6.1 Organisms and their environment

• Biologie
• Middelbare school
• mavo, havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 2

start task 

6.1 organisms and their environment 

1. Copy the learning goals below into your notebook

Learning goals: after this lesson you can

- classify the influences on organisms into biotic and abiotic factors.

- describe the levels of ecology.

- indicate the various feeding relationships in an ecosystem.

Ecology: The study of relationships between organisms and their environment.

The environment

Organisms depend on their surroundings

Environment = living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) factors

Biotic factors: influences from other organisms

Abiotic factors: influences from non-living nature

Example robin: light, temperature, other robins, food, etc.

Question: Can you think of more examples of biotic or abiotic factors?

Levels of Ecology

Ecologists study relationships at different levels:

• Individual
• Population
• Community
• Ecosystem
• Biosphere

individual

An organism;

animal/human/plant/insect 

1

Population

A group of individuals:

• of the SAME species
• in a certain area.
• They can reproduce with each other.

Community

All populations in an area,

that affect each other.

Ecosystem

e.g. forests, dunes, ditches, deserts, etc.

A biotope = all abiotic factors in an area

An ecosystem = biotope + community of organisms

An area where the biotic and abiotic factors form a whole.

Biosfere

The part of the Earth where life is possible.

What level do wild boars belong to?

Food chain

Each link eats the one before it

Always starts with a producer (plant)

Example: algae -> water flea -> perch -> pike

pp 184:
add the arrows!

Every food chain starts with a plant!

Food web

In reality, there are many 

food chains that form a web

Question: Why is a food web more realistic than a food chain?

Biomass pyramid

Biomass = the total amount of energy-rich substances (such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats) in an organism or a group of organisms.

In a food chain, the biomass –  decreases at each next level.

Biomass pyramid

Accumulation of toxins

Harmful substances 

accumulate (hopen zich op) 

in the food web

Higher levels = more toxins

Summary

• Biotic = living / Abiotic = non-living
• Levels of ecology: 

individual - population - community - ecosystem - biosphere

• Food relationships: chains and webs
• Biomass decreases along the chain
• Toxins accumulate (hopen zich op) in the food web

Class exercise

assignment 1 (p 186)

What	Do exercises 1-4 and 7-9 (pp 186-190)
How
Help	.
Done?	Check and correct (Classroom). Test yourself + flashcards BvJ online.

1. Book: Use the text and images from pages 182-186
2. Neighbour
3. Teacher

You may quietly work together with your neighbour.

Conversations should only be about the exercises.

- classify the influences on organisms into biotic and abiotic factors.

- describe the levels of ecology.

- indicate the various feeding relationships in an ecosystem.