GEC 21.1 – Envi.Sci.

Activity Woksheet 2nd Semester 2021-

Name: Rose Angel T. Manaog Course/ Year: B.E.E.D 2B

Worksheet Activity No.2

Ecology and Ecosystem

Direction:
a. You can print the following worksheet and write your answer.
b. Or you can directly input/encode your answer by editing the document.
c. Others, can do rewrite the worksheet together with your answer (if you do not
have a printer or had difficulty editing)
d. Scan or take a picture and upload it as your output. Convert to PDF before
attaching your output.

1. Complete this table of the levels of organization in ecology.

Ecological Levels Description

of Organization
Organism a living thing and structurally organized that can react to stimuli,
reproduce, grow, adapt, and maintain homeostasis. This organism can
be animals, plants, figures, plants, fungus, protists, archaeon, and
bacterium on earth.
Population the total number of all the organisms in the same group or species living in a
specific place and same environment and can breed.
Community the same and different species wherein in a group were interacting organisms
in a specific area and time. The interaction of the organisms in a community
leads them to adaptation, existence, abundance, and distribution.
Ecosystem the single environment of organisms, as well as weather and landscape, that
work together to form a life. An ecosystem consisting the biotic components or
all living things and abiotic components or non-living things which contain a
single habitat, including all interactions between its different elements.
Biosphere all living things including the environment. It is a global ecosystem composed
of living organisms (biotic) and non-living organisms (abiotic) factors from
which they derive energy and nutrients

2. Define habitat – It is made of physical (abiotic) and living (biotic) factors. The natural home or
natural environment where animals, plants, and other organisms live includes all living and
nonliving factors or conditions of the surrounding environment. A habitat meets all the
environmental conditions an organism needs to survive and must provide the right combination of
light, air, water, soil, food, select a mate, and successfully reproduce.

a. What is an abiotic factor?

Based on what I read, in biology and ecology, an abiotic factor describes as non-living
chemical and physical parts of the environment that affects the function of the ecosystem
and living organisms. Abiotic are non-living components; such as rainfall, water, climate,
soil, etc.

b. What is a biotic factor?

Based on ecology and biology a biotic factor is a living organism that shapes its
environment and within an ecosystem such as plants people, animals, fungi, bacteria, fish,
amphibians, and algae.

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3. What is a niche?
Based on what I read Niche describes the role of species that it plays in the community. It refers to
the biotic factors, which comprise living features such as animals, plants, fungi, and abiotic
factors. It describes the interactions of a species with the other members of its community,
including what it eats, where it lives, and where it reproduces.

4. There are 3 types of niches. Research on the following types and differentiate them.

a) Grinellian Niche
It is defined by non-interactive (abiotic) variables and environmental conditions on a broad
scale. Grinellian Niche focused on the habitat requirements of a species for it to survive and
reproduce.

b) Eltonian Niche
It is an ecological niche that emphasizes the functional attributes of animals, the idea
of species, and their corresponding trophic position. Eltonian niches focused on biotic
interactions and consumer–resource dynamics (biotic variables) on local scales.
c) Hutchinsonian Niche

It is an "n-dimensional hypervolume", it is environmental conditions and resources, that

define the requirements of an individual or a species to practice its way of life. The
"hypervolume" defines the multi-dimensional space of resources such as light, nutrients, the
structure that are available to organisms, and all species other than those under consideration
are regarded as part of the coordinate system.

5. Define Ecosystem

It defines as the single environment of organisms, as well as weather and landscape, that work
together to form a life. An ecosystem consisting the biotic components or all living things and
abiotic components or non-living things which contain a single habitat, including all interactions
between its different elements.

6. Types of Ecosystems – Complete the following table.

General Type Sub-types (give 2 examples) Major Features

1. Terrestrial Ecosystem
an ecosystem found on land.
2. Aquatic Ecosystem
an ecosystem in and
surrounding a body of water.
Desert Ecosystems Lower availability of water (as
Forest Ecosystems compared to aquatic
ecosystems) and the
consequent importance of
water as a limiting factor.
Greater temperature
fluctuations on both a diurnal
and seasonal basis.
There is greater availability of
light favored by a transparent
atmosphere.
Freshwater habitats It can be made of either
Marine habitats freshwater or saltwater.
It provides a habitat for a
variety of aquatic creatures.
Algae and corals make up the
majority of the flora.

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It can have a high level of

biological diversity, making
them the world's most
productive and richest
ecosystem.
5. Man-made Ecosystem Pond More productive from
an artificial ecosystem that is Garden anthropocentric perspectives
created by a human being. Aquarium Unfavorable and less favored
species.
More fragile and are more
vulnerable to failure due to
lack of diversity.
It depends on natural cosmic
laws.

7. Differentiate food chain from food web: Based on what I read in ecology, a food chain refers to a
linear flow of energy and nutrients from one organism to another. It does not affect the
adaptability and competitiveness of organisms. A food web can be termed as the combination of
many different food chains and the relationship that exists between each organism. It is an
organism of a higher trophic level that has access to more members of a lower trophic level and
has a role in improving the adaptability and competitiveness of an organism.

8. What are the three types of ecological pyramids? Define and differentiate each type.

An ecological pyramid is a graphical representation indicating the relationship between organisms

at different trophic levels which provides an intuitive, visual picture of how the trophic levels in an
ecosystem compare for a feature of interest, such as energy flow, biomass, or several organisms.
Here are the three types of the ecological pyramid;

First, The Energy Pyramid represents the energy flow through trophic levels which usually shows
rates of energy flow through trophic levels, not absolute amounts of energy stored. It is always
upright, narrower at each successive level unless organisms enter the ecosystem from elsewhere
Second, The Biomass Pyramid which visualizes ecosystem structure is with biomass pyramids.
The amount of energy that's stored in living tissue is represented by these pyramids at the different
trophic levels. Unlike energy pyramids, biomass pyramids show how much biomass is present at a
level, not the rate at which it's added. This pyramid, like many biomass pyramids, is upright.
Third Numbers Pyramids show how many individual organisms there are in each trophic level.
Depending on the ecosystem, they can be upright, inverted, or kind of lumpy.

9. Complete the following table:

Ecosystem Types/Subtypes Characteristics Abiotic Biotic Ecological or
Components Components Economical Service or
Functions

1. Forest ✓ Tropical - warm temperature sunlight, Plants, animals, Forest serves as carbon
Rainforest and adequate rainfall temperature, insects, fungi, and storage, nutrient cycling,
✓ Temperate - maintains climate and moisture, wind bacteria are supporting energy flow and
Forest rainfall or water examples of chemical cycling, reducing
✓ Boreal - supports many wild currents, soil biotic forces in soil erosion, absorbing and
Forest animals and protects type, and the environment. releasing water, purifying
biodiversity nutrient water and air, influencing
- soil is rich in organic availability. local and regional climate,
matter and nutrients, and maintenance of wildlife
which support the habitat.
growth of trees.

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2. Grass ✓ Tropical - limited annual carbon, Trees, grasses, Grassland serves as forage
Land Grasslands rainfall. hydrogen, sulfur, shrubs, mosses, for livestock, protection,
✓ Flooded - dry climate nitrogen, and and lichens and conservation of soil and
Grasslands throughout the year. phosphorous water resources, furnishing
✓ Montane - lack of nutrients in habitat for wildlife, both
Grasslands the soil. flora and fauna, and
✓ Temperate - prone to drought and (contribution to the
Grasslands uncertain precipitation. attractiveness of the
✓ Tundra - frequent fire due to landscape
Grasslands semi-arid climate and
✓ Xeric flash lighting.
Grassland - poor vegetation
Ecosystem growth is dominated
by grasses.
- grasslands are home
to a huge variety of
animal species.
3. Desert ✓ Hot and Dry - deserts experience soil, high Producers - The Desert serves as a
Deserts very little rainfall and temperature, low Grasses, thorny habitat for multiple species
✓ Semi-Arid thus result in aridity rainfall, dry bushes, some of animals and plants.
Deserts - the annual rainfall climate. species of trees
✓ Coastal that a desert receives like zizyphus,
Deserts every year is just 25- acacia.
✓ Cold 30 centimeters Consumers -
Deserts. - experience extreme Rats, goats,
temperatures, too hot rabbits, camels,
during the day and and many species
very cold at night of birds, reptiles,
- experience insects, and owls.
sandstorms/ dust Decomposers -
storms of high fungi and
intensity resulting in bacteria.
the formation of huge
sand dunes
- due to less rainfall,
there is a shortage of
water in a desert
ecosystem
- plants grow very
slowly
3. Pond ✓ Garden pond - pond bottom, there is light, Producers - The pond serves as a place
ecosystems very little oxygen; temperature, species of rooted, of dwelling for the
✓ Salt pond decomposers and dissolved submerged, endangered species and
ecosystems scavengers live there. oxygen emerged, floating ensures more biodiversity
✓ Freshwater - fish dominates and plants and algae. than freshwater. Also,
pond preys in pond mid- provide vegetation and
ecosystems water. Primary water to animals during hot
✓ Venereal - on the pond surface, consumers - weather.
pond there is plenty of light small herbivores
ecosystems and oxygen. Ducks, such as snails,
✓ Mountain tadpoles, midge larvae insects, small
pond survive here. fishes, tadpoles,
ecosystems - at the pond margin, and larvae of
plants provide shelter aquatic animals.
to small animals and
insects. Secondary
- still water pond consumers -
ecosystem is a body of frogs, big fishes,
motionless or standing water snakes,
water. crabs, water
- ranges from very shrews, water
small such as rock voles, herons,
pools to very large ducks, and
such as lakes kingfishers.
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 GEC 21.1 – Envi.Sci. Activity Woksheet 2nd Semester 2021-

Decomposers -
bacteria and fungi

4. Lake ✓ Oligotrophic - Shallow freshwater temperature, Producers -free- Lake serves as food
lakes- low body light, water floating) production, freshwater
nutrient - Permanent water phytoplankton, supply, climate regulation,
✓ Eutrophic body algae and aquatic recreation
lakes- over - Helps in irrigation & Consumers Provide water for drinking.
nourishment drinking (a)Primary Help to develop hydel
by nutrient consumers(zoopla power. Assists in fishing.
✓ Dystrophic nkton)- small Help to develop hydel
lakes- low fish, protozoa etc. power.
PH, high (b)Secondary
Humic acid consumers- water
content, beetles and small
brown water fish
✓ Volcanic (c)Tertiary
lakes- water consumers- large
from magma fish like game
✓ Meromictic fish
lakes- rich in Decomposers –
salts bacteria, fungi
✓ Artificial
lakes-
5. River ✓ Perrenial or - flowing mostly Water flow, Biofilm, The river serves as water
permanent unidirectional water light, microorganisms, supply (homes, farms,
rivers - a state of continuous temperature, primary schools, and businesses)
✓ Periodic physical change chemistry, producers (Algae, transportation, energy
rivers - many different (and dissolved ions consisting of source, recreation, and
✓ Episodic changing) and nutrients, phytoplankton fishing. Flood erosion
rivers microhabitats dissolved gases, and periphyton), control, nutrient recycling,
✓ Exotic rivers - variability in the flow suspended insects and other genetic material, and
rates of water matter, substrate invertebrates, wetlands.
- plants and animals fish, and other
that have adapted to vertebrates.
live within water flow
conditions
6. Marine ✓ Neritic Zone - the large surface area Temperature, Producers - Marine Ecosystem serves as
✓ Oceanic with saline water. light, NaCl, K, Phytoplankton’s recreation, tourism, and
Zone - the ships, submarines Ca, and Mg Salts (diatoms, water transport, food
✓ Supralittoral can sail in the ocean, alkalinity unicellular algae, security, feed for livestock,
Zone - it is rich in etc.,) and raw materials for medicines,
✓ Intertidal/Lit biodiversity marine building materials from
toral Zone - it moderates the- plants (seaweeds, coral rock and sand, and
✓ Sublittoral temperature Chlorophyceae, natural defenses against
Zone Phaeophyceae) hazards such as coastal
erosion and inundation.
Consumers
1. Primary
consumers
(herbivores) -
Crustaceans,
mollusks, fish
2. Secondary
consumers
(carnivores) -
Herring, mackerel
3. Tertiary
Consumers - Cod,
Haddock

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Decomposers -
Ex: Bacteria and
some fungi

7. ✓ Coastal - it is transition zones, Temperature, Producers - Estuarine serves as the

Estuarine Plains/Drow which are strongly pH, sodium, and marsh grasses, source of food, regulates
ned River affected by potassium seaweeds, sea- water supply and nutrients,
Mouth tides of the sea. salts and various grasses, and provides habitat for plants
✓ Fjords - water characteristics nutrients phytoplankton. and animals, helps prevent
✓ Bar-Built are periodically Consumers - flooding, and is the site for
✓ Tectonic changed. Oysters, crabs, recreation and other cultural
- the living organism seabirds, small activities.
has wide tolerance. fishes
- salinity remains Decomposers -
highest during the Bacteria, fungi
summer and lowest and
during the winter actenomycetous

10. Differentiate Biomes from Ecosystem

Based on what I read, Biomes is a large region of the world that has similar plants, animals, and
other organisms while the ecosystem is the interaction of animals, plants, and other organisms
including the non-living things to each other which has a play role within the ecosystem.

CITE REFERENCES:

https://freshwaterblog.net/2016/09/07/why-a-river-in-new-zealand-is-being-granted-legal-personhood/

https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1890/10-1510.1

https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1890/10-1510.1

https://byjus.com/biology/grassland-ecosystem/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281526181_The_many_uses_and_values_of_estuarine_ecosystems

http://www.okeanis.org/what-are-the-5-marine-ecosystems/

https://www.climate-policy-watcher.org/lake-ecosystems/lake-types.html

https://www.climate-policy-watcher.org/lake-ecosystems/lake-types.html

https://www.google.com/search?q=grassland+ecosystem+economic+and+ecological+function+of&sxsrf=APq-
WBvSJYTGa_59FNW5xvuwzkugTd53FQ%3A1647041925411&ei=hd0rYrbUGMiQseMPpoW80Aw&oq=grassland+ecosystem+ecoo
nomic+and+ecological+function+of+&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAEYADIECCEQCjoHCAAQRxCwAzoFCAAQogQ6BQghEKABSgQ
IQRgASgQIRhgAUMAIWIfwAWCEiQJoBnABeACAAYoDiAHzJ5IBCDAuMTYuOC4ymAEAoAEByAEIwAEB&sclient=gws-wiz

https://www.google.com/search?q=biotic+components+in+grassland+ecosystem&oq=biotic+components+in+grass&aqs=chrome.0.0i5
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https://www.google.com/search?q=desert+ecosystem+biotic+components&sxsrf=APq-
WBsLZoD2l1bjOgNFuIGlhvD4AhdzQQ%3A1647042328077&ei=GN8rYoa1BKSLseMP5Z6lkA8&oq=desert+ecosystem+biotic+&gs
_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAEYAjIECCMQJzIFCAAQgAQyCggAEIAEEIcCEBQyBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeOgQIABBHSgQIQRgAS
gQIRhgAUOz_B1iokQhgq6wIaABwA3gAgAG7AYgBqQmSAQMwLjeYAQCgAQHIAQjAAQE&sclient=gws-wiz

https://www.google.com/search?q=characteristics+of+grassland&oq=characteristics+of+grassland&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512l6j0i20i26
3i512j0i512l2.33746j1j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

https://www.britannica.com/summary/lake

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