Grade 7 Ecosystem Investigation Outline - Due Friday October 12th

Ecosystem Investigation

Group Submission

Please submit the following in a group report:

1. Your completed recording sheet – Please rewrite a clean version, not the sheet that was used outdoors

2. A sheet of completed calculations

3. The Problem (see page 16 in Sciencepower 7)

4. A list of materials you used

5. Please include the answers to the following questions in complete sentences:

a.       Aside from grass, which organism was the most common? Why do you think it was so common?

b.      List 3 factors (abiotic or biotic) that allow the plants to survive in the lawn ecosystem.

c.       List 3 factors (abiotic or biotic) that allow the animals to survive in the lawn ecosystem.

d.      What scavengers, detritivores, and decomposers did you find in the ecosystem? What role do they play in keeping the ecosystem healthy?

e.      Explain what would happen in your lawn ecosystem if all the producers (plants) were removed from the site?

f.        Explain what would happen in your lawn ecosystem if all the consumers (insects, animals) were removed from the site?

g.       Explain what would happen in your lawn ecosystem if only the scavengers, detritivores and decomposers were removed from the site?

The group submission is due: _____________________________________________

Independent Submission

Instructions:

a)      Each student must work on the following questions independently

b)      The submitted work must be neatly written or typed

c)       All answers must be written in detailed sentences where possible

1.       Research some biotic factors (plants and animals) that are part of ecosystems in Southern Ontario. You can begin here:

http://www.discover-southern-ontario.com/Canadian-animals.html

a.       List 5 producers (think of common plants and trees)

b.      List 5 herbivores

c.       List 2 omnivores

d.      List 3 carnivores

e.      List 1 scavenger

f.        List 1 detritivore

g.       List 1 decomposer

2.       Create 5 food chains based on your list in question 1. The food chains should be no less than 3 organisms in length.

3.       What would happen to a food chain if one of the parts were removed? Use one of your food chains in question 2 to help explain your answer.

4.       Based on what you know about ecosystems, list as many abiotic factors in ecosystems as you can.

5.       Using your lists of biotic and abiotic factors, describe the following:

a.       2 biotic-biotic interactions

b.      2 abiotic-abiotic interactions

c.       2 biotic-abiotic interactions

The independent submission is due: _____________________________________________