What is an Ecosystem?

The term ecosystem was coined in 1935 by the British ecologist Sir Arthur George Tansley, who
describes nature systems in “constant interchange” among their living and nonliving parts.

The interaction of living organisms and their nonliving environment makes up an ecological system or
ecosystem. The biotic component includes the producers like plants, consumers like animals, and
decomposers such as bacteria, yeast, and fungi. On the other hand, the abiotic components are the
physical factors and chemical substances that greatly affect the presence and success of the biotic
components. Physical factors include light, temperature, rainfall, humidity, topography and all inanimate
matter. Chemical substances include water, oxygen, carbon, and other complex nutrients such as lipids,
carbohydrates, and proteins that are also very essential in the biogeochemical cycles.

Activity 1: What I Know Chart, PART 1 (3 mins)

Instruction: Please write under the WHAT I KNOW column the things that you already knew about the
questions for today’s topic. Please ONLY answer the “What I Know” column and wait until you finish
answering all the activities before you answer the “What I Learned” column.

What I Know Questions What I Learned (Activity 4)

1. What is an ecosystem?

2. What are the different types of

ecosystems?

3. What are the distinguishing

characteristics in each type of
ecosystem?

B.MAIN LESSON

Activity 2: Content Notes (13 mins)

All ecosystems, aquatic or terrestrial, consist of three basic components which derives their inputs for
the abiotic or physical environment. The three components are producers, the consumers and the abiotic
(nonliving) matter. The producers or autotrophs are the energy-capturing base of the system. They are capable
of fixing the energy from the sun and manufacture food from the simple organic and inorganic substances.

The consumers or heterotrophs, on the other hand, utilize the food stored by autotrophs, rearrange it,
and finally decompose the complex materials into simple, inorganic flow is regulated and is stabilized in the
system.

The heterotrophic component is subdivided into two subsystems. These are the consumers and the
decomposers. The consumers are either herbivores (plant-eaters), carnivores (flesh-eaters) or omnivores
(plant-eaters and animal-eaters). The decomposers however are bacteria and fungi of decay that break down
dead matter into inorganic substances.

The ecosystem concept fits into an ordered view of nature that was developed by scientists to simplify
the relationships between organisms and their physical environment, a field know as ecology. At the top of the
hierarchy is the planets’ entire living environment, known as the biosphere. Within it are vast categories of
living communities known as biomes that are usually characterized by their dominant vegetation, such as
grasslands, tropical forests or deserts. The biomes are in turn made up of ecosystems.

Types of Biomes Characteristics

TUNDRA has long harsh winters and extremely short summers

TAIGA has little precipitation and not suitable for agriculture due to its short growing
season and poor mineral in the soil
TEMPERATE has hot summers, cold winters and soil rich in organic material
DECIDUOUS FOREST
TROPICAL RAINFOREST often located in areas with ancient, highly weathered, mineral poor soil and
presence of high temperature and abundant soil moisture
GRASSLAND has hot summers, cold winters, less precipitation and provide ideal growing
conditions for crops (corn and wheat)
DESERT has low water vapor which appear as dry areas and few deserts are so dry
that no plant life occurs

Types of Aquatic Characteristics

Ecosystems
FRESHWATER Lentic – refers to ecosystems with standing water (ponds and lakes)
Lotic – refers to ecosystems with flowing water (creeks and rivers)
MARINE a complex environment subdivided into intertidal zone, benthic (ocean floor)
and pelagic (ocean water) environment.

No matter how the size or complexity of an ecosystem in characterized, all ecosystems exhibit a
constant exchange of matter and energy between the biotic and abiotic community. Ecosystem components
are so interconnected that a change throughout the system.

Activity 3: Skill-building Activities (18 mins + 2 mins checking)

Now, turn the page and let me know what’s on your mind.

A. Instruction: Fill the missing letters in the blank boxes to form words related to the topic. Check your
answers against the Key to Corrections found at the end of this SAS. Write your score on your paper.

R N F O E T
T U D A
A I A
F E S W T R
D E R T
M R N E
I O E
T M P E A T
T R P C L
R A S L N D

Nice try, you may now proceed to the second activity.

B. Instruction: Find and encircle 10 words (listed below) in the word chart. Check your answers against the
Key to Corrections found at the end of this SAS. Write your score on your paper.

Lotic, Biome, Temperate, Tropical, Taiga, Tundra, Grassland, Desert, Lentic, Marine

A C L E T A R E P M E T I T L
B I O M E R A T J K L U H A E
D F T R O L O Y H A M N G I N
E H I F A P G P A E E D E G T
S T C I T N E L I F I R R A I
E R O S B C H W E C C A T R D
R S L E S T E N I R A M F F L
T A S R W H G R A S S L A N D

Wow, that was GREAT!

Activity 4: What I Know Chart, PART 2 (2 mins)

Instruction: Please go back to Activity 1 “What I Know Chart” and finish answering the third column “What I
Learned”. Do this in 2 minutes. Are there any changes in your answer to the given questions? If there are,
then congratulations for you have learned something new today. Bravo!

Activity 5: Check for Understanding (5 mins)

Let us check how much you have learned.

Instruction: Match the set of words in Column A with its descriptions/definitions in Column B. Write the letter
of the correct answer in the space provided before each number. Check your answers against the Key to
Corrections found at the end of this SAS. Write your score on your paper.

Column A Column B
1. Tundra A. refers to ecosystems with flowing water (creeks and rivers)
B. has hot summers, cold winters and soil rich in organic material
2. Taiga
Temperate C. has low water vapor which appear as dry areas and few deserts
3. deciduous forest are so dry that no plant life occurs
D. a large and distinct region that has similar plants, animals, soil and
Tropical rain climate regardless where it occurs
4. forest
E. refers to ecosystems with standing water (ponds and lakes)
5. Grassland
F. the complex environment subdivided into intertidal zone, benthic
6. Desert (ocean floor) and pelagic (ocean water) environment
G. often located in areas with ancient, highly weathered, mineral poor
soil and presence of high temperature and abundant soil moisture
7. Biome
8. Marine H. has long harsh winters and extremely short summers
I. has little precipitation and not suitable for agriculture due to its short
9. Lentic growing season and poor mineral in the soil
 J. has hot summers, cold winters, less precipitation and provide ideal
10. Lotic growing conditions for crops (corn and wheat)

C. LESSON WRAP-UP

Activity 6: Thinking about Learning (5 mins)

A. Work Tracker

WOW! You are almost done with this session!

Let’s track your progress. Please shade the session number you just
completed.

Well done!

B. Think about your Learning

Can we talk? Please tell me something about today’s lesson. Write your answer on the opposite box.

1. Tell me at least 3 things

you’ve learned from
today’s lesson.
2. What are those 2 things
in the lesson you found
interesting?
3. Ask me 1 thing that made
you curious about the
lesson but we were not
able to discuss.

FAQs
1. Is it possible to have more than one type of ecosystem in one particular area?
Answer: Any given place may have several different ecosystems that vary in size and complexity. A tropical
island, for example, may have a rain forest ecosystem that covers and an underwater coral reef ecosystem

2. What are examples of lentic and lotic ecosystems?

Answer: Lentic ecosystems are freshwater ecosystems characterized by standing water. It includes ponds and
lakes while lotic ecosystems are characterized by running water such as rivers and streams.

Ecological Insight:

“ When demand for resources increases, it is

necessary to give priority to needs over
wants.”
KEY TO CORRECTIONS

Activity 3: Skill-building Activities

A.
R A I N F O R E S T
T U N D R A
T A I G A
F R E S H W A T E R
D E S E R T
M A R I N E
B I O M E
T E M P E R A T E
T R O P I C A L
G R A S S L A N D

B.
A C L E T A R E P M E T I T L
B I O M E R A T J K L U H A E
D F T R O L O Y H A M N G I N
E H I F A P G P A E E D E G T
S T C I T N E L I F I R R A I
E R O S B C H W E C C A T R D
R S L E S T E N I R A M F F L
T A S R W H G R A S S L A N D

Activity 5

1. H 6.C
2. I 7.D
3. B 8. F
4. G 9. E
5. J 10. A