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ECOSYSTEMS IN NATURE An ecosystem is an area in which living and nonliving things exist together. Every area in nature contains both living and nonliving things. Living things depend on each other and on nonliving things in order to survive. Ecosystems can be very small or very large. For example, a backyard is an ecosystem and so is an entire desert. There are rainforest ecosystems, underwater ecosystems in oceans and lakes and many other ecosystems as well. The city or town that you live in is an ecosystem. The nonliving things in an ecosystem are known as abiotic factors. The living things are biotic factors. All living things depend on nonliving things like water, minerals, sunlight and air, to survive. Water is one of the most important nonbiotic factors in an ecosystem. More than half of a living organism is made of water. Water is also necessary for processes that keep living things alive. Respiration, or the process of breathing, depends on the presence of water. Plants need water for photosynthesis, the process of turning light into energy for food. Carbon dioxide and oxygen are also abiotic factors of ecosystems. Plants need carbon dioxide to create energy, and animals need oxygen to do the same. The climate and conditions of the soil in an ecosystem are also important nonbiotic factors. Soil must contain the right mix of minerals needed for living things to survive and for plants to grow. The temperature cannot be too hot or too cold to support the life in an ecosystem, and there must be enough rain for plants to grow. Even wind conditions can affect an ecosystem by spreading seeds that produce new plants. On the other hand, if the wind is too strong, damage can be done to the habitats of animals that live in an ecosystem. The biotic factors or living things in an ecosystem also depend on each other for survival. Biotic factors include animals, plants, protists (one-celled organisms) and bacteria. Plants are known as producers and animals are known as consumers. Plants produce food and oxygen for animals. Animals give off carbon dioxide, which plants need to grow. Animals also consume plants and other animals. When they do this, they create waste that contains nutrients that enrich the soil so that other plants can grow. Protists and bacteria are known as decomposers. Their job is to break down dead plants and animals to create minerals and other substance that also enrich the soil.
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QUESTIONS 1. An ecosystem a. is an area containing living things. b. is an area containing nonliving things. c. is an area in which living and nonliving things depend on each other. d. All of these 2. Which of the following is not an ecosystem? a. an ocean b. a city c. a park d. All of these places are ecosystems. 3. The __________________ things in an ecosystem are known as abiotic factors. 4. Which of the following is not an abiotic factor? a. water b. bacteria c. oxygen d. air 5. Water is an important part of an ecosystem because a. all living things contain water. b. water is necessary for plants to produce energy from sunlight. c. water is necessary for the process of respiration. d. All of the above 6. Plants produce a. carbon dioxide b. oxygen c. both of these d. neither of these 7. The _____________________ things in an ecosystem are known as biotic factors.

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8. Which of the following is not a biotic factor? a. plants b. bacteria c. water d. one-celled organisms 9. Animals are known as ___________________________ because they eat plants and other animals. 10. ________________________ are living things that break down dead plants and animals.

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Objectives: 1. Students will be able to describe the features of an ecosystem. 2. Students will be able to distinguish abiotic and biotic factors in an ecosystem. 3. Students will be able to state the roles of consumers, producers and decomposers in an ecosystem. Procedure: 1. Read lesson or have students read it silently. 2. Have students answer the questions on the worksheet. 3. Discuss answers to questions.

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