Grade 7 Science
Unit 1: Interactions Within Ecosystems
Chapter 1: An ecosystem is all the living and
non-living things in a particular place.
Name:____________________
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Ecosystems
• Can be described by the types of ________________________ and the
_____________________ found there.
• Include ___________________ (non-living) and _________________ (living) things.
• Can be ___________________ or ___________________.
Student Activity! “What do living things need to survive?”
With a partner, generate a list of the things that all living things must have for survival.
______________________________ _______________________________
______________________________ _______________________________
______________________________ _______________________________
______________________________ _______________________________
Types of Ecosystems
• ____________________________
• ____________________________
• ____________________________
• ____________________________
**Foldable: Fortune teller foldable on types of ecosystems.
The Abiotic Environment
• The ________________________ parts of the environment.
• The upper and _______________ limits in which an _____________________ can
survive is called the organisms’ _____________________________________________.
Examples Include:
• _______________________________
• _______________________________
• _______________________________
• _______________________________
• _______________________________
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The Biotic Environment
• The ___________________ parts of the environment.
• Includes MANY ____________________ of organisms.
• Species refers to a group of _______________________ that can reproduce to
__________________ similar, fertile organisms.
Levels of Organization
Habitat vs. Niche
Habitat: the _______________________
address; where does it _____________?
Example: A moose’s habitat is the
________________ forest.
Niche: the organism’s __________, what role does the organism play in its
___________________.
It includes:
• _______________________________________
• _______________________________________
• _______________________________________
Example: A moose lives in the boreal ____________________, it is a _____________________
(plant eater), it provides a _____________ for parasites and it provides _____________ for
coyotes.
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Interactions in the Environment
- Biotic – Abiotic Ex:____________________________________
- Abiotic – Abiotic Ex: ___________________________________
- Biotic – Biotic Ex: ___________________________________
Key Terms
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Abiotic:
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Adaption:
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Biotic:
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Ecosystem:
______________________________________________________________________________
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Habitat:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Organism:
______________________________________________________________________________
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Range of Tolerance:
______________________________________________________________________________
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Community:
______________________________________________________________________________
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Individual:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Niche:
______________________________________________________________________________
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Population:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Species:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Comprehension Questions
1. List two examples of abiotic and biotic parts of a forest ecosystem.
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2. Give an example of a change in conditions that could affect an ecosystem.
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3. List four abiotic factors that affect the survival of organisms in an ocean ecosystem.
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4. Describe the habitat of a grasshopper.
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5. What is a treeline?
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6. How is a dandelion adapted to windy conditions?
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7. Describe an interaction between any organism and an abiotic part of its ecosystem.
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8. Using the term range of tolerance, explain why shallows fly south from Newfoundland
and Labrador during tthe winter.
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9. What is a species?
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10. Name three levels of biological organization that can be studied in an ecosystem.
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11. Is it possible for two organisms to live in the same habitat, but have different niches?
Explain.
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12. Draw a picture below of an ecosystem, be sure to include several organisms and three
abiotic factors.
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Field Trip to the Schoolyard
Question: What abiotic and biotic factors can you observe and measure in your schoolyard
ecosystem?
Hypothesis: 2 abiotic factors I expect to find are: ___________________________________
(2 marks) ___________________________________
2 biotic factors I expect to find are: ___________________________________
___________________________________
Materials: Notebook Camera Drawing paper
Thermometer Pencil Magnifying glass
Procedure: Refer to text, page 21.
NOTE: Do NOT pick or break plants or damage flowerbeds. If you turn over a rock or log to see
what is underneath, replace it afterwards.
Observations:
Table #1: The Abiotic and Biotic Factors Found in My Schoolyard (10 marks)
Abiotic Biotic
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Analysis:
1. Describe how the abiotic conditions your recorded might affect one type of: (4 marks)
(a) Animal
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(b) Plant
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_________________________________________________________________________________
2. Explain why you might get different results in the winter. (2 marks)
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3. Name an animal or plant that you know lives in your province but does not live in your
schoolyard ecosystem. Explain why it does not live there. (3 marks)
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4. Suggest some ways in which your schoolyard ecosystem might change if a pond was added to it.
(2 marks)
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Conclusion: (What did you learn about your schoolyard ecosystem?) (2 marks)
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Salty Seeds
Use the table below to record your observations.
Starting Bean Seeds 24 Hours in Salt Water 24 Hours in Fresh Water
1. Describe any differences you observed in the appearance of the seeds from the two
groups.
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2. What abiotic factor was studied in this activity?
________________________________________________________________________
3. What variables were controlled (kept the same) for the two groups of seeds?
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4. What variable was changed (manipulated)?
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5. Predict whether seeds from another species of plant would respond to salt in the same
way as bean seeds. How could you find out?
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Chapter 1 Key Terms
1. A particular place where an organism lives
(7 letters)
2. Non-living parts of the environment (7 letters)
3. The role a species plays in its community, including
where it lives, how it obtains its food, and how it
affects its environment (5 letters)
4. Interacting populations (9 letters)
5. An entire group of individuals of the same species
that live together in one ecosystem at the same time
(10 letters)
6. Living parts of the environment (6 letters)
7. One member of a species (10 letters)
8. A group of organisms that can reproduce among
themselves to produce offspring of the same type that
can also reproduce successfully (7 letters)
9. A characteristic that makes an organism well-suited
to its environment (10 letters)
10. Another term that means “living thing” (8 letters)
11. All the interacting non-living and living things in a
part of the environment (9 letters)
Hidden message: the span of non-living conditions
within which a living thing can survive (3 words)
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Chapter 1 Practice Test
Circle the letter of the best answer.
1. Temperature is an example of which kind of ecosystem condition?
A. abiotic
B. biotic
C. habitat
D. niche
2. Which of the following ecosystems can be found in Newfoundland and Labrador?
A. desert
B. pond
C. prairie
D. rainforest
3. Which option arranges the given levels of environmental organization from smallest
to largest?
A. ecosystem, species, individual, population
B. individual, community, population, ecosystem
C. individual, population, community, ecosystem
D. species, individual, community, ecosystem
4. Organisms can only survive within certain abiotic conditions. What is this span of
conditions known as?
A. adaptation
B. niche
C. range of tolerance
D. treeline
5. Which of the following is a biotic component of soil in a forest?
A. air
B. fragments of dead plants
C. small particles of rock
D. water
6. Which of the following best describes an adaptation?
A. A developed characteristic that helps a species survive in its population
B. A developed role that a species carries out in its community
C. An inherited characteristic that helps a species survive in its environment
D. An inherited role that a species carries out in its ecosystem
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Match the term on the left with the best description on the right.
Each description may be used only once.
Term Description
_____ 7. species A. one member of a species
_____ 8. population B. an entire group of individuals of the same species
_____ 9. habitat that live together in one ecosystem at the same
_____ 10. community time
_____ 11. biotic C. the biotic parts of a community, together with the
_____ 12. ecosystem abiotic parts of the environment that affect the
community
D. a group of interacting populations
E. non-living things
F. a group of organisms that can reproduce among
themselves to produce offspring of the same type
that can also reproduce successfully
G. living things
H. a particular place where an organism lives
Short Answer Questions
13. Read the statements below. In the space provided, indicate whether each
statement is true (T) or false (F). If the statement is false, rewrite it to make it
true.
___ (a) A rotting tree stump on a forest floor is too small to be considered an
ecosystem.
____________________________________________________________________
___ (b) Rivers, lakes, and ponds are all freshwater ecosystems.
____________________________________________________________________
___(c) The altitude at which tree growth becomes impossible is called the treeline.
_______________________________________________________________________
___ (d) A community can include several populations of different species.
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14. Mosquitoes and dragonflies live in the same habitat, but have different niches.
Explain why this statement is true.
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15. Describe three interactions a duck may have with the abiotic parts of its ecosystem.
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16. Examine the four illustrations below. Choosing from the terms given below,
correctly write the term that best matches the illustration in the space provided.
Terms: ecosystem, population, individual, community
_______________ _______________ _______________ _______________
17. Use the term “range of tolerance” to explain why a polar bear cannot survive in a
desert. Refer to at least two specific abiotic conditions in your answer.
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