🌿 Part 1: Understanding Forest Floor Ecosystems

1. What is an ecosystem?

A single tree living alone

A community of living and non-living things interacting together

Only the animals in a forest

Just the soil and rocks

2. Which of these are biotic (living) factors in a NZ forest floor? (Select all that apply)

Kauri trees

Wētā insects

Temperature

Fungi and mushrooms

Fallen logs

Native birds like tūī

3. Which of these are abiotic (non-living) factors in a NZ forest floor?

Soil pH and nutrients

Ferns and mosses

Bacteria in the soil

Kererū (wood pigeons)

4. Complete this sentence: Abiotic factors are important because they _______________

determine what living organisms can survive in an ecosystem

only affect plants, not animals

are not connected to living things

change the colour of leaves

🔍 Part 2: Forest Floor Interactions

5. Explain how sunlight (abiotic) affects the plants on a New Zealand forest floor. Give a specific example.

6. Describe one way that soil moisture (abiotic factor) affects the animals living on the forest floor.

7. Fill in the blanks using the words: biotic, abiotic, interdependent, nutrients

Living organisms in forest ecosystems are _____________ on both _____________ factors (like temperature and soil) and _____________ factors (like other plants and animals). When leaves decompose, they add _____________ back to the soil.

8. Name two native New Zealand species you might find on a forest floor and explain how they depend on abiotic factors.

🎨 Part 3: Ecosystem Connections

9. Draw and label a simple forest floor ecosystem showing at least 3 biotic and 3 abiotic factors. Use arrows to show one interaction between them.

10. Critical thinking: What might happen to the forest floor ecosystem if the temperature increased by 5°C due to climate change? Explain your reasoning.