Grade 7 Science

Unit 1
Interactions with
Ecosystems
Chapter 2

Review: Interactions in the

ecosystem

3 types
??
???
????

Review: Interactions in the

ecosystem

3 types
Abiotic Abiotic
Abiotic Biotic
*Biotic - Biotic

Interactions between biotic factors

in an ecosystem

Symbiosis: Interactions between

the biotic parts of the environment.

There are 3 types:

1.Parasitism
2.Mutualism
3.Commensalism

1.Parasitism

One organism will benefit (the

parasite) and the other is harmed
(the host).

2.Mutualism

Both organism benefit

Commensalism

One organism benefits while the

other neither gains or loses.

Review: Niche

Niche: the organisms job; what role

does the organism play in its
environment. It includes:

where it lives
how it obtains food
how it affects its environment

What roles can organisms play?

Different niches:
Roles of organisms in the environment

4 major Roles:
1.Producers
2.Consumers
3.Decomposers
4.Scavengers

1.Producers

Plants can produce their own food

from the abiotic environment.
(photosynthesis)

2.Consumers

Animals must consume - eat

other organisms. (the biotic
environment)

Can be classified as 3 types

1.
2.
3.

herbivores,
carnivores,
omnivores.

Consumer - Herbivore:

Animals that eat ONLY plants

(producers).

Consumer - Carnivore:

Animals that eat ONLY other animals.

Consumer - Omnivore:

Animals that eat both plants AND

animals.

3.Decomposers

Organisms that break down dead and

waste materials into their basic parts.

3.Decomposers cont..

They make chemicals that break

apart dead organisms and absorb the
nutrients for their own use.

Examples include bacteria and other

microorganisms, fungi and worms.

4.Scavengers

Animals that eat decaying animals

and waste materials.

Examples include vultures, dung

beetle larvae, houseflies, crows and
some gulls.

Food chains

The transfer of energy from organism

to organism.

Arrows show the direction of energy

flow.
Green plants are the food (energy)
source for all consumers and
decomposers.

Energy Flow

**direction of arrows represents

energy flow

Make Your Own Food Chain!

Label the organisms as producer,

decomposer, scavenger, consumerherbivore, consumer-carnivore,
consumer-omnivore

Food chain activity

1.

Pick a card

2.

find the other members of their chain.

3.

Place yourselves in the correct position

within the chain.

4.

Copy down your food chain

5.

Could any changes be made?

Journal entry

Respond to the following in paragraph

form:
Without plants, no living organisms
could exist

Food webs

Interconnecting food chains.

Food webs can be VERY complex

Identify the relationships and

individual food chains in each:

Living food web activity

Pick an ecosystem
Every student pick an organism
Give one student an end to the string.
Where does the chain go from here?
Pass the ball of string to everyone
involved in the ecosystem
How many connections are there?

Food chain to Web activity

1.

2.

3.

4.

In groups of two or three, create a food

chain using index cards.
Write a name and draw a picture on each
of your cards.
Connect each organism with a string by
placing holes in the cards.
When every group is done connect all food
chains created to form one large food web.

Energy in food webs

Many producers are usually required

to provide the energy/food required
for a small number of consumers

Where do each of the

following get energy?
1.

Producers?

2.

Herbivores?

3.

Carnivores?

4.

Decomposers?

Where do each of the

following get energy?
1.
2.

3.

4.

Producers get energy from the sun

Herbivores get their energy from
consuming plants/producers
Carnivores get their energy from
consuming herbivores.
At the end of the food chain
Decomposers get energy from
consuming waste or waste products.

Energy Pyramid

Is a diagram to show how energy

moves and transfers through an
ecosystem.

Activity

Using the following simple food chain:

plants -->mouse--> snake--> Hawk

construct a pyramid to illustrate an

energy pyramid

plants -->mouse--> snake--> Hawk

Where is most of the energy?

Where does the rest of the energy go?

Where does the missing energy go?

Not all energy gets transferred

The missing energy has been used for
living functions such as:
1.
2.
3.
4.

growth,
movement,
reproduction
lost as heat

Journal entry

In paragraph form:
From what we have just discussed,
why would some people say the
following?
All flesh is grass

Nutrient Cycle

Nutrients, such as nitrogen and

carbon, are recycled in the
environment.

All organisms are eventually recycled

and their nutrients are returned to
the soil by the action of decomposers.

The role of decomposers

Decomposers, such as
bacteria and fungi do much
of the recycling in nutrient
cycles