Name: _____________________________________ Hour: __________ Date: ______________ Biotic and Abiotic Factors, Biodiversity, and Keystone Species Learning

Goals: - Identify biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem. - Describe how a change in one factor in an ecosystem can affect others. 1. Use the Venn diagram to compare biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) factors in the environment and some components that are a mixture of both. Use the examples listed below and at least six more examples from the lesson: air, heat, precipitation, animals, mushrooms, soil

Both

2. Use a word from the box below to complete the following sentences. abiotic living plants animals moisture temperature biotic nonliving wind

A. All ecosystems are made up of _________________________ and ________________________ components. B. _______________ factors are living things, such as ____________________ or ____________________. C. ____________________ factors are nonliving things, such as ___________________, ___________________, or ___________________.

3. Read textbook pages 378-380 and complete the graphic organizer below.

4. Choose the phrase that best completes each sentence. abiotic factors, biodiversity, keystone species, biotic factors A. The beavers, fish, and birds that live in a pond are examples of _______________________________. B. An ecosystem that contains a large number of different species has a high level of _______________________________. C. The water in a pond and the soil along the edges and at the bottom of the pond are examples of _______________________________. D. By building dams, beavers can cause changes in a ecosystem that increase the number of fish, birds, and other animals that can live in there. Beavers are considered a(n)____________________________. Answer the following questions in complete sentences. 5. Define approximate equilibrium in an ecosystem.

6. Why might it be important to preserve areas with high biodiversity?

7. Are human beings a key stone species? Why or why not?

8. Read about the pacific salmon on page 372 in your textbook. Explain why the pacific salmon could be considered a keystone species.

9. How would the removal of a keystone species effect an ecosystem's biodiversity?

10. How would a change in an abiotic factor such as sunlight affect biodiversity in an ecosystem.

11. List biotic and abiotic factors you expect to find in a Milwaukee city park.

12. Explain which biotic factors used by the beaver are related to its role as a keystone species.

13. Describe what biodiversity means in your own words.

14. List three reasons why a beaver is an example of a keystone species.

15. What is the difference between a biotic and an abiotic factor?

16. Take a look at the Visual Vocab on page 379. In architecture, a keystone is the stone at the center of an arch that holds the arch together. How does this definition relate to a keystone species?

17. In the box below, sketch a simple ecosystem and label the abiotic and biotic factors.