In small groups conduct a habitat study using the methods and instruments outlined on pages 168-170. From your habitat identify the following:
1. An adaptation of one plant and one animal that you found. 2. Two examples of competition. 3. Two examples of interdependence. 4. A food chain with at least three feeding levels.
Nature of Science
The study of organisms and their habitats is constantly changing as we learn more and as environmental conditions change. Scientists are continually developing new methods of gathering data. Question: Outline the types of data that scientists collect to identify patterns and relationships between environmental conditions and living things.
Chapter Summary
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The place where a plant or animal lives is called its habitat. A group of plants and animals that live together in an area is called a community. The community of plants and animals and their environment is called an ecosystem. Ecology is the study of ecosystems. To conduct a habitat study, we make observations and collect information about the plants, animals and their environment. Factors that affect where plants and animals live include: the temperature of the air, soil and any water present; light intensity; aspect (the direction that the site faces) and wind speed. A pooter, a sweep net, a beating tray and a pitfall trap are examples of equipment that can be used to collect small animals in a habitat study. A key is a system for identifying organisms based on answering questions about the physical features of the organism. A quadrat is a square frame used for observing a number of small sample areas within a larger study area.
