🌱 Part 1: Understanding Ecosystems

1. What is an ecosystem? Circle the best answer:

A place where only plants grow

All the living and non-living things in an area that interact with each other

A type of garden

Only the animals in a habitat

2. Name two ecosystems you can find in your local area or school grounds:

3. What does "mārā kai" mean?

🐝 Part 2: Ecosystem Relationships

4. Match each living thing with how it helps the mārā kai ecosystem:

1. Bees (ngaro)

2. Birds (manu)

3. Worms (noke)

4. Spiders (pūngāwerewere)

A. Make soil healthy by breaking down organic matter

B. Control pest insects by eating them

C. Pollinate flowers so plants can make seeds

D. Spread seeds to new places

5. Explain two ways that plants and animals depend on each other in a mārā kai:

Way 1:

Way 2:

🌿 Part 3: Biodiversity in Mārā Kai

6. What is biodiversity? Check all that apply:

The variety of different plants in an area

The variety of different animals in an area

Having only one type of plant

The variety of different living things working together

7. Why is biodiversity important for ecosystem health? Fill in the blanks:

When there are many different types of __________ and __________ in an ecosystem, it is stronger and healthier. If one species gets sick or disappears, other species can still help the ecosystem __________ properly. This makes the mārā kai more __________ to survive challenges like pests or weather changes.

8. List three native New Zealand plants or animals that might be found in or around a traditional mārā kai:

🤝 Part 4: Kaitiakitanga and Ecosystem Care

9. What does "kaitiakitanga" mean?

Growing lots of food

Guardianship and caring for the environment

Building fences around gardens

Only using native plants

10. How do traditional Māori gardening practices help support biodiversity? Give two examples:

11. Draw your own ecosystem web showing at least 5 living things in a mārā kai and how they are connected. Use arrows to show relationships (who eats what, who helps whom):