Ecosystems Science Kids

Living and nonliving things

When you go outside, you might notice people, grass,flowers, birds, and insects.You also are probably aware of nonliving things,such as air, sunlight, and water.

An ecosystem is all the living and nonliving things in an area.

These systems are the plants and animals interacting with their non-living environments (weather, Earth, Sun, soil, atmosphere). An ecosystem's development depends on the energy that moves in and out of that system. As far as the boundaries of an ecosystem, it depends upon how you use the term. You could have an entire ecosystem underneath a big rock. On the other hand, you could be talking about the overall ecosystem of the entire planet (biosphere). Animals and humans do affect their respective ecosystems.

In what kind of ecosystem are we living in today?

Living and nonliving parts

A population is a group of one species that live in an area at the sametime. Many populations make up the living parts of an ecosystem.

A community is made up of all the populations in an area. Members of a community depend on

each other to fill needs, such as food, shelter, and reproduction.

How Ecosystems Change - Ecological SuccessionWhat do you think?

Before you read, decide if you agree or disagree with each of these statements. As you read this lesson, see if you change your mind about any of the statements.

1. An ecosystem never changes.2. Nothing grows in the area where a volcano haserupted.

How did this happen?Photo by Paul Bradforth/Alamy

This object was once part of a mining system usedto move copper and iron ore. Today, so many forestplants have grown around it that it is barelyrecognizable.-How do you think this happened?-What do you think this object will look like after500 more years?

Nonliving parts of an ecosystem include air, water, soil, temperature, and sunlight.

They often determine what kinds of organisms and the number of organisms that can live there.

Everything is interrelated: including YOU!Each part has a role. In this way, the wholesystem works to meetthe needs of all its parts. In any ecosystem, someorganisms survive; others do not. Populations can live and grow only where theirneeds are not met, thepopulation will getsmaller. Some of itsmembers might moveaway. Maybe none willsurvive.

BIOMESA biome is a large ecosystem with generally the sameclimate and organisms. Biologists have divided the worldinto these regions. A single biome may cover may countries. Together, all the biomes make up the biosphere.

Balance in EcosystemsNiche: is the role that an organism has in an

ecosystem. Every organism in an ecosystem has a niche and a habitat.

Habitat: is the place in which anorganism lives.

Excellence points:

Natural Disaster Research Project

For resources search in the following link

http://sandovalawesomescience.blogspot.com/2013/05/natural-disasters-research-project.html