Life sciences Grade 10

CAPS: structured, clear, practical

Helping teachers unlock the power of NCS

KNOWLEDGE AREA: Environmental studies

Topic 10: Biosphere to ecosystems

ENVIRONMENT
 CAPS SPECIFIC AIMS
1. Knowing Life Sciences
2. Investigating Phenomena in Life
Sciences
3. Appreciating and Understanding the
History, Importance and Applications
of Life Sciences in Society
 Specific Skills
 Access information
 Select key ideas
 Recall information
 Describe knowledge of NS
 Build a conceptual framework
 Organise or reorganise
knowledge
 Write summaries
 Develop flow charts and mind
maps
 Recognise patterns and trends
 Apply knowledge in new
contexts
 Use knowledge in a new way
 Analyse information/data
 Critically evaluate scientific
information
 Recognise relationships
between existing knowledge
and new ideas
 Identify assumptions
 Categorise information
 Ecosystem

An ecosystem is an area in which there exists

relationships between living organisms themselves and
the living organisms and the non-living environment.
Some examples of ecosystems are: a river, a grassland,
a fallen rock.
The study of all the relationships in an ecosystem is
called ecology.
 Biotic and Abiotic Factors:

The ecosystem is made up of 2 components.

These 2 components are living and non-living
components.
The living components are also called biotic components
or factors.
Examples of the biotic factors are plants and animals.
The non-living components are also called abiotic
components or factors.
 Water, air, soil and temperature are some examples of
abiotic factors.
 Biotic Components:

 The biotic components are the plants and animals.

 It also includes organisms such as the fungi and lichens as well
as the very small organisms like bacteria.
 The bacteria are so small that it can be seen only with a
microscope.
 Such organisms that are invisible to the naked eye are called
micro-organisms.
 Some algae and fungi are also examples of micro-organisms.
 Biotic Components: Producers, Consumers and
Decomposers.
Producers:
These are living organism that have the ability to make their
own food.
They are able to do this by absorbing energy from the sun.
The process by which they are able to manufacture their
own food by using the radiant energy is called
photosynthesis.
 Ecotourism:
South Africa is a country that is rich in biodiversity.
There two reason for this rich biodiversity.
These two reasons are:
a. The country as a very varied climate, for example the tropical weather along
the east coast and the almost Mediterranean weather in other parts of the
country.
b. The country also has a very varied topography: the low lying belt of the
coast, the escarpment and finally the plateau.
This rich biodiversity attracts people from all over the world to come to South
Africa.
 Ecotourism is the attraction of visitors to ecologically sensitive areas.
 This type of tourism benefits the local people, the visitor and the environment.