How Do We Do Science?

Research
on Ecosystems
 Ecosystems

Ecosystems have 2 parts:

1) Living (biotic)
2) Non-living (abiotic)

in one place.
 Ecosystems
Living (biotic) components:
organism

species

population

community
 Ecosystems
Organism
An individual living thing
Living things can. . .
- react to stimuli,
- reproduce,
- grow, and
- maintain homeostasis.
Virus, bacterium, protist, fungus, plant or an animal.
 Ecosystems
Species
A group of organisms.
- They have common characteristics;
and
- are capable of reproducing.
 Ecosystems

Population
A group of organisms of one species
that live in the same place at the
same time.
 Ecosystems

Community
A group of populations of different species
occupying a particular area, usually
interacting with each other and their
environment.
 Ecosystems
Non-Living (abiotic) factors:
1) Resources, and
2) Conditions
 Ecosystems
Resources:
- soil or substrate (aquatic)
- minerals
- Oxygen (O2) and
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
 Ecosytems
Conditions:
A. Climate or Weather
B. Water Quality
 Ecosystems
Climate or Weather factors:
- sunlight
- precipitation (rain)
- temperature
- altitude
- wind
 Ecosystems
Water Quality factors
- pH (acid or alkaline)
- Dissolved Oxygen (O2) and
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
- visibility or clarity
- salt, fresh, brackish
- flow rate
 Ecosystems
How are the living and non-living parts of an
ecosystem related?

Habitat:
- where something lives
- depends on the living and non-living factors

Living things use the resources. The larger

the population, the more resources they use.

Everything is connected!
 Ecosystems
Impacts on Ecosystems:

1) Pollution
2) Population
3) Resource Use
 Research

Aquatic Ecosystems
Group Biotope Research
 What is a biotope?

A biotope is a type of aquarium that tries to

replicate the conditions of a single ecosystem.
- Plants
- Animals
- Water quality
- Habitats
 Research
How do we do research?
- Find proper sources of information
1) Printed sources first!
* books,
* magazines,
* encyclopedias
2) Electronic sources second
* support your primary sources
* never copy/paste, always take notes

- Always write down your sources!

How will you present
your research?

As a poster,

That looks like . . .

 What Ecosystems are we
Researching?
G7A G7B
---Lake Malawi--- ---Lake Tanganyika---
---Irrawaddy River--- ---Chao Praya River---
---Khao Sok /SE Asian ---SE Asian Mangrove
Stream--- Estuary---
---New Guinea River--- ---Daintree River---
---Amazon River--- ---Rio Negro River---
---Madagascar ---Cenotes Freshwater
Stream--- Cave Stream---
 Biomes
I. Introduction to Biomes
A. What is a biome?
1) A group of ecosystems over a large area that have
similar characteristics
2) We will study 11
- tropical rainforest
- temperate rainforest
- tropical grassland (savannah)
- temperate grassland (prairie/steppe)
- temperate deciduous forest
- taiga
- boreal
- arctic tundra
- alpine tundra
- desert
- chaparral (Mediterranean)
PROJECT

BIOMES OF THE WORLD

 Biomes
B. Important aspects (parts) of biomes:
1) climate
2) plants
3) animals

II. Biome Climate

A. Weather vs. Climate
1) Weather – day to day condition of earth's
atmosphere
2) Climate – year to year measurement of
a. temperature
b. precipitation (rainfall)
BIOMES

B. TEMPERATURE AFFECTED BY:

1) EARTH'S SHAPE
2) EARTH'S AXIS
BIOMES

B. TEMPERATURE AFFECTED BY:

1) EARTH'S SHAPE
2) EARTH'S AXIS
Biomes
C. Wind and latitude
1) Wind goes in cycles
2) Cycles happen at
different latitudes
3) Different latitudes
have different biomes
D. RAINFALL
1) RAINFALL IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF
WIND CYCLES
2) RAINFALL IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE
OF LOCATION
Biomes

E. Altitude affects temperature

high – cold

low - warm
Biomes

F. Ocean Currents
1) Some ocean currents are warm, some are cold
2) Ocean currents affect the climate of the land
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/