Module 2: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE: ECOSYSTEM

I. At the end of the lesson the student should be able to:

1. Describe the Earth’s ecosystem
2. Describe the different types of ecosystem.
3. Compare and contrast ecosystem and biome.

II. Preliminary Activity

Look for the following words inside the box with jumbled letters.
E C O S Y S T E M B P L E

F T J N L V U D F I D A L

V A A C D S D N C O B K P

A B I O T B R R M M S E D

K A Y O A S A E P E H N Q

V G V P D S X A H S Y P Z

O S L B I O T I C S C F P

BIOTIC ECOSYSTEM BIOMES

TUNDRA LAKE

II. Discussion
Life will never exist in a vacuum. Living organisms need to be surrounded by its environment to
provide the material and forces needed for it to survive. It requires the environment a supply of
energy, materials and removal of waste products that is why living organisms should not isolate
itself. Thus, each living organism is interdependent to different nonliving and living components
as well as the environment.
Ecologists study interactions in nature
Ecology is the science that focuses on how organisms interact with one another and with their
nonliving environment of matter and energy. Ecologists classify matter into levels of
organization starting from a smaller scale up the bigger one, here is the classification made with
an increasing order - organisms, population, communities, ecosystem and biosphere. They are
the one who study the interactions within and among levels of organization.
What is an eco-system?
An ecosystem is a community of living and nonliving things that work together. Ecosystems do
not come in any particular size, it can be as huge as a desert or as small as a tree. An ecosystem
is composed of 2 interacting components, namely abiotic and biotic component.
1. Abiotic
The abiotic environmental components are the basic inorganic elements and
compounds such as water. It also includes the physical factors like soil, temperature, moisture,
wind, solar radiation, etc.
2. Biotic
The biotic environmental factors is composed of plants, animals and microbes or simply
the living organisms found in this planet.
These components work together to achieve a balance in the ecosystem for example if there
isn't enough light and water or if the soil doesn't have the right nutrients, the plants will die. If
the plants die, animals that depend on them will die. If the animals that depend on the plants
die, other animals that depend on those animals will die. A healthy ecosystem is thriving with
species and is less likely to be damaged by human interaction, natural disasters and climate
changes. Every species has a role in its ecosystem that helps keep the system healthy.

Types of ecosystem
There are several types of ecosystem; however, there are three categories considered to the
basic habitats: terrestrial, marine and aquatic. Certainly, these groups can be divided into
thousands of smaller systems, each with different mix of climate, habitat and life forms. In
every ecosystem exists the Biomes. Biomes are huge areas of the world with comparable
plants, animals, and different residing matters which can be tailored to the weather and
different conditions. Below are the different biomes found in the ecosystem.
1. Terrestrial ecosystems
- Terrestrial ecosystems are the land-based ecosystem. It covers 29% of the globe. This group is
divided into 6 types.
A. Deciduous forest- found in temperate regions and due to four seasons it experiences
temperature and rain fluctuations. The temperature in this forest lies between -30 0C to 300C
with a yearly average temperature of 10 0C, rainfall is about 750 to 1,500 mm per year.
Deciduous forest are the most remarkable because they go through 4 seasons which means
leaves change color in autumn, fall off in the winter and grow back in the spring; this action of
adaptation allows the plants to survive the cold temperature during winter.
B. Desert ecosystem – the ecosystem with the harshest living condition. It experiences intense
solar radiation, lashing winds and has little moisture having approximately 25 cm of rainfall a
year. With this cloudless place, the sun easily heats up the desert by day that produces he
highest air temperature. In contrast, the desert experiences very cold nights as the temperature
goes down rapidly due to the heat loss through radiation. Plants evolved to adapt to the harsh
conditions of the desert ecosystem; examples are (a) ephemeral annuals, (b) succulent and (c)
desert shrubs.
C. Grassland- also known as prairies, steppes, savannahs or pampas. These lands are filled with
grasses and grass-like plants that have growing points close to the soil and still keeps growing
even after being eaten by animals. These lands rarely receive enough rain that can support
trees but contains enough soil nutrients to grow large grasses. These grasses can support high
concentrations of grazing animals.
Grasslands are one of the targets of human development, humans cultivate grasslands to plant
other consumable crops, replace wildlife with domestic stock and both kill predator and prey.
Doing so can have devastating consequences.
D. Taiga- also known as coniferous or boreal forest, considered as the largest terrestrial
ecosystem on Earth. It has layers of permafrost or rock under shallow soil, which make the soil
marshy. The taiga supports huge numbers of conifers – slow growing, cold-resistant trees.
Other plant life is small and includes lichen, marshland plants and small shrubs.
E. Tropical rainforest - The tropical rainforest is a hot and moist biome in which it rains all year
long. It is known for its dense canopies of plants that shape 3 special layers. The pinnacle layer
or canopy includes large timber that develop to heights of 75 m (approximately 250 ft) or more.
This layer of plants prevents a great deal of the daylight from reaching the ground. Thick,
woody vines also are observed within the cover. They climb timber in the cover to attain
daylight. The center layer also known as understory, is made of vines, smaller timber, ferns, and
palms. A big wide variety of flowers from this part are used as common houseplants because of
the small quantity of daylight and rainfall those flowers receive they tend adapt easily to
domestic environments. The bottom layer or floor of the rainforest is blanketed with moist
leaves and leaf litter. This material decomposes unexpectedly with the moist, warm conditions
returning nutrients into the soil. Few plants are observed at the floor of the forest because of
the lack of daylight. However, the hot and moist surroundings and all of the dead plant material
create the right condition for different microorganisms to survive.
F. Tundra – An area of treeless level or rolling floor determined by cold regions, primarily north
of the Arctic Circle also known as Arctic tundra and above the timberline on excessive
mountains known as alpine tundra . Tundra is known for massive stretches of naked floor and
rock and for patchy mantles of low plant life including mosses, lichens, herbs, and small shrubs.
This ground helps small and particular form of animals. One consistent component shaping the
tundra is change of freezing and thawing of the ground.
2. Marine ecosystem
It is the biggest of Earth's aquatic ecosystems and are prominent among bodies of water
because of its excessive salt content. Marine waters cover extra than 70% of the surface of the
Earth, 97% of Earth's water supply and 90% of liveable area on Earth. These qualities makes it
fit the award for the largest biome on Earth. Here are the 4 types of marine ecosystem.
A. Salt marshes
Salt marshes are a transition from the sea to the land, in which fresh and saltwater mix. The soil
in those marshes is regularly made of mud and a layer of natural material known as peat. Peat
is characterised as waterlogged and root-stuffed decomposing plant matter that frequently
causes low oxygen levels known as hypoxia. These hypoxic situations is the reason of the
increase of the microorganism that also gives salt marshes the sulfurous odor. Salt marshes
exist around the world and are required for wholesome ecosystems and a healthy economy.
They are extraordinarily efficient ecosystems and they offer crucial services for greater than 75
percentage of fishery species and protect seashores from erosion and flooding. Salt marshes
may be typically divided into the excessive marsh, low marsh, and the upland border.
B. Intertidal zones
Intertidal zones are the regions which are seen and exposed to air all through low tide and
blanketed up by saltwater during excessive tide. There are 4 bodily divisions of the intertidal
area with each one having its wonderful traits and flora and fauna. These divisions are the
Spray area, High intertidal area, Middle Intertidal area, and Low intertidal area.
C. Estuaries
Estuaries arise where there's a substantial change in salinity among saltwater and freshwater
sources. This is normally observed where rivers meet the sea or sea. The flora and fauna
discovered inside estuaries is particular because the water in those regions is brackish - a
mixture of freshwater flowing to the sea and salty seawater.
D. Lagoons
Lagoons are regions which can be separated from large water by natural obstacles which
includes coral reefs or sandbars. There are varieties of lagoons, coastal and oceanic/island
lagoons. A coastal lagoon is virtually a frame of water this is separated from the sea via way of
means of a barrier. An island lagoon is a round coral reef or numerous coral islands that
surround a lagoon. Atoll lagoons are frequently a whole lot deeper than coastal lagoons. Most
lagoons are very shallow that means that they're substantially suffering from modified in
precipitation, evaporation and wind. This way that salinity and temperature are broadly
numerous in lagoons and that they can have water that degrees from fresh to hypersaline.
3. Aquatic ecosystem
Freshwater has very little salt content that helps its personal aquatic ecosystems. These
encompass rivers and streams, lakes and ponds, wetlands or even groundwater. Each of those
structures is unique in any particular habitat is tormented by altitude, temperature and
humidity. For instance, a plant native to a warm shallow lake in the tropics couldn't live on at
the steep banks of a cold, fast-shifting mountain stream. Freshwater ecosystems offer habitat
for several kind of animal life such as insects, amphibians and fish.
IV. Summary
Complete the outline of the different ecosystems and biomes.
ECOSYSTEM

Types of ecosystem
Terrestrial ecosystems Marine ecosystem Aquatic ecosystem

Biomes
Deciduous forest Salt marshes Rivers and streams
Desert ecosystem Intertidal zones Lakes and ponds
Grassland Estuaries Wetlands or even
Taiga Lagoons groundwater
Tropical rainforest
Tundra
Let’s talk ☺
Do you have any questions? Please write them down.

Where would all our water be coming from?

If you don’t have any question, go over the questions below and answer them.
1. Which concepts did you understand easily?
The types of ecosystem which are the terrestrial, marine and aquatic that can be divided
into thousands of smaller systems, each with different mix of climate, habitat and life
forms.
Why did you understand the easily?
Ecosystems refer to local where the living and non-living things coexist, and ecosystems
together forms biosphere.
2. Which concepts did you find difficult to understand?
I find it difficult to understand Marine ecosystem because they are the largest of Earth’s
aquatic ecosystems.
3. why did you find them difficult?
Because there are a lot of issues happening to marine life and also marine species
provide important ecosystem provision of food, medicines, and livelihood.
4. What would you do to be able to increase your understanding of them?
Ask to understand and to truly understand the topic, give examples or connections to
somethings else I know about using more metaphors and analogies.

LEARNER’S ACTIVITY
A. Fill the Venn diagram with the correct answer by comparing the two components and citing
its similarities.

1.

Ecosystem is the interactions

of living and non-living thing Biome is different from
in an environment and it can ecosystem because it’s a large
be a small or large geographic region of the world that has
area that may exist in one similar plants, animals and
biome. Ecosystem and biome other organisms that are
both have many different adapted to the terrain and
species living within each. weather of that region.

2.

Deciduous Forest is a Rainforest is simply an area

biome which deciduous of evergreen trees that retain
their broad leaves year-round
trees lose their leaves
and grows in regions that
seasonally. It has a long have heavy rainfall and
3.

Tundra is classified as a cold

icy desert. Permafrost is on
the ground of tundra that
continuously remains cold
and dry that cannot support
trees unlike the rainforest
with a wet climate in a region
of year-round warmth.

4.

Marine Systems is the largest Freshwater Ecosystems is a

of two in the aquatic part of the aquatic ecosystem
ecosystems and makes up that is made up of ponds,
two thirds of earth’s system. lakes, streams, and rivers that
Its life is under the sea and covers about 1/5 of the
more diverse and faster pace. earth’s surface. Its life is less
The difference with diverse and smaller. Animals
Freshwater Ecosystem is the and plants don’t have to work
salt level which has a lower as hard as animals and plants
salinity. in the marine ecosystem.

5.
Biotic comprise of the living things
of an ecosystem. It depends on Abiotic are the non- living things of
abiotic for their survival but it can an ecosystem. Examples are
slowly adapt to changes. The main sunlight, temperature, wind, water
feature is that biotic responds to and microorganisms. Due to
the stimuli. Both biotic and abiotic changes, it may sometimes limit the
may affect the individual of a growth and development of a
particular species, their population, particular species or it may hamper
community, ecosystems and the the entire ecosystems. Whereas,
B.
Inside the box draw a poster of a healthy and interactive ecosystem. Describe the importance
of maintaining a healthy ecosystem below your drawing.

EXPLANATION:
REFERENCES:
Singh, Y.K (2006) Environmental Science
Additional references
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/experiments/biome/biotemperate.php
https://geographyandyou.com/desert-ecosystem/
https://www.worldwildlife.org/habitats/grasslands
https://biologydictionary.net/ecosystem/