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Exploring Ecosystems Introduction

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Exploring Ecosystems Introduction

You are a junior ecologist investigating a New Zealand coastal forest. Use the evidence and ecosystem web below to work out how living things and physical conditions interact. Answer in complete sentences where asked.

Field notes: Te Rimu coastal forest

After a week of heavy rain, ecologists recorded these observations: the forest floor is damp and shaded; young rimu trees grow where light reaches the soil; kererū eat berries and spread seeds in their droppings; wētā shelter in leaf litter and are eaten by moreporks; fungi break down fallen leaves and dead wood, returning nutrients to the soil. A nearby stream carries water through the forest. The observations describe this ecosystem, but they do not include every interaction.

Read the ecosystem web

Arrows point from a food source to the organism that receives energy. The decomposer link shows matter being recycled, not a feeding direction.

Rimu berries → kererū

Leaf litter → wētā

Wētā → morepork

Dead leaves and wood → fungi → nutrients in soil

1.Which statement best defines an ecosystem?

A group of animals living in one place
All living organisms and non-living surroundings in an area, and the interactions between them
The climate of a region by itself
Only the plants and animals that humans can see

2.Classify each field-note factor as biotic (living or once-living) or abiotic (non-living physical or chemical). Give one of each: kererū, rainfall, fungi, soil, light.

3.A student says, “Soil is biotic because it contains living organisms.” Explain why soil itself is classified as abiotic, while still supporting biotic parts of the ecosystem.

4.Match each example to the most suitable description.

Kererū
Rimu tree
Fungi breaking down dead wood
Rainfall

Producer
Abiotic factor
Consumer
Decomposer

5.Use the ecosystem web: if the number of wētā fell sharply, predict one likely effect on moreporks and explain the link.

6.Heavy rain increases water in the stream and keeps the forest floor damp. Explain one way this abiotic change could affect a living organism in the field notes.

7.Choose the best explanation for the role of fungi in this ecosystem.

They make sunlight and send it to the trees
They break down dead matter and return nutrients to the soil
They turn soil into rainfall
They are abiotic because they grow on dead wood

8.The field notes say kererū spread rimu seeds in their droppings. Explain how this interaction may help rimu trees, and why it links two biotic components.

9.Imagine a long dry spell reduces stream flow and dries the forest floor. Describe one possible change to the ecosystem and explain a connection between the abiotic change and living things.

10.Create a mini ecosystem plan for a New Zealand habitat of your choice. Name two biotic components and two abiotic factors, then describe one interaction that connects them.