KS3 Biology 8D Ecological Relationships 1 of 20 25 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 2004 Contents 8D Ecological Relationships Classifying animals and plants Habitats and adaptations Feeding types Food chains and populations Summary activities 1 2 of 20 25 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 2004 Contents 8D Ecological Relationships Classifying animals and plants Habitats and adaptations Feeding types Food chains and populations Summary activities 1 3 of 20 25 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 2004 Which habitat? 1 4 of 20 25 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 2004 Surviving in a habitat Organisms need to have special features which help them to survive in their habitat. These special features are called adaptations. For example, you have plenty of adaptations to survive in your habitat. Your fingers are an excellent adaptation. Without their ability to grip you would not be able to do all of that schoolwork! Some adaptations are obvious while others are not so obvious. Can you think of any other adaptations that you have? 1 5 of 20 25 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 2004 Adaptations activity 1 6 of 20 25 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 2004 Contents 8D Ecological Relationships Classifying animals and plants Habitats and adaptations Feeding types Food chains and populations Summary activities 1 7 of 20 25 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 2004 Feeding types Animals can be grouped in several ways. One way of doing this is based on how animals feed. Some organisms are producers. Producers make their own food. Plants produce their own food using light energy from the Sun. Some types of bacteria can also make their own food by using light or chemical reactions. Consumers cannot make their own food. They must consume other organisms to get the food that they need. 1 8 of 20 25 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 2004 Producer or consumer? 1 9 of 20 25 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 2004 Consumers Consumers can be grouped into different types: Herbivores These consumers eat producers. This means plants and possibly bacteria. Carnivores These consumers eat other consumers. They eat animals. Omnivores These consumers eat other consumers and producers. They eat animals and plants. Most humans are omnivores. 1 10ofof20 25 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 2004 Contents 8D Ecological Relationships Classifying animals and plants Habitats and adaptations Feeding types Food chains and populations Summary activities 1 11ofof20 25 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 2004 Changes in food chain populations The organisms in a food chain are dependent on each other. Changes in the number of organisms in one part of the food chain can have dramatic effects on the rest of the food chain. grass rabbit fox What would happen to the number of rabbits and foxes if all the grass died out?  Rabbit numbers would decrease because they would have less to eat and may starve or stop reproducing.  Fox numbers would also fall as there would not be as many rabbits to eat. 1 12ofof20 25 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 2004 Food chain populations plankton shrimp tuna dolphin 1. It has been a very bad year for plankton. Due to the lack of food their numbers have dropped dramatically. Use the sliders to show how this will affect the numbers of the other members of the food chain. Shrimp numbers indicator Tuna numbers indicator Dolphin numbers indicator 1 13ofof20 25 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 2004 Food chain populations plankton shrimp tuna dolphin 2. Dolphins are often killed by being caught in the driftnets of fisherman. More dolphins than ever have been killed in this particular year and so the number of dolphins is very low. Use the sliders to show how this will affect the numbers of the other members of the food chain. Shrimp numbers indicator Tuna numbers indicator Dolphin numbers indicator 1 14ofof20 25 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 2004 Food chain populations plankton shrimp tuna dolphin 3. Due to a mysterious disease the number of tuna has dropped dramatically. Use the sliders to show how this will affect the numbers of the other members of the food chain. Shrimp numbers indicator Tuna numbers indicator Dolphin numbers indicator 1 15ofof20 25 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 2004 Food chain populations plankton shrimp tuna dolphin 4. Large numbers of shrimp larvae did not develop properly and because of this shrimp numbers have declined. Use the sliders to show how this will affect the numbers of the other members of the food chain. Shrimp numbers indicator Tuna numbers indicator Dolphin numbers indicator 1 16ofof20 25 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 2004 Contents 8D Ecological Relationships Classifying animals and plants Habitats and adaptations Feeding types Food chains and populations Summary activities 1 17ofof20 25 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 2004 Glossary  adaptation – A feature that helps an organism live in a particular place.  carnivore – An organism that only eats other animals.  consumer – An organism that feeds on plants or animals.  food chain – A sequence that shows feeding relationships and the transfer of energy between organisms.  herbivore – An organism that only eats plants.  omnivore – An organism that eats both plants and animals.  population – The number of organisms of a species living in a habitat.  producer – A plant that makes food by photosynthesis. 1 18ofof20 25 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 2004 Anagrams 1 19ofof20 25 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 2004 Multiple-choice quiz 1 20ofof20 25 © Boardworks Ltd 2005 2004