DUE: Wed/Thur: April 4th/April 5th / Name:
Teacher: Period:
BIODIVERSITY:
Where is your habitat? You, like a bird, a lizard,
or even an ant, need a healthy habitat to survive.
A habitat is the place where an animal or plant
naturally lives and acquires all the things it needs
to survive. This would include food, water, and
space to grow, breed, and raise young.
What is even more fascinating about a habitat is
that within each of these habitats there are many
smaller microhabitats in which temperature,
humidity, light and other conditions vary from those of other habitats.
Diversity of plant and animal life is evident in each microhabitat, although
there are some similarities among them. So what impact does a habitat play
on an ecological system?
MAIN IDEA/TOPIC/KEY TERM / DETAILS/DEFINITIONSHABITAT
PARTS OF A HABITAT
MICROHABITAT
An ecosystem includes all of the living things in an area,their surroundings, plus the ways the living things interact with each other. The weather, Earth,sun, soil, and atmosphere (non-living or abiotic factors) are all part of an ecosystem. Ecosystems have abiotic (air, water, rocks, energy), biotic (plants, animals, and microorganisms), and anthropogenic (cultural) components. In addition to these unique qualities, an ecosystem exists on differentscales. For example, the ecosystem, or microhabitat, of a rotting log in theforest will have a different microhabitat, than a log rotting in a lake. Anecosystem is not dependent upon size, either. We could study the ecosystemof a puddle of water located at your school, or we could examine theecosystem of the Atlantic Ocean.
MAIN IDEA/TOPIC/KEY TERM / DETAILS/DEFINITIONSABIOTIC FACTORS
BIOTIC FACTORS
SIZE OF ECOSYSTEMS
Ecosystems are dynamic. As changes occur within the system, suchas temperature, population density, or food, the nature of the system itselfwill change as well.All ecosystems are interrelated to other ecosystems it. This is easily seen when we examine a lake's ecosystem. Its ecosystem willbe related to the ecosystem of the stream that flows into it. The stream'secosystem is related to the forested mountain side through which it flows,while the forest's ecosystem could have been influenced by a recent forest fire in the area while the influence goes on and on.
MAIN IDEA/TOPIC/KEY TERM / DETAILS/DEFINITIONSECOSYSTEMS ARE DYNAMIC
Biodiversity is the variety of life in an ecosystem. Variety in an ecosystem is important and crucial to the existence of somespecies. For example, tropical forests are the most diverse ecosystems in theworld. Here, the variety of fruits can provide fuel, food, and medicineessential for human life. As global environmental changes occur as a result of our lifestyles, the results can have a negative impact on our lives. Biodiversity (having a large variety of organisms)helps an ecosystem function.A large variety of organisms are needed for pollination, spreading seeds, regulating climates suitable to humans, animals, andplants, controlling agricultural pests and diseases, and even the regulationof human health. Also, by affecting nutrient and water cycling, soil formationand fertility, biodiversity indirectly supports the production of food, water, shelter, and medicines.
MAIN IDEA/TOPIC/KEY TERM / DETAILS/DEFINITIONSBIODIVERSITY
IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY
Biodiversity plays an important role in filtration and purification of air andwater, and ultimately the production of food. If we don’t ensure biodiversity preservation, we run the risk of speciesbecoming extinct. Some argue that biodiversity preservation is critical toensure the development of new medications while others defendmaintaining healthy ecosystems for recreational purposes such as fishing,camping, and swimming. The harmony of the Earth's ecosystem and thesymbiotic relationship which biodiversity plays within the system is criticalfor the survival of a healthy habitat.
MAIN IDEA/TOPIC/KEY TERM / DETAILS/DEFINITIONSPERSERVING BIODIVERSITY