Day 2- What is an

ecosystem?
How do limiting factors affect an ecosystem?
What are the two main categories of
ecosystem?

At the end of todays

lesson you will be able to:
Explain how organisms within an ecosystem
depend and interact with each other.
Identify limiting factors of an ecosystem.
Explain the role of producers in an
ecosystem.
Identify the two main categories of
ecosystems.

What is the BIG

An ecosystem is a community
of animals and plants
INTERACTIING
with their environment.

Watch the BRAINPOP video:

https://www.brainpop.com/science/ecologyandbehavior/ecosystems/

User name and password:

pasadenaisd

STUDY JAM:

Watch the video. Quiz questions follow in the slide show.

PRACTICE

Which of the following are

BIOTIC factors in an
ecosystem?
A.Rain, sunlight, and
plants
B.Plants, animals, and
bacteria
C.Temperature, animals,
and plants
D.Animals, minerals in the
soil, and rain

Which of the following are

BIOTIC factors in an
ecosystem?

Biotic factors
consist of living
things such as
plants, animals,
and bacteria.

What is a producers job

in an ecosystem?
A. To make food and
oxygen for animals
B. To help plants grow
C. To break down dead
plants and animals
D. To eat plants and other
animals and produce
carbon dioxide

What is a producers job

in an ecosystem.

Plants are
producers. They
make food and
produce oxygen
for animals.

Why are animals

important to an
ecosystem?
A. The produce oxygen.
B. They eat bacteria.
C. They help break down
dead plants.
D. They produce carbon
dioxide.

Why are animals

important to an
ecosystem?

Animals produce
carbon dioxide
which helps
plants grow in
an ecosystem.

What is the difference between a biotic factor and an abiotic

factor?
A. Biotic factors include elements like weather and temperature,
while abiotic factors produce carbon dioxide and oxygen.
B. Biotic factors are living things and abiotic factors are non-living
things.
C. Biotic factors exist in an ecosystem, but abiotic factors do not.
D. Biotic factors are non-living things and abiotic factors are living
things.

What is the difference

between a biotic factor
and an abiotic factor?

Biotic means
living. Abiotic
means nonliving.

What is an ecosystem?
A. The pattern of weather that affects a particular area.
B. The life cycle of a plant from seed to flower.
C. All living things in a particular environment, like a forest or a
desert.
D. A community of animals and plants that interact with their
environment.

What is an ecosystem?

An ecosystem is a
community of animals
and plants interacting
with their environment.

Which of the following correctly shows the cycle of biotic factors in an

ecosystem?
A. Bacteria produce food and oxygen, animals eat the plants, breathe the
oxygen, and produce carbon dioxide and plants break down dead
animals and produce minerals.
B. Plants produce food and oxygen, bacterial eat the plants, breathe the
oxygen, and produce carbon dioxide and animals break down dead
plants and produce minerals that help plants grow.
C. Plants produce food and oxygen, animals eat the plants, breathe the
oxygen, and produce carbon dioxide and bacterial break down dead
plants and animals and produce minerals that help plants grow.
D. Animals produce food and oxygen, bacteria eat the plants, breathe the
oxygen, and produce carbon dioxide, and plants break down dead
animals and produce minerals.

Which of the following

correctly shows the cycle
of biotic factors in an
ecosystem?

Plants are producers.

Animals are consumers.
And bacteria are
decomposers.

What would happen if there were no abiotic factors in an

ecosystem?
A. Plants would be unable to grow and produce oxygen for the
animals.
B. Animals would grow and flourish.
C. The ecosystem would get too much rain.
D. Bacteria would become the consumer instead of the
decomposer.

What would happen if

there were no abiotic
factors in an ecosystem?

Without abiotic factors like sunlight,

plants would not be able to grow
and would not produce oxygen for
animals. All would die!

What are the two main

categories of ECOSYSTEMS?

TERRESTRIAL (LAND)
AQUATIC (WATER)

What are limiting factors?

Both abiotic and biotic factors determine both
where an organism can live and how much
a population can grow. A limiting factor is a factor
that restricts the size of a population from
reaching its full potential.

What are the effects of

LIMITING FACTORS?

Dont
live
here!

Dont
OverPopulate!

What are examples of limiting factors?

Light (exposure to light can change climate & growth of plants)
Heat (will determine the weather/climate of an ecosystem)
Mechanical Support (any features (i.e waterfalls, valleys, hills) which can either facilitate or inhibit
a species survival
Organic Matter (this will determine soil nutrition and therefore plant growth)
Nutrients (Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon, Phosphorous etc.) are essential stability of an ecosystem
Water/ Air (Water and Air quality will play a drastic role in the survivable of a species; streams,
rainfall etc.)
Predation (Predators will limit the growth of the population as well as human pouching)
Competition (Competition within the species and with other species for food, water, mates will
limit further growth)
Geographical Space (If the species can only survive within a given ecosystem, the size of that
ecosystem will prevent further population increases)

What are limiting factors of

Terrestrial Ecosystems?
Most terrestrial plant species are limited by a combination of
temperature, precipitation and light.
For example, black spruce requires regions with long, cold winters
and moderate precipitations.
Temperature and Precipitation are often the primary determinants of
terrestrial biomes (plant growth; water loss and gain).

What are limiting factors of an

Aquatic Ecosystems?
Most aquatic ecosystems are limited by salt concentration and the
availability of sunlight, oxygen and nutrients.
For example The Dead Sea is dead" because the salinity is so high and
nothing can grow in it.
Oxygen concentration is near the surface of the water as that is where
most plants are found since the sunlight can only penetrate a certain
distance into the water.
Shallow water can sustain plants that can root to the bottom soil while in
deep water only dissolved nutrients are available.
Human activity has a large effect on both these types of ecosystems;
excessively fishing and pollution can drastically affect the salinity and
oxygen content of these habits.

How are ECOSYSTEMS organized?

REVIEW QUESTION STEMS

I can show my
understanding of ABIOTIC
and BIOTIC factors in an
ecosystem.

How do the biotic and

abiotic components of an
ecosystem interact?

What does biotic

mean?

What does abiotic

means?

What are the biotic and

abiotic components of an
ecosystem?

What are limiting

factors?

How do limiting factors

affect the biotic
components of an
ecosystem?

Play this interactive food chain game!

Try to beat 1000 points!