8

Science
Quarter 4 – Module 6:
ECOSYSTEM
Science – Grade 8
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 4 – Module 4: ECOSYSTEM
First Edition, 2020

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 8

SCIENCE 8
Quarter 4 – Module 6:
BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES

Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

Welcome to the Science 8 Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module 4 the

Ecosystem.

This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by educators

both from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher or facilitator in
helping the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum while
overcoming their personal, social, and economic constraints in schooling.

This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims to help
learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking into consideration
their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of
the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies
that will help you in guiding the learners.
As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module.
You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to
manage their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist
the learners as they do the tasks included in the module.

For the learner:

Welcome to the Science 8 Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on Ecosystem.

The hand is one of the most symbolized part of the human body. It is often used to
depict skill, action and purpose. Through our hands we may learn, create and
accomplish. Hence, the hand in this learning resource signifies that you as a
learner is capable and empowered to successfully achieve the relevant
competencies and skills at your own pace and time. Your academic success lies in
your own hands!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities
for guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be
enabled to process the contents of the learning resource while being an active
learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

What I Need to Know This will give you an idea of the skills or
competencies you are expected to learn in
the module.

What I Know This part includes an activity that aims to

check what you already know about the
lesson to take. If you get all the answers
correct (100%), you may decide to skip this
module.

What’s In This is a brief drill or review to help you link

the current lesson with the previous one.

What’s New In this portion, the new lesson will be

introduced to you in various ways such as a
story, a song, a poem, a problem opener, an
activity or a situation.

What is It This section provides a brief discussion of

the lesson. This aims to help you discover
and understand new concepts and skills.

What’s More This comprises activities for independent

practice to solidify your understanding and
skills of the topic. You may check the
answers to the exercises using the Answer
Key at the end of the module.
 What I Have Learned This includes questions or blank
sentence/paragraph to be filled in to
process what you learned from the lesson.

What I Can Do This section provides an activity which will

help you transfer your new knowledge or
skill into real life situations or concerns.

Assessment This is a task which aims to evaluate your

level of mastery in achieving the learning
competency.

Additional Activities In this portion, another activity will be given

to you to enrich your knowledge or skill of
the lesson learned. This also tends retention
of learned concepts.

Answer Key This contains answers to all activities in the

module.

At the end of this module you will also find:

References This is a list of all sources used in

developing this module.

The following are some reminders in using this module:

1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of
the module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other activities
included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your
answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.

If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not
hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are
not alone.

We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning
and gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!
 What I Need to Know

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help
you master the Ecosystem. The scope of this module permits it to be used in many
different learning situations. The language used recognizes the diverse vocabulary
level of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard sequence of the
course. But the order in which you read them can be changed to correspond with
the textbook you are now using.

Learning Competency:

➢ Analyze the roles of organisms in the cycling of materials.

➢ Explain how materials cycle in an ecosystem.
➢ Suggest ways to minimize human impact on the environment.

Learning Objectives:

1.Identify the role of organisms in the ecosystem.

2.Discuss the importance of the cycles of matter and nutrients.
3.Propose ways to minimize human impact on the environment.
 What I Know

PRE-ASSESSMENT:
1. The main difference between the water cycle and all the other
biogeochemical cycles is that water_______.
a. creates completely new substances 
b.is made from matter that has been here since the world was formed
c. never changes its structural form
d. is much slower than the other cycles
 
2. How does carbon dioxide leave the atmosphere?

a. Through transpiration
b. Through photosynthesis
c. Through factory emission
d. Sunlight

3.Which process takes Carbon Dioxide from the air and converts it into a form
of carbon used by living things?
a. Precipitation b.Photosynthesis c.Respiration d. Bioremdiation

4. These gases, such as carbon dioxide, trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere
causing global warming
a. Global warming gases b.Hot House gases
c.Green House gases d.Thermal pollution
 
5.. What is evaporation?
a.a liquid changing to a gas b. animals breathing out condensation
c.water vapour d.precipitation

. 6. When a liquid becomes a gas

a.transpiration b. condensation
c.precipitation d.evaporation
 
7 . Which of the statements regarding the nitrogen cycle is true?

a. Atmospheric nitrogen is absorbed through the leaves of plants.

b. Animals obtain nitrogen through the process of cellular respiration.
c. Denitrification occurs when a nitrogen containing compound is produced
from nitrogen in the soil.
d. Nitrogen fixation is the process atmospheric nitrogen is converted into
biologically usable forms.

8.. When a gas becomes a liquid

a.precipitation b.evaporation
c.advection d.condensation

9. The energy that drives the water cycle comes from 

a.Solar Radiation b.Geothermal Heat
c.Water Energy d.Advection
 10. Respiration is the process by which ____________ is consumed and
_______________ is produced.
a. Carbon,Oxygen b.Oxygen,Carbondioxide
c. H20, oxygen d.Carbon, H2O

What’s In

Energy flows through an ecosystem in only one direction. Energy is

passed from organisms at one trophic level or energy level to organisms in
the next trophic level. So,animals at the second trophic level have only
about
10% as much energy available to them as do organisms at the first trophic
level.
The cycle of energy is based on the flow of energy through different
trophic
levels in an ecosystem. ... At the first trophic level, primary producers use
solar energy to produce organic material through photosynthesis. The
herbivores at the second trophic level, use the plants as food which gives
them energy.
Carbon and nitrogen are examples of nutrients in the ecosystem to be
cycled to maintain ecological balance.
 What’s New

Biogeochemical cycle, any of the natural pathways by which

essential elements of living matter are circulated. The term biogeochemical is a
contraction that refers to the consideration of the biological, geological, and
chemical aspects of each cycle.

rotting leaves
Elements within biogeochemical cycles flow in various forms from the
nonliving (abiotic) components of the biosphere (such as the soil and rock, the air,
and the water) to he living (biotic) components (such as plants, animals, fungi, and
bacteria) and back.  In order for the living components of a major ecosystem (e.g.,
a lake or a forest) to survive, all the chemical elements that make up
living cells must be recycled continuously. Each biogeochemical cycle can be
considered as having a reservoir (nutrient) pool—a larger, slow-moving, usually
abiotic portion—and an exchange (cycling) pool—a smaller but more-active portion
concerned with the rapid exchange between the biotic and abiotic aspects of an
ecosystem.

Human activities have greatly increased carbon dioxide levels in the

atmosphere and nitrogen levels in the biosphere. Altered biogeochemical
cycles combined with climate change increase the vulnerability of biodiversity, food
security, human health, and water quality to a changing climate.

Ways to Reduce Your Impact on the Environment

❖ ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT -An approach to natural

resource management which aims to sustain ecosystems to meet
both ecological and human needs in the future.

❖ NATURAL RESOURCES -are resources that exist without any actions of

humankind. This includes all valued characteristics such as commercial and
industrial use.
❖ SOIL CONSERVATION- is a combination of practices used to protect the soil
from degradation. First and foremost, soil conservation involves treating the soil as
a living ecosystem. This means returning organic matter to the soil on a continual
basis.

❖ FOREST CONSERVATION -is the practice of planting and maintaining forested

areas for the benefit and sustainability of future generations.

❖ CONSERVATION OF THE NATURAL BIOTA- The goal of ecosystem

conservation is the long-term persistence of the biota in the system. ...
Protected areas are essential to conserve species unable to coexist with humans.
They also function as ecological baselines to monitor the effects of humans on their
own ecosystems
 What is It

THE CYCLES OF MATTER AND NUTRIENT

❖ THE IMPORTANCE OF MATTER AND NUTRIENT CYCLE
Nutrient cycles allow the transformation of matter to different specific forms
that
enables the utilization of that element in different organisms. Therefore, nutrient
cycles enable the provision of elements to organisms in forms that are usable to
them. Transfer of elements from one location to another.

❖ THE WATER CYCLE

The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle or the hydrological cycle,
describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the
Earth.
• The water cycle shows the continuous movement of water within the Earth and
atmosphere. It is a complex system that includes many different processes.
Liquid water evaporates into water vapor, condenses to form clouds, and
precipitates back to earth in the form of rain and snow.
❖ THE CARBON-OXYGEN CYCLE
• When they're exposed to light, green plants use carbon dioxide

When they're exposed to light, green plants use carbon dioxide from the
atmosphereto manufacture living matter and release oxygen into the air. This
process is called photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide is produced through the
respiration of animals and plants, which consume oxygen and release carbon
dioxide.

❖ THE NITROGEN CYCLE

The conversion of nitrogen can be carried out through both biological and
physical processes. Important processes in the nitrogen cycle include fixation,
ammonification, nitrification, and denitrification. The majority of Earth's
atmosphere (78%) is atmospheric nitrogen, making it the largest source of
nitrogen.

What’s More

ACTIVITY # 1
ACTIVITY # 2
Directions: Predict what will happen to the surrounding if the following situations
exist.

1.There is indiscriminate cutting of trees:____________________________________

2.Waterways are clogged_________________________________________________
3.There is indiscriminate use of fertilizers_____________________________________
4.Reforestation____________________________________________________________
5.Overfishing______________________________________________________________
 What I Have Learned

Directions: Choose the term from the words inside the box that will best
complete the sentences below.
Coal Oil Natural Gas
burning of fossil fuels volcanoes Photosynthesis
Respiration ocean sugar
Greenhouse decayed

1.Plants use CO2 in the process of ___________________ to make ___________ and

oxygen.

2.Animals use oxygen in the process of _______________ and make more CO2.

3.The ____________ is the main regulator of CO2in the atmosphere because CO2
dissolves easily in it.

4.In the past, huge deposits of carbon were stored as dead plants and animals
__________.
 What I Can Do

5.Today these deposits are burned as fossil fuels, which include _____________,
_______________, and ______________.

6.More CO2is released in the atmosphere today than in the past because of
_________ ___________________ .
7.Another natural source for CO2is __________________.

8.Too much CO2in the atmosphere may be responsible for the _______________
effect.

A. ESSAY

1.Enumerate some ways by which people disrupt matter and nutrient cycles.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

2.Predict what will happen if cycles of matter and nutrient are disrupted.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

B.BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLE
Directions: Describe the process of water cycle using 5 sentences based on the
diagram shown below.

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
______
__________________________________________________________________________________
__
__________________________________________________________________________________
__

Assessment

MATCHING TYPE

Direction: Match the description in Column A with the word/s in Column B.

COLUMN A COLUMN B

1. The number of different species within A.Ozone

a specific habitat.

2. A hazardous type of air pollution containing B.Global warming

ozone and particulates.
3. A type of pollution consisting of tiny particles, C.Eutrophication
such as smoke.

4. A gas that traps the Sun’s infrared radiation D.Indicator species

in the Earth’s atmosphere.

5. A gas that is toxic at ground level but which E.Pollutant

forms a protective layer higher in the
Earth’s atmosphere.

6. The rise in the Earth’s temperature caused F.Smog

by an increase in greenhouse gases from
human activity.

7. A chemical that damages the ozone layer. G.Biodiversity

8. An organism whose presence or absence
provides information on environmental
conditions.
H.Chlorofluorocarbon
9. A substance that contaminates air, water or land. I.Greenhouse gas
10. Over-enrichment of water with nutrients,
oxygen levels .
J.Particulate
K.Bioaccumulation

Additional Activities

BE IMAGINATIVE!
 In a long bond paper make a signage stating your own
way on how you can help maintain the balance of the
ecosystem.

References
K to 12 Curriculum Guide in Science 8
Department of Education. (2013). Science 8
Learner’s Module. Vibal Publishing
House, Inc.Joel I. Ballesteros, M.Sc., R.Ch. (UP
NISMED)
Department of Education. (2013). Science 8
Learner’s Module. Vibal
Publishing House, Inc.

Internet Sources:
Additional Learnings
See video links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Bn41lXKyVWQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFloV2J-
eKI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=CReZd9OHEfs