Name Lesson 1 Summary Use with pp. 71–75 Lesson 1: What are ecosystems? Vocabulary environment everything that surrounds a living thing ecosystem all the living and nonliving things that interact with each other in a given area population all the living things of the same kind that live in the same place at the same time community all the populations that live together in the same place Places for Living Things Special Homes Each living thing needs a certain A habitat is where a living thing makes environment. An environment has living its home. It has everything that a plant or and nonliving parts. Plants, animals, and animal needs to live. It gives plants light, other living things are the living parts. The air, water, and a space to live. It also gives nonliving parts are the Sun’s rays, climate, them insects that pollinate the plants. The water, and soil. habitat gives animals food, water, shelter, We need the Sun’s rays to live. The Sun’s and a space to live. If any of these things rays make the air, water, and soil warm so are missing, the plants or animals may die we can live. Sunlight shines on the leaves of or move to a new habitat. plants. Plants need sunlight to make food. Climate shapes each environment. Climate Groups Within Ecosystems is the weather in a place all through the year. Coyotes live together in groups. A group For example, a place may have cold, wet of living things that are the same and live winters and hot, dry summers. together is called a population. Coyotes hunt Water and soil are important parts of squirrels. A community is all the populations each environment. Rain and snow fall. that live together in the same place. The Water goes into the soil. Each plant type coyotes, squirrels, and their habitat make up a needs a certain amount of water and a community. The populations in a community certain kind of soil. need each other for food and shelter. Parts of an Ecosystem Ecosystems Change The living and nonliving parts of an Ecosystems usually change over time. The environment work together. These parts make change starts when one part of the ecosystem © Pearson Education, Inc. 3 up an ecosystem. The living parts of an changes. For example, a habitat may get ecosystem need the nonliving parts to live. For more rain than usual. Plants will grow more. example, coastal redwood trees need sunlight, Ground squirrels will have more food. So the soil, and air. They also need a lot of water. population of ground squirrels will grow. The living parts of an ecosystem also The coyotes eat squirrels. So the coyotes depend on one another. For example, some will have plenty of food. The population of sea birds get fish from the ocean. Then they squirrels will go down. fly to land. They build their nests in the If there is less rain than usual, fewer redwood trees. plants will grow. There will be fewer squirrels. The coyote population will stay small or decrease. 20 Chapter 3, Lesson 1 Summary Quick Study
Name Lesson 1 Checkpoint Use with pp. 71–75 Lesson 1 Checkpoint 1. Name three nonliving things that are part of a plant’s or animal’s environment. 2. What is an ecosystem? 3. Main Idea and Details Read the caption about dune grass on page 73 of your textbook. Give the main idea. List details supporting it. 4. How do coyotes, ground squirrels, and plants interact in their environment? 5. What might happen to plants and animals if there is more rain than usual? © Pearson Education, Inc. 3 Quick Study Chapter 3, Lesson 1 Checkpoint 21
Name Lesson 2 Summary Use with pp. 76–81 Lesson 2: Which ecosystems have few trees? Vocabulary grassland ecosystem that has many grasses and few trees desert ecosystem that gets very little rain and has high daytime temperatures tundra land ecosystem that is the coldest and farthest north Grassland Tundra—Land of Long Winters A grassland is a kind of land ecosystem. The tundra is another kind of land It has many grasses and flowering plants. It ecosystem. The tundra is cold and dry. It is does not have many trees. Grasslands have in the very northern part of the world. Parts cold winters and hot summers. The climate of Alaska are tundra. Winters are long includes little rain, so the soil is dry. Trees and cold. Summers are short and cool. The cannot grow in dry soil. They need water to snow melts in summer, but the soil stays grow. The trees grow mostly in the wetter hard. The soil stays frozen all year around. soil along rivers and creeks. In the tundra, summer days are very long. Many grasses grow well in this kind of In some places, the Sun shines 24 hours a habitat. They have deep roots that help day. Winter days are very short. Some places them survive. There are many ways that get no sunlight at all in the winter. deep roots help the plants. When grazing Many plants cannot grow in this climate. animals, fire, or the cold winters kill the For example, there are no trees in the plants above ground the roots survive. tundra. Their roots cannot grow in the Deep roots help plants find this water when frozen soil. Only small plants can grow. there is no new rain water in the summer. These include grasses and wildflowers. In summer, the snow melts. The water Desert—A Surprising Ecosystem makes ponds. Many ducks, geese, and A desert is another kind of ecosystem. swans live near the ponds. Other birds A desert gets very little rain. Days are hot. make nests in the tundra. In the summer, Nights are cool or cold. Many people think there are millions of insects for the birds to that deserts only have sand. But most eat. Most tundra birds go to warmer places desert ecosystems have plants and animals. in the winter. Desert plants and animals can live with very little rain water. Certain plants, like © Pearson Education, Inc. 3 cactuses, store water in their stems. During the day, you might see a lizard sitting in the sun. But many desert animals rest where you cannot see them. Some stay in underground tunnels. Others stay in the shade under a plant. At night, the desert animals come out. They look for food. 22 Chapter 3, Lesson 2 Summary Quick Study
Name Lesson 2 Checkpoint Use with pp. 76–81 Lesson 2 Checkpoint 1. What is a grassland? 2. Main Idea and Details Tell the main idea about grasslands. Give supporting details. 3. Why do certain plants do well in deserts? 4. What is the coldest land ecosystem? 5. List three kinds of land ecosystems. © Pearson Education, Inc. 3 Quick Study Chapter 3, Lesson 2 Checkpoint 23
Name Lesson 3 Summary Use with pp. 82–85 Lesson 3: What are some forest ecosystems? Coniferous and Deciduous Tropical Forests Forests Tropical forests grow near the equator. Coniferous forests grow in the northern The climate in a tropical forest is warm areas of North America, Europe, and Asia. and rainy all year long. The tropical forest They grow in places where the winters are has a lot of tall trees. Some of the trees can cold and snowy. They grow in places where be 35 meters tall. That is taller than a ten- the summers are warm and dry. These story office building. The tall trees block the forests have many coniferous trees, such as sunlight. So the forest floor gets very little spruce, fir, and pine. Their leaves look like sunlight. Plants such as orchids grow on needles. These needles do not break when a the trees. lot of snow falls on them. Most animals in the tropical forest live Many birds live in coniferous forests. in the trees. Some spend their whole lives They can find food and shelter. Birds and there. Some of these animals are bats, squirrels eat seeds from the cones of these monkeys, birds, and many insects. The trees. Deer and moose eat plants that grow tropical rainforest has huge numbers of near lakes and streams. Wolves hunt other insects. No one has ever named them all. animals. Deciduous forests grow in some of the same places that conifers grow. Deciduous forests grow in warmer climates than coniferous forests. Deciduous forests get rain in summer and snow in winter. Oaks, maples, and beech trees grow in deciduous forests. These trees drop their leaves in fall. For part of the year sunlight reaches the forest floor. Many shrubs and plants can grow there. Animals eat the plants. Many insects, birds, and small animals live in deciduous forests. © Pearson Education, Inc. 3 24 Chapter 3, Lesson 3 Summary Quick Study
Name Lesson 3 Checkpoint Use with pp. 82–85 Lesson 3 Checkpoint 1. How are coniferous and deciduous forests alike and different? 2. What kind of climate can tropical forests have? 3. List three kinds of forests. © Pearson Education, Inc. 3 Quick Study Chapter 3, Lesson 3 Checkpoint 25
Name Lesson 4 Summary Use with pp. 86–89 Lesson 4: What are water ecosystems? Vocabulary wetland low land ecosystem that is covered by water at least part of the time during the year Freshwater Ecosystems Saltwater Ecosystems Freshwater ecosystems include lakes, Oceans cover a lot of the Earth’s surface. ponds, rivers, and streams. Lakes and Ocean water has salt. The ocean is shallow ponds are water with land around them. near land. Clams, crabs, algae, fish, and Rivers and streams are moving water. coral live close to the shore. Otters, seals, Most lakes or rivers get water from and sea birds swim and dive for fish. rain or melting snow. Springs that flow The ocean water gets deeper farther from underground supply water for others. Many land. Most life is in the top 200 meters of plants and animals live in lakes and rivers. the deep water. Fish, shrimp, and whales The Everglades is in south Florida. It is a live there. The deep ocean is dark and cold. large wetland. A wetland is low land that It does not have much food. Few animals is covered by water at least part of the year. live there. The water in the Everglades is not deep. It Many rivers flow into the ocean. Fresh is very shallow. Trees, grasses, and water water from the river mixes with salt water plants live there. Animals like fish, bears, from the ocean. Salt marshes can form. and birds live there too. Salt marshes are wetlands that have special plants and animals. The organisms that live in salt marshes can live in salty water and soil. Many plants grow in salt marshes. Many tiny living animals live in salt marshes too. Some are too small to see with just your eyes. Many kinds of fish, crabs, and other ocean animals are born in the salt marshes. © Pearson Education, Inc. 3 26 Chapter 3, Lesson 4 Summary Quick Study
Name Lesson 4 Checkpoint Use with pp. 86–89 Lesson 4 Checkpoint 1. Name four kinds of freshwater ecosystems. 2. Where do most corals live? 3. Where is most life found in the oceans? © Pearson Education, Inc. 3 Quick Study Chapter 3, Lesson 4 Checkpoint 27