Habitat study
habitat
a habitat is the natural environment where a particular organism lives.
every organism has a unique habitat that provides for its needs: their food, water and shelter. they also breed in their natural habitat.
a community is all the animals and plants that live in a particular area and share the resources in that area.
an ecological community is a group of interacting species living in the same place. a community is bound together by the effects that species have on one another. within a community, organisms all have a unique niche or role, they fill to keep the community healthy.
the ecological niche of a species is its role in a community, how it fits in and how it interacts with each other
why study a habitat?
it can give us information about the difference life forms that live in it
help us prevent harmful conditions that can easily destroy that habitat.
help us identify the factors that can lead to harmful changes in the habitat
help us understand the impact of human actions on other life forms
help us understand how different animals and plants are adapted to their habitat
steps in a habitat study
we need to identify what grassland we will study
and how much of the particular grassland is to be studied, it may be very large and therefor comprehensive, it may be a representation section of the entire habitat,
Air temperature-thermometer/ temperature sensor-place a thermometer in the air. Soil temperature-soil thermometer/ temperature probe-place soil thermometer in the soil. Soil pH-Universal indicator/pH sensor-collect some soil and test with universal indicator. Light intensity-light meter/light sensor-expose a light meter and take the reading.
Abiotic factors are the non-living things that affect organisms in their habitats, for example air temperature, soil temperature, soil pH, light intensity.
identify the producers: the health of all habitats depends on the organisms that harness energy from the sun and keep that habitat alive, that is ,plants .plants are described as producers because they make the food that all the organisms in the habitat are dependent on for energy to live.
Producers are green plants that can make their own food using the process of photosynthesis
consumers are organisms that feed on other organisms for their food.
animals that hunt, catch and eat other animals are known as predators. Animals that are hunted, caught and eaten are known as prey. Some consumers eat plants they are called herbivores. Some consumers eat other animals they are called carnivores. Some consumers eat both plants and animals are called omnivores
ways of catching animals: 1)Pooter= one tube is placed over the organism and you suck through the second tube with gauze(the gauze prevents you from swallowing the organism)2)beating tray= a white sheet/tray is held under the leaves of a tree or shrub. the branches are shaken or beaten with sticks(this dislodges the animals and they fall onto the sheet)3)Pitfall trap= a jar is sunk into the group(the mouth of the jar must be level with the soil)a flat stone supported by small stones form a lid(the lid prevents rai from getting in).
Decomposers are organisms that break down dead plants and animals into materials that go back into the soil. decomposers in a grassland include earthworms, beetles, woodlice, bacteria and fungi,
competition
competition is the interaction between members of the same species (intraspecific) or members of different species(interspecific) for resources that are in short or limited supply.
plants my compete for light, water and space
animals may compete for food, shelter, mates and territory
interdependence
living organisms will depend on non-living things such as light, air, warmer, water, minerals and food.
food chains show the way energy is passed from one organism to another through food.
interdependence includes how organisms are dependent on each other for food and energy.
A food web shows the number of interconnecting food chains
if the producer at the beginning of a food chain in a habitat dies off, the rest of the organisms in the food chain are also in danger of dying off due to lack of food
animals very much depend on plants for their food- either directly, by feeding on plants, or indirectly, by feeding on other animals that feed on plants
but plants also depend on animals for pollination- plants rely on animals to carry pollen from flower to flower to ensure formation of fruit.