General Science

514
Ecology Project – for Thailand
Make a poster explaining:
• an ecosystem in Thailand, or;
• an animal in its environment in Thailand

• You will give a 5 minute presentation

•Example titles: “A Bangkok Khlong”, “A Thai water buffalo”

Vocabulary to mention: Interdependence, Ecosystem, Producer, Consumer, Herbivore,

Carnivore, Omnivore, Habitat, Biotic, Abiotic, Niche, Community, Population, Biome
 Pairs and Titles
1. Jaonai/Chonmaphon/Punnakanta – Rainforest/Caves
2. Teetuch/Koblap – Krabi
3. Ittikorn/Woravasu/Todsawatnoon – Mountains in Prachuap
4. Panarin/Nantawich – Mariniana Trench
5. Peeranat/Wuttichai – Conserving Animals in Thailand
6. Bhurin/Tandarm – Oceans/Animals
7. Chanat/Chachanat - Savanna
8. Max/Kritchana – South Pole
Warm Up Task
• What did you do over summer?
• What do you wish you had done?
 Ecology
Ecology – Studies the relations of organisms to one another and to their
physical surroundings
 Interdependence
Interdependence – Interaction of organisms with the living and non-living parts
of their environment
 Interdependence Group Task
Two minutes: Which living and non-living parts of the environment do you
depend on?
 Interdependence – Some Examples
• Other humans (reproduction)
• Animals (Food)
• Plants (Release of Oxygen)
• Bees (Fertilization/Production of seeds)
• Bacteria (Digestion)
 Interdependence – Some Examples
• Remember: Animals are interdependent too

• More acorns -> More lyme disease!

 Interdependence – Group Task
• Two minutes: What can affect the cycle of interdepedence?

• And how could lyme disease increase?

 Interdependence – Some Examples
• Hunting
• Deforestation
• Disease outbreak
• Climate change
• Natural disaster
• Natural selection
• Mutation
 Interdependence - Bangkok
• Two minutes: What organisms would you see on a walk around Bangkok?

• How are they interdependent?

Levels of Organisation in Ecology
Levels of Organisation in Ecology
 Life on Earth – Group Task
• Two minutes: Where are organisms found on Earth?
 The Biosphere
• The Biosphere - The worldwide sum of all ecosystems. The zone of life on Earth

• All organisms are found within it.

 Life on Earth – Group Task
• Two minutes: Where are organisms found on Earth?
 Make your own Biosphere
• Three minutes: Can you make a
biosphere for you?

• Hint: Write your name inside a small

circle. Then inside progressively larger
circles. Ending with biosphere
 Ecosystem
• Ecosystem – All living and the non-living parts found in a particular place
• E.g – a pond (Remember: living = an organism)
 Ecosystem – Group Task
• Two minutes: Describe the ecosystem of a Bangkok Khlong
• Try to separate the living and non-living factors
Living Non-living
 Ecosystem – Group Task
• Two minutes: Describe the ecosystem of a Bangkok Khlong
• Try to separate the living and non-living factors
Living Non-living
Fish Sunlight

Algae pH

Insects Pollution

Bacteria Human/animal waste

Plants Chemicals (nitrogen/oxygen)

 Ecosystem
• Remember: An ecosystem contains organisms and non-living parts!

Living Non-living
Fish Sunlight

Algae pH

Insects Pollution

Bacteria Human/animal waste

Plants Chemicals (nitrogen/oxygen)

 Community
• Community: Includes only the living parts (the organisms)

• Includes different species

 Population
• Population: A group of individual species that live in an area
Population or
Community - Task
 Population or
Community Community - Task
Community
Community Population
Population

Population Community Community

 Community – Group Task
• Two minutes: What communities do you see in Thailand?

•
Organism
Organism – The simplest level in ecology. The individual being.
Habitat
Habitat – The home of an organism (animal or plant)
Name the
Habitat- Task
 Name the
Pond Habitat- Task

Rainforest
Marine Field?
Grassland

Cave? Forest
Savanna
 Ecosystem
• Ecosystem – All living and the non-living parts found in a particular place
• Living components – biotic
• Non-living components - abiotic
Biotic Abiotic
Fish Sunlight
Algae pH
Insects Pollution
Bacteria Chemicals (nitrogen/oxygen)
Plants
Remember!
 Biotic Factors – BE CAREFUL
• Biotic – Living, or lived before (organic matter/contains carbon)
• Abiotic – Not living, and never lived before (Physical and chemical aspects)

Biotic
Fish
Algae
Insects
Bacteria
Plants
 Biotic and Abiotic Factors – Task
• Three Minutes: Who can get the best 10 for each ? (abiotic is much harder)

Biotic Abiotic
 Biotic and Abiotic Factors – Task
• Three Minutes: Who can get 10 for each first? (abiotic is much harder)
Biotic Abiotic
Cats Wind
Grapes Air
Human waste Sunlight
Fossils pH
Corpse Water
Wood Temperature
Bacteria Altitude
Virus Soil
Bones Inorganic nutrients (nitrogen)
Meat Climate
 Review
• It’s worksheet time
 Warmer
• Two minutes - A British person moves to Thailand. A Thai person moves to
the UK. What happens?
 Acclimation - Warmer
• The British person will feel extremely hot.
The Thai person will feel extremely cold.
 Migration
• Movement of people to other countries is an example of human migration
• Migration – movement to a more favorable habitat
 Migration – Group Task
• Three minutes: Name one example of human migration, and one of animal
migration. Explain why they move.
Human migration example:

Why:

Animal migration example:

Why:
 Migration – Example
• Three minutes: Name one example of human migration, and one of animal
migration. Explain why they move.
Human migration example: People from African countries migrating to
Europe/other surrounding countries

Why: Europe has more opportunities to work, is safer, less civil war

Animal migration example: Seasonal movement of birds

Why: During winter, the birds migrate to warmer climates with more favourable
abiotic factors
 Migration Questions – Group Task
•How does migration/hibernation solve problems in an environment?
•How do birds benefit by laying eggs in spring?
 The Niche – Warmer Task
• Two minutes: What’s your speciality/talent/role in the class?

• Example for Class 513:

• Korn – Maths
• Johnathan – Asking ‘Why?’ for 40 minutes
• Sittithat – Sleeping in class
 The Niche – Biology
• Niche – The specific role of a species in its environment
• Includes: food it eats, where it lives, where it reproduces, conditions it tolerates, resources
it uses, number of offspring it has and all interactions with its environment
 The Niche – Biology
• Niche – The specific role of a species in its environment
• Species do not use all parts of their habitat at once
• Each species has a different niche
• Some big, some small
 Generalist or Specialist?
• Which one is a generalist, which one is a specialist? Why?
 Generalist or Specialist?
• Generalist – Have broad niches. Tolerate a range of
conditions. Use a range of resources
• Specialist – The opposite. A narrow niche.
 Generalist or Specialist? – Group Task
• Two minutes – How many can you think of? Why?
Generalist Specialist
 Generalist or Specialist?
• Examples
Generalist Specialist
Cockroach Panda
Soi Dog (?) Koala
Raccoon Owl
Crow Newt
Fox Polar Bear
Rat Philippine Frogmouth
 Review Task – Group Task
Two minutes: Define:
◦ Herbivore
◦ Carnivore
◦ Omnivore
 Food Matters
◦ Herbivore – Eats only plants
◦ Carnivore – Eats only animals
◦ Omnivore – Eats plants and animals
 Review Task – Group Task
Two minutes: Give three examples for each one!
◦ Herbivore
◦ Carnivore
◦ Omnivore
Review Task Two – Group Task
Two minutes: What is a producer and what is a consumer?
 Review Task Two – Group Task
Producer – Convert energy into its food by photosynthesis/chemosynthensis
Consumer – Consumes other organisms
 Populations – Warmer Task
• Two Minutes
◦ What is the population of Thailand?
◦ Why do governments measure population?
 Populations – Warmer Task
• Three Minutes

◦ What is the population of

Thailand?
◦ Why do governments measure
population?
◦ What can increase/decrease a
population?
 Populations – Warmer Task
•Two minutes
•Describe/Explain: graphs
 Population and Community - Review
•Two minutes – Define both
 Population and Community - Review
•Population – number of individual species in the area
•Community – All living parts in the area
 Measuring Population – Group Task
•Two Minutes:
• If an area is inhabited by 100 birds, is it crowded?
• How would you measure population quickly and accurately?
 Measuring Population – Group Task
• Two minutes – How would you measure the number of blades of
grass in this field?
• Why is it easier than measuring a bird population?
 Population Density
• Population Density – Measures how crowded a population is
• Measured as number of individuals per unit area
 Population Density – Group Task
• Two Minutes – Discuss the population densities of different areas in Thailand
 Population Density
• Bangkok is densely populated
• Isaan is sparsely populated
 Birth Rates – Group Task
• Two minutes: Compare the birth rates in Africa and Japan
•Explain why!
 Birth Rate
• Birth Rate – Number of births occurring in a period of time
• Death Rate /Mortality Rate – Number of deaths in a period of time
• Life expectancy – How long an individual is expected to live
 Birth Rates – Group Task
• Two minutes: Discuss migration in Japan and Africa
• Talk about population and communities too
 Birth Rates – Group Task
• Three minutes: Discuss birth rate, death rate and life
expectancy in Japan vs Africa
• What are the effects!
 ASEAN Project – 5 minute presentation
Key vocab

Population
Community
Population
Density
Birth Rate
Death Rate
Life Expectancy
 Warmer – A Mouse
Draw a mouse:

• Show everything it eats

• Show everything that eats it
 Food Chain vs Food Web
What’s the difference?
 Food Chain
Food Chain –

• Usually three levels

• Shows a single pathway
 Food Chain - Questions
Where is the producer?
Where are the consumers?
Where are the herbivores and carnivores?
 Food Chain - Questions
• We can see the producers and consumers in a line
• We can also assign levels…
 Food Chain - Questions
• How else can we show an organism’s position in the food chain?
 Trophic Levels
• A trophic level shows the organism’s position in the energy transfer process

• Where is the producer?

• Where are the consumers?
• Where are the herbivores and
carnivores?
 Energy Transfer – Question – Two Minutes
• Many organisms die without
being consumed

• A lot of molecules can’t be

broken down by consumers at
higher levels

• No energy transfer is 100

efficient: some is lost as heat
or to fuel metabolic reactions
 Many Types of Food
• Feeding relationships are often too complex to be represented by a single
food chain
 Enter Food Web…
• A large carnivore may be at the top of several food chains….
 Decomposers
• What’s a decomposer? Can you name some more
 Decomposers
• Decomposer: Breaks down dead or decaying organisms (and their waste!)
 Decomposers – an important Niche!
• Decomposer: Recycles nutrients in waste, and when organisms die
• Nutrients then released into the ecosystem and are available again for use.
• Free up space in the eco-system
Let’s look at some videos