Atmospheric CO2
co
is
es
m
bu
th
n
st
yn
tio
os io
respiration
n
ira
ot
sp
ph
re
fee
din
g
dea
waste
death
th
Atmospheric CO2
co
is
es
m
bu
th
n
st
yn
tio
os io
respiration
n
ira
ot
sp
ph
re
Fe
ed
ing
dea
waste
death
th
Death of
animals and
Excretion plants
Respiration
Photosynthesis
Burning of
fossil fuels Feeding
Look at the thought bubbles! Each process has an impact on the carbon in the
ecosystem. Write a statement on what impact each of these processes will have
on the carbon in the carbon cycle?
The carbon cycle
Carbon in the atmosphere increases
when Carbon Excretion
in the soil
Respiration
• Respiration • Excretion
increases
Carbon the air • Death and decay of animal
• Burning of fuels and plant
Death matter
of animals and plants
• Carbon in the atmosphere • Feeding of plants by animals
decreases when will make animal bodies and
• Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis removes then when animals die they
Carbon dioxide from air will decomposeFeedingto be recycled
by decomposers and returned
to the soil.
Must show all of the things that put carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere (combustion, respiration, decomposition,
dissolved carbon dioxide)
Must show all of the things that put carbon into living things
( eating, photosynthesis, )
True or false?
Write the statement out. Write if it is true or
false? If it is false, explain why it is false.
1. Green plants use carbon dioxide in photosynthesis.
2. Combustion removes carbon from the atmosphere
3. The largest store of carbon is the atmosphere
4. Respiration adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere
5. Respiration only occurs in animals
6. Decomposers remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
7. Fossil fuels represent a huge (but decreasing) store of carbon
8. Increasing carbon dioxide may cause global cooling
9. Energy is transferred from plants to animals to decomposers
10. Respiration releases energy to the environment in the form
of heat
Green plants use carbon dioxide in
photosynthesis.
True
Combustion removes carbon from the
atmosphere
True
Respiration only occurs in animals
True
Increasing carbon dioxide may cause global
cooling
True
Respiration releases energy to the
environment in the form of heat
True
Exam style Question
Describe the processes in the carbon cycle and
the conversions that occur. [6 marks]
When nitrogen in
Nitrogen the air is converted
fixation into nitrates in the
soil by bacteria
Converts ammonia
Nitrifying in the soil into
bacteria nitrates.
Microorganisms
• Nitrogen-fixing: the process of converting nitrogen
gas in the air into nitrates in soil. Occurs either by
lightning, or by nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil or
roots of plants.
From your
diagram…
• Make a list of all
of the things that
take nitrogen
from the air