CONTENTS:
1.– What an ecosystem is, and its components.
2.– Types of ecosystems: aquatic / terrestrial.
3.- Relationships between living beings:
A- Feeding relationships.
B.-Relationsetween the same species and different species.
4.– Take care of Nature.
5.– Protected places in Castilla la Mancha.
1.– ECOSYSTEMS AND COMPONENTS.
An ecosystem is a community or organisms (animal, plants, microbes…) interacting with each other and with the environment (air, water, soil, humidity, temperature…) on a place.
An ecosystem can be enormous (a desert, an ocean…), or very small (a pond).
COMPONENTS OF AN ECOSYSTEM:
1.1– (Biotic) Living things: are animals, plants… that live in that place.
1.2.– (Abiotic) Non-living things: are rocks, water, air from that place, and the atmospheric conditions (humidity, temperature…).
1.3.– Relationships between living things and non-living things.
When these relationships don’t change, the ecosystem is balanced, But if there are important changes in these relations (for example if there are more consumers, or predators…), the ecosystem will change.
ECOSYSTEM is a community of organisms interacting with each other and with the environment on a place.
COMPONENTS of an ecosystems are:
. – Biotic part or living things: (animals, plants…)
. – Abiotic part or non-living things: (water, temperature…)
. – Relationships between living things and the environment.
2.– TYPES OF ECOSYSTEMS.
There are many different types of ecosystems: Aquatic and terrestrial.
2.1.– AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS:
A. Freshwater ecosystems: in rivers, lakes
B.– Marine ecosystems: in the sea or oceans.
. – ecosystem . – biotic . – abiotic
. – aquatic . – terrestrial . – freshwater
. – marine
.
.
2.2.– TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS.
There are some factors with a great influence on the types of ecosystems:
. – Atmospheric factors:
– Temperature, precipitation
.–Geographical factors:
Vicinity to the sea.
– Altitude.
Latitude (distance from the Equator)...
The climate zones on Eath are:
One tropical zone
Two temperate zones.
.
.
Two polarzones.
A.1.– Tropical rainforest is near the Equator.
– Temperature: it is very hot.
– Precipitation: with lots of precipitations.
Flora and fauna: It is a thick forest with a great variety of plants and animals.
A.2.- Savanna is near the tropics.
Temperature: it is very hot.
Precipitation: has got two seasons (a dry season and a wet one).
Flora and fauna: There are lots of grass and bushes. There are a great variety of big wild mammals.
A.3.- Hot desert
.
Temperature: it is very hot during the day, and very low temperature during night.
.
– Precipitation: it is very dry.
– Flora and fauna: there is scarce vegetation adapted to live with only a bit of water so only a few animals can live there.
USEFUL WORDS:
. – temperature . – precipitation
. – vecinity to the sea . – altitude
. – latitude . – tropical zone
.
. – temperate zone . – polar zone
tropical rainforest . – savanna
B.– TEMPERATE ZONES:
B.1.– Mediterranean ecosystem:
.
Temperature: It is cool in winter and hot during summer.
.
.
Precipitation: very dry in summers.
Flora and fauna: Mediterranean forest: trees, bushes and grass are adapted to dry summers. There are deers, wildboards, rabbits, birds of prey… and other animals.
– Location: near the Mediterranean sea and other places in the interior of Iberian península.
B.2.– Deciduous and coniferous forests:
– Temperature: cool winters and mild summers.
– Precipitation: a high level of precipitation.
Flora and fauna:
. - Deciduous trees: lose their leaves in Autumn.
. - Coniferous trees: do not lose their leaves.
Location: near the oceans.
.
.
C.– POLAR ZONES:
C.1.– Tundra:
. – Temperature: very cold winters and cool Summers. Ice melts in Spring and Summers.
– Precipitation: lots of snow.
– Flora and fauna: grass and bushes that grow very quick. There are reindeers, foxes, wolves, rabbits
C.2.– Cold desert:
.
Temperature: Very cold all over the year. There is no melting in the Summer.
Precipitation: small precipitation.
. – Flora and fauna: only a few animals can live There (polar bears, seals, penguins…)
– Location: near the poles and on very high mountains.
TROPICAL ZONE: – Tropical forest.
– Savanna.
– Hot desert.
TEMPERATE ZONE: – Mediterranean ecosystem.
. – Decidious and coniferous forest
POLAR ZONE: - Tundra.
– Cold desert.
. – Mediterranean ecosystem
. – deciduous forest
. – coniferous forest
. – tundra
. – cold desert
3.1.- FOOD CHAIN:
A.- Producers (plants, algae, bacteria): produce their own nutrients from non–living things:. They are called autotrophic organisms.
B.- Consumers (animals): get nutrients from other living beings, (plants or other animals). They are called heterotrophic organisms. There are different types:
.
- Hervibores: they eat plants.
. - Carnivores: they eat other animals.
. – Omnivores: they eat plants, animals
C.- Decomposers (bacteria, fungi, worms…): get their food from dead organisms, excrement, and non living organic compounds.
3.2.– ORGANISMS OF THE SAME SPECIES.
Sometimes organisms live in groups with other organisms of the same species, for protection, to get food
There are different types of groups:
a.– Families: are small groups of living beings related one each other (they are parents, babies…), to protect, feeding and reproduce between them.
Ex: lions, wolves, eagles…
b.– Gregarious associations: are groups of living beings that live together, although they are not related each other.
Examples: flocks of birds, flocks of zebras…
C.– Societies: are groups of living beings in which there is a level of organization with their work distributed. They are specialized in different roles. There is a Queen, soldiers, workers...
Examples: bees, ants...
USEFUL WORDS:
3.2.2.– ORGANISMS OF DIFFERENT SPECIES. These relations can benefit to both of the species, only to one of them, or even they can be very dangerous for one of the species.
a.– Mutualism: it’s an interaction in which both species benefit from the relationship. Species need each other.
Example: The crocodile gets its teeth cleaned by the bird. The bird gets its food from the crocodile’s teeth.
b.– Commensalism: it’s an interaction in which one species benefits and does not affect the other one.
Example: Lions and vultures. Vultures eat the rest of preys hunted by lions.
c.– Parasitism: it’s an interaction in which one species (the parasite) benefits from another species (the host), while damages the host in the process.
Example: the mosquito gets blood from the human skin, while the person is damaged.
D.– Predation: is an interaction in which one species (predator) kills and eats the other species (prey).
Example: The eagle (predator) kills and eats the rabbit. (prey).
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USEFUL WORDS:
. – mutualism . – commensalism
. – parasitism . – parasite . – host . – predation . – predator . – prey
4.– TAKE CARE OF NATURE.
Human beings are part of nature. Nowadays we are provoking a lot of problems like: Polution, global warming and greenhouse effect, overexploitation, extintion of species There are some solutions to these problems:
– Reduction of consume.
Use of non-renewable energies to reduce pollution.
Creation of natural parks...
.
What we can do:
1.
Save energy at home.
2.– Reuse, reduce and recycle (paper, glass, batteries…)
3.– Take care of nature (keep clean the countryside) when you visit the mountains
4.– Others
5.– PROTECTED PLACES IN CASTILLA LA MANCHA.
In Castilla-La Mancha, there are several natural parks like “Cabañeros”, “Las Tablas de Daimiel”, “Lagunas de Ruidera”...
NATIONAL PARK OF “CABAÑEROS”.
It is one of the most important examples of the Mediterranean Forest. It’s located in “Los Montes de Toledo”. It is divided in two parts: a mountainous land and “La Raña” (that is formed by herbacious plants, bushes and holm oaks).
The fauna is very rich with lots of deers, wild pigs, imperial eagles and black vultures...
NATIONAL PARK OF “TABLAS DE DAIMIEL”.
It is a very large wetland in Ciudad Real. It is a very rich aquatic ecosystem plenty of fauna and flora, and it is used by lots of migratory birds when they fly over our country every year.
Nowadays, it is in a severe danger because of the drought and the overexploitation of underground waters.
NATURAL PARK OF “LAGUNAS DE RUIDERA
It is a wetland formed by sixteen lagoons. They are separated one from the others by natural stone walls. Their flora and fauna are rich, but they sometimes have problems because of the drought. They are very popular as a bathing place.
USEFUL WORDS:
. – greenhouse effect . – global warming
. – overexploitation .- holm oak
. – wetland . – drought
You have to complete some sentences about our famous character. You can use internet to look for information and complete these sentences.
1.– She was born on 3rd April in the year ________, in ______________ (England).
2.– She wanted to live in ________________.
3.– In 1956 she was invited by a friend to travel to her farm in ______________ (Africa).
4.– She met a scientist called _____________ _________________ who gave her the oportunity to work with chimpanzees in ________________ (Africa).
5.– She gave names to the chimpanzees and discovered that chimpanzees can make their own ________________.
6.– She studied in ______________________ University for her doctorate in “Animal Behaviour”. She worked in many projects to protect _______________
7.– Her name was _____________ __________________.
Here there are some words for the gaps: Africa
You have to complete some sentences about our famous character. You can use internet to look for information and complete these sentences.
1.– He was born in Poza de la Sal (Burgos) on 14th March, ________.
2.– When the Spanish Civil War started he was ______ years old.
3.– In the countryside, near his home he saw a ____________ hunting a __________, and he started to study falconry.
4.– He met Jose Antonio Valverde, a naturalist who created the natural reserve of ______________________ in Huelva.
5.– In 1966 he worked on TV in a programme called “Televisión Escolar” and they called him
6.– In 1967 he saved two puppies of Iberian _______________, and he started to defend this species.
7.– Between 1970 and 1974, he created a TV programme called “El Planeta Azul”, and later his most famous one: “_____ _______________ ____ ____ _______________”.
8.– He died on 14th March, _______ in Alaska. He is the most famous Spanish naturalist.
9.– His name was _____________________________________________.
Here there are some words for the gaps: falcon 1980 wolf Doñana duck 1928
