Grade 7 Science

Unit 1: Interactions within

Ecosystems
What is an Ecosystem?

Complete the activity

on page 5:
What is an Ecosystem?

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems

What is an Ecosystem?
What is
found in an
ecosystem?
Animals and
Plants
An organism
is any living
thing, such
as a plant or
animal.

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems

What is an Ecosystem?
Places where
organisms live are
called habitats.
Everything that is
needed for an
organism to
survive would be
found in a habitat.

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems

What is an Ecosystem?
Non-living things
that affect
organisms are
called abiotic
factors.
What are some
examples?
Water, rocks,
sunlight, and air

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems

What is an Ecosystem?

Living things that are found in an

environment are called biotic factors.
Organisms are biotic factors.
How do animals affect each other?
Feed each other
Compete with each other
Help each other

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems

Activity: Abiotic & Biotic
Factors
Cards placed into correct category

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems

What is an Ecosystem?
An ecosystem is all the
living and non living
things in a particular
place.
How large is an
ecosystem?
Ecosystems can be very
large, like the ocean or
forest,
or they can be very small,
like under a log or a nest
in a tree.

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems

What is an Ecosystem?
There are four
ecosystems in Atlantic
Canada:
Coastlines and oceans
Brown seaweeds,
barnacles, mussels,
starfish, rock crabs
Water currents affect
temperatures and
climate
Larger animals include
cod, seals, and whales
Salt content affect
organisms
Deep water prevent
sunlight from reaching
bottom
Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems
What is an Ecosystem?
Freshwater: Rivers,
Lakes and Ponds
Fish such as
whitefish and
sticklebacks
Beavers, muskrats,
ducks, and geese
Frogs, insects, snails
Water plants
Rain and snow
supply water

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems

What is an Ecosystem?
Arctic
Northern Labrador
Very low temperatures
and little precipitation
Permafrost: soil is always
frozen one metre below
the surface
Low shrubs, mosses,
lichens and small flowers
Caribou, musk ox,
wolves, arctic foxes,
arctic hares, lemmings
Birds during spring and
summer

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems

What is an Ecosystem?
Forests
Much of Newfoundland
and Labrador
Summers cool and
winters wet
Balsam fir, white birch,
black spruce, mountain
ash
Moose, caribou, black
bear, lynx, red fox, pine
marten, mink
Sometimes bogs and
marshes
Peat (buildup of
decaying plant matter)
Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems
 Activity: Foldable

Create a foldable showcasing the

ecosystems found in Newfoundland.

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems

What is an Ecosystem?
Most plants and animals have
a range of tolerance.
Range of Tolerance is the
range of conditions within
which an organism can live.
Ex: heat, light, water, etc.
Range of tolerance is the
factor that determines where
organisms live.

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems

What is an Ecosystem?
Abiotic Factors:
1. Light and light
intensity
All plants need light to
survive.
Some plants need
more light than others.
Animals can survive in
dark and light areas.

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems

What is an Ecosystem?
2. Temperature
All animals and plants have
a certain temperature that
they need to survive.

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems

What is an Ecosystem?
3. Soil
Plants get nutrients
from the soil.
Plants grow roots
into soil.
Animals form tunnels
for air and water to
move through.

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems

What is an Ecosystem?
4. Air and Wind
Windy areas can
affect plant growth
since these areas
tend to be dry.
Plants usually grow
shorter than normal.
Animals that fly can
also be affected by
the wind.

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems

What is an Ecosystem?
5. Water
All organisms need
water to survive.
Some organisms can
survive with smaller
amounts of water.

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems

What is an Ecosystem?
What are biotic factors?
Ecologists study
ecosystems by first
studying a species.
A species is a group of
organisms that can
reproduce to produce
similar, fertile organisms.

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems

What is an Ecosystem?
When only one organism is studied, that is
an individual.
When many organisms of the same species
live in the same ecosystem, they make a
population.
A group of populations which interact and
share a common ecosystem form a
community.
What populations are there in Clarenville?

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems

 Habitat versus Niche

Habitat: the
organisms address;
where does it live?
Ex. A mooses
habitat is the boreal
forest.

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems

 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

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems

 Niche

Ex. A moose lives

in the boreal
forest, it is a
herbivore (plant
eater), it provides
a home for
parasites and it
provides food for
coyotes.

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems

 Activity
Think About It... Seabirds! p.
26
Complete the dichotomous key

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems

 Chapter 1 Assignment

Grade 7 Interactions Within Ecosystems