Habitats and Food Chains
© Diane Hawkins
Clip-art is royalty-free from Microsoft and Printmaster Gold
What is an ecosystem?
• An ecosystem refers to all the animals and
plants found in one place, and the way they
all live together.
• Different plants and animals live in
different ecosystems.
• Different ecosystems can be close
together.
• Some animals belong to several ecosystems.
What is an environment?
• Everything that affects an animal
makes up its environment - where it
lives, the weather and all the living
things it comes into contact with.
• Every living thing, including people,
has an effect upon the environment.
Animal Adaptation
• All living things have to be suited to their
environment if they are to survive.
• Fish have streamlined bodies, fins and
specially shaped tails to help them move
quickly and easily through the water.
• Squirrels have sharp, strong claws for
gripping tree trunks and branches and
strong teeth for eating nuts.
How is the seal adapted to
its environment?
Streamlined Forward-facing
shape. eyes for clear
vision ahead.
Strong teeth
to catch fish.
Flippers to
help it swim.
Hind legs have Thick layer of
evolved into a a body fat to
strong rudder- keep it warm.
like tail.
Homes and Habitats
• The place where an animal lives is
called its habitat.
• An animal lives where it can find food,
water, shelter and a mate.
Living things
• All living things (organisms) need food
(nourishment) to live.
• Living things in an ecosystem depend
on each other for food.
Carnivores
Some animals, like the kingfisher, eat
only other animals. These animals are
called “carnivores”.
Herbivores
Some animals do not eat other animals.
They survive on plants and are known
as “herbivores”.
Omnivores
• Some animals, like us, eat both plants
and animals.
• These animals are called “omnivores”.
Consumers
• “Consume” means “eat”.
• Animals are consumers because they
“eat” (consume) food provided by
plants or other animals.
Producers
• Plants are living organisms. They need
nourishment to survive.
• But…
• Plants do not eat other plants or
animals.
• Plants are called producers, because
they make their own food inside
themselves.
Predator
A predator eats other animals.
Cats eat fish. So do bears!
Predator
• The cat is a predator, because it eats
other animals.
• The bear is a predator, because it
eats other animals.
• People are predators too!
Prey
Any animal which is hunted and killed by
another animal for food is prey.
Predator
Prey
Match the predator to its
prey.
Predators and Prey
Some animals are predators, some are prey - some are
both.
The predator eats the prey, and the prey gets eaten
by the predator.
Food Chains
A food chain shows what is eaten.
The fly is eaten by the thrush.
Food Chains
A food chain shows what is eaten.
The lettuce is eaten by the
rabbit.
Food chains always start
with a plant.
The lettuce is eaten by the slug, the slug is eaten by
the bird.
Food Chains - a Reminder
• A food chain shows which animals eat
other animals or plants.
• Plants don’t eat things.
• A food chain starts with what gets
eaten and the arrows point towards
what does the eating.
• Food chains only go in one direction.
Where do the arrows point?
The top of the food chain.
Some animals are said to be at the top of the
food chain. This is because they are not hunted
by other animals.
No other animal hunts the
lion. The lion is at the top of
the food chain. Can you think
why?
Food Webs
• In the wild, animals may eat more
than one thing, so they belong to
more than one food chain.
• To get the food they need, small
herbivores may eat lots of different
plants, and carnivores may eat many
different animals.
Food Webs
We can show this by using a food web, which is just a more
complicated version of a food chain.
owl fox
rabbits mice
grass seeds berries
Breaking the Chain
• Organisms living in a habitat depend on
each other.
• If one part of a food chain dies out or
is greatly reduced, the consumers
have to find alternative food, move
away, or starve.
• This then affects more consumers in
the same way.
Endangered or Extinct?
• The number of people in the world is
growing at an alarming rate.
• But this is not true for all animals.
• In some cases, there are only a few of
one type of animal left in the wild.
• These animals are endangered.
• If they die out completely, they become
extinct.
Why does this happen?
There are lots of reasons why animals
become endangered or extinct.
The most common are:
• loss of habitat (woodlands cut down, rivers
drying up, hedgerows removed).
• chemicals or pollution poison the animals.
• hunting (for sport, their fur, tusks or
meat).
Caring for the Environment
• It is in our own best interests to look
after the world we live in.
• If a habitat is lost or damaged, it has
an effect on everything else, even if
we do not see or understand it
straight away.
• Remember - once something becomes
extinct, it’s gone forever!