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5th Grade
Ecosystem Dynamics
2015-11-02
www.njctl.org
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Table of Contents: Ecosystem
Dynamics
Click on the topic to go to that section
Food Webs
· Food Webs
· Decomposers
· Cycles of Matter
· Maintaining an Ecosystem
Return to Table
of Contents
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The Energy of Plants
The Energy of Plants
Once plants get the energy from the sun, to whom
does that energy transfer next? And then?
In the last unit, we discussed how plants get their
energy and made their own food.
?
1) What is the name of this process?
2) What is required for this reaction to happen?
3) What is produced?
Photosynthesis
1
Water, Carbon
Dioxide
2 and
Sunlight are
required.
Oxygen and
Sugar
3
("Glucose")
are produced.
What animals could fill in
these question marks?
?
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Food Webs
Food Webs
The energy from the Sun that is turned into food by plants is the basis
for most food webs.
A food web is a visual that shows
you "what-eats-what" in a given
ecosystem, or environment.
Notice that at the bottom of this
food web, you can find the
plants (kiwi fruit, almonds and
the leaves of trees).
A food web shows you the
relationship between all living
things in an ecosystem.
These organisms all produce
their own food through
photosynthesis.
Food webs can include animals,
plants, fungi and bacteria.
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Food Webs
As you move up the food web,
you see that we have
numerous animals (squirrels,
deer, mice and hawks).
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1 A __________ shows you the relationship between all
living things in an ecosystem.
A food web
B food chain
These organisms cannot make
their own food. They have to
consume food from elsewhere
to get their energy.
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2 The energy in all food webs comes from ________.
A plants
B the sun
C Earth
D water
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3 The name of the process by which plants get energy
from the sun is __________.
A energy transfer
B basking
C photosynthesis
D sun fixation
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Producers
Consumers
As you travel up the food
web, you will find
organisms that cannot
produce their own food
There are three different
groups of organisms that
play a role in
each ecosystem.
and have to eat
(or "consume")
other living
things. These
organisms are
called
consumers.
Organisms that can
"produce" their own food
are called producers.
Producers
Consumers
Producers
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Levels of Consumers
Within the "consumer" group, organisms can be classified even
further based on what they eat. We will focus on two levels:
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Levels of Consumers
Animals that eat only plants
are called "herbivores."
(Think: "In the garden, we growherbs.")
Primary Consumers are consumers
that eat only plants. They are the
1st level of consumers (the term
"primary" means "1st").
What do we call animals that eat only plants?
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Levels of Consumers
Secondary Consumers are
consumers that eat only
other animals. They are the
2nd level of consumers
(hence "Secondary").
What do we call animals that
eat only other animals?
(hint: "Carne" means
"meat" in Latin.)
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Levels of Consumers
Animals that eat only other
animals are called
"carnivores."
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Omnivores
There are animals that actually don't only fit into either one of these
two
groups.
Humans
What category do humans fit into? Talk about this with your table.
Omnivores are animals that eat both plants and animalmeat.
Come up with and answer and be prepared to defend it.
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Humans
Humans are usually considered
omnivores because we eat both meat
and plants.
There is one group which could be
considered an exception to that rule.
Who are they?
This means that sometimes humans play the role of "primary
consumer" and sometimes "secondary consumer."
It just depends what you are eating!
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4 An organism takes in sunlight and carbon dioxide and
makes its own food. Choose all of the terms that
apply to this organism.
A
Producer
B
Primary Consumer
C
Secondary Consumer
D
Carnivore
E
Herbivore
F
Omnivore
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5 An organism hunts down a rabbit for a midday snack.
Choose all of the terms that apply to this organism.
A Producer
B Primary Consumer
C Secondary Consumer
D Carnivore
E Herbivore
F Omnivore
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6 An organism finds the nearest restaurant and has a big
salad with chicken. Choose all of the terms that apply to
this organism.
A Producer
B Primary Consumer
C Secondary Consumer
D Carnivore
E Herbivore
F Omnivore
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7 Another organism goes to a restaurant and orders the
vegetable stir fry. Choose all of the terms that apply to
this organism.
A Producer
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Following the Food Web
Being able to correctly read a food web is important.
Notice where the organisms are always placed:
The highest level of
consumers at the top (in
this case, a Secondary
consumer)...
B Primary Consumer
C Secondary Consumer
Primary consumers
below them...
D Carnivore
E Herbivore
F Omnivore
Producers always at
the bottom.
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Following the Food Web
The arrows of the food web fill you in on "who's eating who."
The arrow always points to the animal that is doing the eating.
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8 Which of the following examples iscorrectly showing
the relationship between the bird and the worm?
A
B
The example at the left is telling
you that the lion eats
the wildebeest.
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Activity: Build the Food Web
In this activity, you will need to sort through a series of clues in
order to properly put together your food web.
Follow the guidelines taught in this section to help you figure out
where each organism fits in the ecosystem!
Decomposers
Return to Table
of Contents
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The Broken Down Rowboat
Imagine that you leave a rowboat on a deserted island for 10 years.
When you come back to your wooden row boat after all this time,
you find the boat on the right.
The "Disappearing" Animal
An animal dies in the wilderness and its body is left untouched.
Over the course of a few weeks, you observe the following stages below:
What happened to your boat over the past 10 years?
How did this happen? Talk about this at your table.
How did this animal transform into the pile of fur and bones
seen on the right?
What happened to it over these weeks? How?
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Decomposition
The Process of Decomposition
Both the boat and the animal's body
went through the process of
decomposition .
Decomposition (which is sometimes
called "rotting") is the process of
breaking down a once-living object into
small pieces that are usable once again.
When a living organism dies, the matter (or "stuff") that it was made
of begins to be naturally recycled back into Earth.
If this was not the case, all of the
elements and minerals that made
up the object would become
trapped and unusable again.
Decomposition can be carried out by
bacteria, fungi, worms and other
organisms.
Fungi and bacteria play a large role in this process.
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9 Which of the organisms below carry out the process of
decomposition? (Choose all that apply.)
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10 The point of decomposition is to stop the recycling
of materials.
A Bacteria
True
B Humans
False
C Worms
D Fungi
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Fungi
Fungi is a group of organisms. They are living things, but are
completely different from plants and animals. They are
deeply involved with decomposition.
You should be familiar with a few different types of fungi you probably have eaten them!
At your table, come up with a few examples of fungi.
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Bacteria
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Fungi
Fungi is a group of organisms that
include molds, yeasts and
mushrooms.
Fungi will grow on dead organisms
and will use the nutrients in the
object to grow larger.
As the mushrooms continue to grow,
they also release carbon dioxide
(CO2) into the air and break the
dead organism into nutrients that go
back into the soil.
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What increases the rate of decomposition?
Bacteria are very small objects that can only be seen using a microscope.
When an organism dies, bacteria invade every inch of the object and
begin eating its body tissues, such as the muscles. Most of this bacteria
comes from the soil, so an object that is in contact with the ground
(especially if it is buried) will decompose quicker.
You have certainly seen food go bad.
What factors can increase the rate of
decomposition?
Discuss this at your table and come up
with a list you can share with the class.
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What increases the rate of decomposition?
Some factors that can affect decomposition are:
·
·
·
·
·
·
Temperature
Oxygen
Rainfall / Water
Size
Area where the object is resting
Preservatives
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Activity: Testing Decomposition
What effect do the factors on the previous page have on
the rate of decomposition?
This activity will have you testing how these factors will speed up,
or slow down, the decomposition of food.
Click here to watch the decomposition of
strawberries.
Click here to watch the decomposition of
a fast food meal.
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11 Which of these situations would increase the rate of
decomposition?
A
Placing the object in a completely dry container
B
Removing all oxygen from the container
C
Increasing the temperature
D
Adding preservatives
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Activity: Compost Creation
Composting is the science of combining unwanted yard waste,
food scraps, and other organic materials so that it can be
transformed into a nutrient-rich fertilizer.
This is a way of recycling your waste so that you can improve
plant-life in your area.
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Activity: Magic School Bus
Click here for The Magic School Bus
activity.
Cycles of Matter
Follow the link above for an activity from Ms. Frizzle and her class!
Can you make the craziest Leaf-Decay Contraption?
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of Contents
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Review: What is Matter?
Review: The Matter of Plants
At the beginning of this school year, we definedmatter.
What was that definition?
In the last unit, we learned about what plants are made of.
Matter makes up everything in the universe.
All objects that are both living and nonliving are made up of matter.
All living things, including
plants and animals, are
made up primarily of
two things:
Carbon and Water.
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Review: The Matter of Plants
The Mass of Consumers
Earlier, we also learnedalso learned about photosynthesis.
Recall the process of photosynthesis.
Plants take in _____________, water, and _______ from the sun.
When a plant is eaten by an
animal, where does this
matter (in this case, the
carbon and the water) go?
Plants then create sugar and __________ .
The things you eat and drink make up the matter that is in your body.
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Review: The Conservation of Mass
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The Conservation of Mass in a Food Web
For example, the amount of matter in a producer is equal to the
amount it takes in from air and water.
The Law of the
Conservation of Mass
says that mass can
neither be created nor
destroyed.
This holds true when
we are talking about the
parts of a food web.
+
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The Conservation of Mass in a Food Web
If an animal were to eat this plant (which would make it aprimary
consumer), then the "stuff" that makes up the plant would become the
"stuff" that makes up the animal.
=
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The Conservation of Mass in a Food Web
If another animal was to eat this one (which would make it asecondary
consumer), then the "stuff" that makes up the first animal would become
the "stuff" that makes up the second.
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The Cycle of Matter
The Ultimate Reycling
Matter is constantly moving between the environment, plants, animals
and microbes. The exchange of matter is essential to life and also
continues to occur even after something dies.
Matter is constantly being transfered between organisms. However,
the transfer continues even after oganisms die.
What happens to matter when an organism dies?
CO2
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Recycling Matter
Decomposition
When organisms die, the stuff (matter) that they were made
of becomes a part of Earth again.
The process of decomposition eventually recycles dead material.
Through this process essential nutrients are restored.
What would happen to the soil if the nutrients were not returned?
This matter is then
recycled by
decomposers and the
cycle starts all over
again!
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What are Humans Made of?
Like nearly all living things, humans are made mainly of Water (H2O)
and Carbon (C). Everyone is different, but our bodies are made of
the elements in approximately these percentages:
65% Oxygen (O)
18% Carbon (C)
10% Hydrogen (H)
60-75%
H2O
12 All living things are made up of what two things?
A
Energy and water
B
Water and oxygen
C
Carbon and oxygen
D
Carbon and water
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13 Which is true of the Law of the Conservationof
Mass?
A
14 Our bodies are primarily made up of _______.
A
Bone
B
Matter can neither be created nor destroyed
Matter cannot change form
B
Water
C
Solid matter cannot be changed
C
Carbon
D
Mass is only conserved by certain organisms
D
Air
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15 Which of the following statements is true.
A
B
Once matter is converted into energy it is lost
forever.
The exchange of matter is essential to life and
also continues to occur even after something
dies.
C
Matter cycles to the top of the food chain
and stops there.
D
Matter only flows between nonliving
thrings, such as soil and rocks.
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When organims die their matter is returned to the soil by way of
decomposers. Without fertile soil plants would be unable to
grow and produce the required amounts of food to sustain life
within an ecosystem. What would happen if the soil was
infertile?
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What is Soil?
Think for a minute what is soil made of? Brainstorm
ideas with a partner, then click then picture to reveal the
answer.
Soil is made
up from:
Minerals
Organic Matter
Water
Building from the Ground Up
The Secret is in the Soil
In general, the soil minerals provide physical support for the plants
while the organic matter contains many of the nutrients essential for
plant growth.
Air
But where do these substances come from?
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16 Which of the following is not an example of the
cycle of matter between the environment and
organism?
A
A bird drinking water out of a puddle.
B
Plants aborbing nutirents from animal waste.
C
Plants absorbing carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere.
Water condensing in clouds to form rain.
D
17 What is soil made of?
A
B
Air, Water, Minerals and Organic Matter
Rocks, Sand, Organic Matter and CO2
C
Minerals, Dust, Water and Inorganic matter
D
Oxygen, Water, Bacteria and Mud
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Survival of an Ecosystem
Organisms can only survive in environments in which their
particular needs are met. All organisms have the same basic
needs. Both you and your cat have these same needs.
Label those needs on the line next to each picture.
Maintaining an
Ecosystem
shelter
food
water
air
Return to Table
of Contents
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A Healthy Ecosystem
A healthy ecosystem is one in which
multiple species of different
types are each able to meet their needs
in a relatively stable web of life.
If any organism is not able to meet its
basic needs, it risks dying out.
This can have an effect on all other
parts of the food web.
Click pictures to reveal answers.
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The Importance of Plants
Plants (or any organism that can make its own food) are very
important in all ecosystems.
Not only do plants convert carbon dioxide to oxygen for us to
breathe, but they are a source of food for us and for the animals
that we eat.
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A World Without Plants
18 Which of the following is not a basic need of organisms?
A
B
Food
Movement
C
Shelter
D
Water
If you take the plants out of the food web from before, you can
see that there are effects for all other organisms.
What will the squirrel, deer and mouse now eat to survive?
If the squirrel and mouse die out, what will the hawk eat?
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A World Without Plants
If you take the plants out of the food web from before, you can
see that there are effects for all other organisms.
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19 By removing the plants from the food web, what effects
will there be on the rest of the ecosystem?
A
Plant-eating animals may die out
What will the squirrel, deer
and mouse now eat to
survive?
B
Meat-eating animals may die out
If the squirrel and mouse die
out, what will the hawk eat?
C
Air in the area will lack the oxygen
needed for animals to survive
D
All of the above
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The Fragile Ecosystem
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The Fragile Ecosystem
"Ecosystems are very fragile."
"Ecosystems are very fragile."
Discuss what this means
at your table.
They require a proper
balance of all living
things that can be found
there or else it can
"break" and there will be
negative consequences
for all.
Think about different
things which could affect
an ecosystem in a
negative way.
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Population Balance
In the wild, there are many dangers for all living creatures.
Organisms need to produce enough children (or offspring) to make
up for the amount that do not survive.
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Overpopulation
If an organism's population becomes unbalanced, there can be
negative consequences for a habitat.
Use the pictures below to make a list of negative consequences to human
overpopulation.
One female frog can lay hundreds
of eggs at a time.
Only a small fraction of these eggs
will ever reach adulthood though!
Why is this?
What happens to most of the eggs?
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Overpopulation
Overpopulation
If too many children are born, we say that the habitat has become
overpopulated. There are many areas of the world that are
overpopulated with humans!
Overpopulation puts a strain on the resources in a region.
More organisms means more competition and demand for the available
food, water, land and other resources necessary for survival.
What would happen in this food
web if there were too many hawks?
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20 Which of the following can be a result of
overpopulation?
A
Limited resources will be available
B
The amount of prey for the organism will
increase
C
Other organisms will quickly adapt to the
higher population
D
All of the above
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Over-Hunting
The opposite of overpopulation would be if an animal was
being hunted at a rate that is so high that it can not give birth
to enough offspring to maintain a population balance.
If not enough organisms of a certain species are able to survive,
there can be drastic effects.
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Over-Hunting
If there are too many hawks hunting
squirrels and mice, this will cause
their population numbers to
decrease.
This will then affect the fruit, nuts
and plants at the bottom of the food
chain because they will have less
predators.
This will lead to a damaged
ecosystem.
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21 Which of the following would be a likely
result of the loss of the squirrels and mice
on the previous slide?
A
An increase in the number of hawks
B
An increase in the amount of fruit, nuts
and plants
C
A quick change by the hawks to eat only
fruits, nuts and plants
D
All of the above
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Native Species vs Alien Species
Australian Cane Toads
An "alien species" is not a group of creatures
from outer space...
An alien species is a species that is newly
introduced to an area. This is the opposite of a
native species, which are organisms that can
naturally be found in a particular ecosystem.
Australia is currently fighting an "alien species" of its own: the cane toad.
The cane toad has been steadily spreading across the continent after
being introduced nearly 100 years ago.
Use the videos below to learn more about the cane toad and the
efforts to stop their conquest of Australia.
Click here to watch cane toads in
their natural environment
Click here to learn more about
cane toads
Click here to see a dirty job:
cane toad hunting
Click here to see a way to combat
cane toads
"Cane Toads: The Unnatural History"
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Invasive Species
Invasive species are alien species that invade and cause harm to
ecosystems. Investigate what invasive species are found in you area.