ecosystem yr8

ecosystem

what is an ecosystem?
1. an ecosystem is a unit made up of two parts
  1. living things (plants, animals, bacteria).
  2. non-living surroundings or environment - air, water, soil and the climate (how warm or wet it is).
how big is an ecosystem?
1. an ecosystem is any size you study e.g.
  1. a pond
    1. a meadow
    2. a forest
    3. the Sahara desert
    4. the whole earth
2. each is a unit made up of living things and a non-living environment.
what is in the food chain?
1. no.1 plants - using sunlight, carbon dioxide from the air, and water and nutrients from the soil, a plant can produce everything it needs for itself. So plants are called producers.
  1. no.2 a herbivore - e.g. a caterpillar eats a plants leaves.
    1. no.3 a insectivore - e.g. a wood mouse eats a caterpillar.
      1. no.4 a carnivore - e.g. a fox eats the wood mouse.
        no.5 the animal dies.
        no.6 bacteria, insects, earth worms and fungi eat away at the dead carcass.
        the dead animals give the soil nutrients so plants can grow.
the 4 ecosystems
1. 1. hot desert
  1. 2. Savanna
  2. 3. tropical rain forest
    1. between tropics of cancer and capricorn
  3. 4. deciduous forest

Resource summary

	Created by zoe hanks about 9 years ago