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Ecosystems Study Guide for Class 7

The document provides an overview of ecosystems, defining key terms such as biodiversity, environment, ecology, and the components of ecosystems, including abiotic and biotic factors. It describes different types of ecosystems and outlines methods for sampling organisms, including the use of quadrats, sweep nets, pooters, and pitfall traps for accurate biodiversity assessment. The material is intended for Class 7 students at The Indian Public School - Cambridge International.

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Lavanya Thanthoni
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3 views2 pages

Ecosystems Study Guide for Class 7

The document provides an overview of ecosystems, defining key terms such as biodiversity, environment, ecology, and the components of ecosystems, including abiotic and biotic factors. It describes different types of ecosystems and outlines methods for sampling organisms, including the use of quadrats, sweep nets, pooters, and pitfall traps for accurate biodiversity assessment. The material is intended for Class 7 students at The Indian Public School - Cambridge International.

Uploaded by

Lavanya Thanthoni
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

THE INDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOL – CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL

CHAPTER 3 – Ecosystems

CLASS 7 - Study Material

Biodiversity: Life existing in various forms in our planet Earth. Biodiversity is the number and variety of
organisms found in a specific region.

Environment: The immediate surrounding of an organism.

Ecology: The study of environment and biological organisms.

Ecosystem: The interaction of biological community with the physical environment.

Species: A group of organisms that can interbreed among themselves to produce fertile offspring.

Population: a group of species that lives in a particular region.

Community: Many groups of population living in a same area.

Components of ecosystem:

Abiotic factor: All non-living things. Example: light, temperature, pH, water, gases etc.,

Biotic factors: All living organisms.

Kinds of Ecosystems:

Aquatic ecosystem (water), Terrestrial ecosystem (land), Wetland ecosystem (Marshy),

Grassland ecosystem (grasses), Desert ecosystem (Dry).

Sampling and Methods:

Sampling helps us to estimate numbers of organisms in an area and build up an accurate picture
of that areas biodiversity.

A quadrat is a known square area that is marked using a pre-made square of wooden sticks or
stakes and string. Quadrats can range in size from 1 square meter (1m2 ) to 20 square meter (20
m2), depending on the type of habitat surveyed. Different species and their numbers within the
quadrat are counted. Counting is repeated many times in different places throughout the habitat
to get an accurate representation of biodiversity.
Sweep nets: It is useful for collecting insects and other small animals from bushes, long grass and
ponds.

Pooter: It is a small jar used for collecting insects. It has two tubes - one goes into your mouth so
you can apply suction, and the other goes over the insect so that is sucked into the jar. A fine
mesh over the end of the first tube stops you swallowing the insect.

A pitfall trap is often used to get a sample of small invertebrates living on the ground, such as
beetles, spiders and slugs.

It consists of a container, such as a yoghurt carton, buried in the ground. The top of the container
is level with the soil surface, and it is covered by a piece of wood with a slight gap to allow insects
to climb in. It is important to check the trap regularly to avoid the animals escaping or being
eaten before they are counted.

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