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The biosphere

('!) Read and discover.


The biosphere is the global ecosystem
which contains all other ecosystems.
It is like a giant puzzle in which every living
thing is an important piece. All organisms are
interconnected. If an animal or plant
becomes extinct, this will affect other
organisms in the ecosystem. One extinction
may lead to further extinctions. Preserving
biodiversity is our greatest challenge .
. Which of your actions help protect the
biosphere?

eeeeee

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- - :'l.. :l

@why do you think birds fly in groups? Find out why they fly in
a V-formation.

@ Explain why sorne living things such as mammoths no longer


exist on Earth.

@ Look at the photo of the clownfish and the anemones.


why clownfish live among anemones.

@Decide if the following sentences are true or false:


Only organisms of the same species interact.
Fossils are the remains of extinct li)Jing things.
Biodiversity is the variety of life found on Earth .

@Read this fragment of Chief Seattle's letter to the US president


from 1855. What do you think he was speaking a.bout?
This we know: the Earth does not belong to man,
man belongs to the Earth. Al/ things are connected
[. ..]
Whatever he does to the {world], he does
to himself
Analyse and organise '

(!) Organisms of the same species can have different types of


relationships; they can cooperate or compete. In your notebook,
complete the table choosing from the words in the box.

competition cattle parents , bees cooperative

family '- Stable groups in which the offspring are fed and cared for
groups by the mothers or .. :. during the first years of life.

Ants, termites and ..... live in highly organised societies


hierarchical
with each organism specialised in a different role:
communities
workers, drones and t he queen.

Sorne animals move, migrate or live in groups to protect


gregarious
themselves against predators. Fish, birds or ..,
species
form schools, flocks or herds.

=1i------- --- Two males of the same species compete for a fernale.

Look at the following photos and identify the different


relationships from Activity 1.

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@ Read the text and decide if the sentences below are true or false.
There are different types of relationships between organisms of different species.

Predation occurs when a Parasitism is a relationship


stronger animal, called a that benefits one organism,
1nedator, captures, kills the 1>arasite, and can harm
and eats an animal of a the other organism. The
different species, called organism that the parasite
prey. Lions (predators) eat depends on is called a host.
zebras (prey). Mosquitoes feed on the blood
of animals and humans and
carry various diseases.

Commensalism benefits
one organism and does not
help or harm the other
organism. An example of this
is the relationship between
cattle egrets'and cattle. Cattle
egrets feed on insects that
live on and around cattle.

A mosquito is a host.
The relationship between catt!e egrets and cattle is called commensalism.
Sorne zebras are prey and others are predators.
In both parasitism and predation one organism is harmed.

@@Listen to the recording about mutualism. Complete the


missing information in your notebook.

Mutualism is ..... to both organisms.

The clow nf ish keeps the anemone .....

Bees fly from flower to flower to collect .....

Bees benefit flowers because ....

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Who's eating who? ij
food chain
always start
Every organism needs food, which provides the en ergy for it to live. with?
The movement of energy through an ecosystem can be represented
through food chains and food webs.

A food chain is made up of severa! levels:


Producers The Sun

Plants and algae are producers. They make their own

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food through photosynthesis.
Consumers
Consumers obtain their food by eating other living things.
Primary consumers, such as rabbits and grasshoppers, Producer
eat producers. Herbivores and omnivores are primary
consumers.
Secondary consumers, such as foxes and toads, are
predators that eat primary consumers. Carnivores and
omnivores are secondary consumers. In an ecosystem,
the same animal can be both predator and prey.
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Prjma ry consumer
Tertiary consumers, such as snakes and hawks, eat
secondary consumers.
Decomposers
Decomposers live on the remains of other living things.
Most decomposers are fungi and bacteria.
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Secondary consumer

Food chains show 'who is eati ng


who'. Grasses are eaten by
grasshoppers, which are eaten by
toads, that are finally eaten
by snakes.
1
Tertiary consumer

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What is the main source of energy
Most living things are part of more than one food chain. There can be for plants?
many different food chains in an ecosystem and most of these food
Look at Unit 4.
chains are connected. The connected food chains make up a food web.

Typical food web in a deciduous forest

(D Decide if the organisms below are @ Explain the following sentenc;e. Give
producers or primary, secondary or exa mples.
tertiary consumers.
In an ecosystem, the same animal can be both
predator and prey.

@Can you think of an animal which is both a


primary consumer and a secondary
consumer?

@ Draw arrow s to show a food web with the


following organisms.

berries deer bird mouse


bear grasshopper lizard snake

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The loss of biodiversity
,,....___
Whyisit V
important to
protect
Extinction occurs when every single member of a species dies and none biodiversity?
are left alive. We can say that this species has become 'extinct'. Extinction
is often a natural process and has occurred far millions ofyears.

About 65 million years ago a mass


extinction occurred causing the
loss of nearly 50% of the
The golden
world's species. This resu lted
toad was
in the extinction of the
once a
dinosaurs and many other
common
groups of organisms, such as
species in
flying reptiles, sorne marine
Costa Rica. lt
reptiles and ammonites, as
is presumed
well as sorne 'insects and
extinct because
plants. This is not the only mass
none have been seen
extinction in the Earth's history.
since 1989.

Biodiversity loss: causes and effects


There are many natural causes of extinction, however humans are
responsible far most of the recent loss of biodiversity in the world. Ths
is a result of severa! destructive practices and their consequences.

hunting and releasing pets


into the wild

pollution
over-exploiting
resources

Biodiversity is essential far a healthy planet Earth and has a direct impact on
our lives. Once a species is lost it is no longer available to us either as food,
enjoyment, or as a resource far medicines and textiles among other things.

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Protecting biodiversity

Endangered species are those which are in danger of extinction.


Wildlife protection groups keep lists of endangered plants and animals
in order to protect them.
National pa rks and biosphere reserves are created to protect wildlife
. '
and its environment.

The lberian imperial eagle is an


The lberian lynx is the
endangered species living only in
most endangered cat
restricted areas of Spain. lt is
species in the world.
considered the rarest bird of
lt exists only in the wild in
prey in the world.
sorne areas of southern
Spain.

Doana National
Monfrage Park is an area of
National Park in marshes and sand
Cceres is an dunes in sout hern Spain.
outstanding example of The park has a biodiversity
Mediterranean forest This that is uniq ue in Europe. lt is
park is considered a bird a refuge for sorn e endangered
watchers' paradise because it has species, such as the lberian imperial
both the biggest colony of black eagle and the lberian lynx, as well as
vultures and the highest concentration of numerous migratory birds.
imperial eagles in the world.

Q (!) What is the difference between an extinct @ Find out which national park is closest to
species and an endangered species? Give where you live. Search for information
two examples of each. about its landscape, location and the
plants and animals which live there.
@ Explain the following sentence.
lf biodiversity is at risk, our health and survival
(V Research the different causes of dinosa urs'
extinction.
are at risk too.

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