MINIEN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan

SCIENCE 8 (Quarter 4- Module 6)

MATERIAL CYCLES IN THE ECOSYSTEM

Name: ________________________________________________ Section: _________

MELC: Analyze the roles of organisms in the cycling of materials. (S8LT-IVi- 23)
Specifically, you should be able to:
1. Identify the components of a food chain.
2. Illustrate how materials are cycled in the environment
3. Appreciate the important role of organisms in cycling essential elements and materials in the environment
What I Know
DIRECTIONS: Identify whether the following are abiotic or biotic components of the ecosystem.
______________1. water _______________6. soil
______________2. grasses _______________7. sea
______________3. oxygen gas _______________8. earthworms
______________4. human _______________9. carbon dioxide
______________5. bacteria _______________10. Herbivores

What’s In
ACTIVITY 3
DIRECTIONS: Complete the image by filling in the boxes with the correct process. Choose the appropriate process from
the boxes to your left.
Animals
respires/exhales
or releases CO2

Plants absorbs
the CO2 deposited
in the atmosphere

Oxygen is one of
the products of
photosynthesis in
plants

A Plants provide
oxygen
(O2) for animals to
breathe in

What Is It
As defined by E. Odum (1969), ECOSYSTEM is “any unit that includes all the living organisms (biotic) in a given
area interacting with the physical factors (abiotic) of the environment so that a flow energy leads to clearly
defined trophic structure and cycles of essential materials within the system.” There is indeed emphasis on how the
interaction of biotic and abiotic factors can lead into cycle of materials in the ecosystem.
Carbon(C), Hydrogen (H), Oxygen (O), and Nitrogen (N) are considered to be the most abundant elements
found in the body of most living organisms. These elements which are naturally found in the environment take the form of
compounds such as oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2) , nitrates (NO3-) and water (H2O). Living organisms utilize some of
this materials through the process of photosynthesis. Out from this food making process, living organisms are able to
assimilate some of the most essential nutrients and elements.
Considering that most of these compound are found in limited amounts, living organisms must be able to return
these materials back to the environment to their reservoirs (water(hydrosphere), land (lithosphere) and air (atmosphere))
in order for plants/producers or autotrophic organisms to use it for food production again facilitating a perpetual cycle of
these materials. Living organisms as a medium of transfer, can return
these materials back to environment in two ways;
1. RESPIRATION - this is when animals and plants are able to exhale
out or release CO2 and perspire water (H2O) as waste products after
chemically converting food into a usable form of energy essential for
sustaining life.
2. DECOMPOSITION - decomposers take part in the decomposition
process of dead or decaying organic matter thereby breaking it down into
its simplest forms and returning it back to the environment.
Thus, the essential nutrients and materials follow a cyclic path in
the ecosystem.
Figure 2. Biogeochemical Cycle. The flow of material in the
ecoystem that follows a cyclic pattern from plants during photosynthesis
through series of consumers and decomposers and brings the essential
nutrients back to the non-living world
Figure 2
 Assessment
A. DIRECTIONS: Complete the diagram by supplying the correct description that best show how Carbon
materials are being cycled. Write only the letter inside the box. Nunber 1 is done for you.

https://www.dummies.com/education/science/biology/biology-basics-matter-cycling-within-ecosystems/

A. Cellular Respiration by animals

B. Combustion of fossil fuel by engines
C. Photosynthesis process
D. Dissolved carbon dioxide in bodies of water
E. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
F. Decomposition of organic matter
G. Cellular Respiration by plants
H. Cellular Respiration of decomposers
I. Organic Carbon in plants

B. DIRECTIONS: Read the following questions very carefully and WRITE the letter of the correct answer.
_____1. The ultimate source of energy on earth is the_____.
A. Sun B. Tide C. Food D. wind
_____2. Which of the following can be considered abiotic?
A. Nitrogen fixing bacteria C. Plankton
B. Dissolved oxygen D. humans
_____3. The following are products of respiration process EXCEPT?
A. CO2 B. Oxygen C. Water D. ATP
_____4. Which of the following is true about the role of Organisms in biogeochemical cycles?
A. Primary consumers take more energy than Secondary consumers
B. Biotic factors bring back the essential materials to the environment througH respiration or decomposition.
C. Decomposers is the end part of every food chain.
D. Materials follow a cyclic path in the ecosystem.
_____5. In a food chain, which is most likely able to bring back the nutrients/materials to its reservoir in the environment?
A. Producers B. Consumers C. Decomposers D. All of the above

C. DIRECTIONS: In a 1 whole sheet of bond paper, illustrate a simple food chain/web you observed in your area. Be
able to describe what possible materials are cycled in that food chain. Use arrows in your drawing to indicate how
materials are being cycled. NOTE: Make your own example. (For 15 points)

Prepared by: Approved by:

DESIREE V. DE GUZMAN DOMINADOR V. NABOR JR., LL.B.

Subject Teacher Principal I
Signature of Parent/guardian: _____________________________________________ Date: ____________________