SOL 4.5 Ecosystems

SOL 4.5 Ecosystems Science 4-5 Elementary Home

SOL 4.5 -- Adaptations, Ecosystems, Food Chains & Niches
Key concepts include plant and animal adaptations; organization of populations, communities, and ecosystems and how they interrelate; flow of energy through food webs; habitats and niches; changes in an organism’s niche at various stages in its life cycle; influences of human activity on ecosystems. ADAPTATIONS Organisms have structural adaptations or physical attributes that help them meet a life need. Organisms also have behavioral adaptations, or certain types of activities they perform, which help them meet a life need. POPULATIONS, COMMUNITIES, ECOSYSTEMS All the organisms of the same species that live in the same place at the same time are a population. Populations of species that live in the same place at the same time together make up a community. All the populations and the nonliving components in an environment that interact with each other form an ecosystem. ENERGY PYRAMIDS; FOOD CHAINS The organization of communities is based on the utilization of the energy from the sun within a given ecosystem. The greatest amount of energy in a community is in the producers. Within a community, organisms are dependent on the survival of other organisms. Energy is passed from one organism to another. The sun’s energy cycles through ecosystems from producers through consumers and back into the nutrient pool through decomposers. HABITATS AND NICHES A habitat is the place or kind of place in which an animal or plant naturally lives. An organism’s habitat provides food, water, shelter, and space. The size of the habitat depends on the organism’s needs. A niche is the function that an organism performs in the food web of that community. A niche also includes everything else the organism does and needs in its environment. No two types of organisms occupy exactly the same niche in a community. The organization of a community is defined by the interrelated niches within it. During its life cycle, an organism’s role in the community — its niche — may change. For example, what an animal eats, what eats it, and other relationships will change. Humans can have a major impact on ecosystems.

SOL 4.5 -- Adaptations, Ecosystems, Food Chains & Niches

plant and animal adaptations;
organization of populations, communities, and ecosystems and how they interrelate;
flow of energy through food webs;
habitats and niches;
changes in an organism’s niche at various stages in its life cycle;
influences of human activity on ecosystems.

ADAPTATIONS

Organisms have structural adaptations or physical attributes that help them meet a life need.
Organisms also have behavioral adaptations, or certain types of activities they perform, which help them meet a life need.

POPULATIONS, COMMUNITIES, ECOSYSTEMS

All the organisms of the same species that live in the same place at the same time are a population.
Populations of species that live in the same place at the same time together make up a community.
All the populations and the nonliving components in an environment that interact with each other form an ecosystem.

ENERGY PYRAMIDS; FOOD CHAINS

The organization of communities is based on the utilization of the energy from the sun within a given ecosystem. The greatest amount of energy in a community is in the producers.
Within a community, organisms are dependent on the survival of other organisms. Energy is passed from one organism to another.
The sun’s energy cycles through ecosystems from producers through consumers and back into the nutrient pool through decomposers.

HABITATS AND NICHES

A habitat is the place or kind of place in which an animal or plant naturally lives. An organism’s habitat provides food, water, shelter, and space. The size of the habitat depends on the organism’s needs.

A niche is the function that an organism performs in the food web of that community. A niche also includes everything else the organism does and needs in its environment. No two types of organisms occupy exactly the same niche in a community.
The organization of a community is defined by the interrelated niches within it.
During its life cycle, an organism’s role in the community — its niche — may change. For example, what an animal eats, what eats it, and other relationships will change.
Humans can have a major impact on ecosystems.