WHAT IS ECOSYSTEM?Text 1.1: Pages 8-14

Agenda1. Case Study & Big Idea – Cootes Paradise 2. Four Corners – Is this an Ecosystem?3. Introduction to Ecology

What is an Ecosystem? Stewardship and Sustainability Biodiversity Components of an Ecosystem Biomes & Biosphere

4. Ecosystem Field Study

Success Criteria

By the end of this class I can Compare and contrast abiotic and abiotic

factors Identify factors within an ecosystem that

make it sustainable or unsustainable

Case Study & Unit Big Idea Case Study Instructions

Read the article on “Cootes Paradise” p.g. 4-5

Have each person take a role:What – is the issue?Where – location, geography, detailsWhen – events leading up issueHow – is the issue being solved?Big Idea – H

ow

can we balance

our need for

resources a

nd

protect the

environment?

1

43

2

What is an Ecosystem? A community of living

organisms (plants, animals, & microbes) in conjunction with the non-living components of their environment (air, water, mineral, soil) interacting as a system.

Nutrient Cycles

- Carbon Cycle

- Nitrogen Cycle

- Water Cycle

Energy Flows

- Photosynthe

sis- Cellular

Respiration

What is an Ecosystem? Interaction

between living and non-living factors Abiotic = non-

living Biotic = living

Activity – Biotic vs. Abiotic

What is Sustainability?

How would you explain the word sustainability?

What is Sustainability? A sustainable environment

has populations that can interact and reproduce indefinitely Includes plants, animals and

any other living things It also means biodiversity

is maintained The number of different

types of organisms in an area

What is Stewardship? A way of acting that takes

into account personal responsibility for the management and care of something Environmental stewardship

is acting in a way that benefits the planet

This type of attitude is very common in First Nations communities

The Environment?? All the living and non-living

things on earth and the interactions between them

The environment can be thought of as a system of components Some interactions are

positive: Bee pollinating a flower

Some are negative: Bee stinging you and dying

When Self-Sustaining goes Wrong…

Representing Earth’s Biodiversity

In groups of 3-4 complete the quick lab on p.g. 6 ‘Representing Earth’s Biodiversity’

What is a Species? A species is a group

if similar organisms in an ecosystem which can reproduce and whose offspring can reproduce i.e. grey squirrel

species ≠ red squirrel species

Sciurus carolinensis ≠ Sciurus vulgaris

Terminology Population: a group of individuals of

the same species within a specific area

Habitat: the specific location a population lives in

Community: is made up of populations of different species that live and interact in an area or habitat

Species Niche: is the total of all the interactions of a given species within its ecosystem

Ecology Unit Ecology is the study of how organisms

interact with one another and the environment itself

Ecosystems Combine to Form Biomes

Biome = a large geographical area that contains similar ecosystems.

Biomes Combine to Make the Biosphere

Biosphere – is the part of the planet, including water, land, and air, where life exists.

Biomes Combine to Make the Biosphere

Ecosystem Field Study

Complete an ecosystem field study in groups of 3-4 using the ecology tools provided by the teacher.