4. Environment and Feeding Relationships eLearn.

Punjab

Students’ Learning Outcomes

After Completing this chapter ,the Students will be able to:

• Explain the ecosystem.
• Define the term habitat.
• Compare the different kinds of habitats.
• Investigate the various features that allow animals and plants to live in a particular habitat.
• Identify the factors that cause daily and yearly changes in a habitat.
• Explain how living things adapt to daily and yearly changes in their habitat.
• Explain the ways in which living things respond to changes in daily
• Environmental conditions such as light intensity, temperature and rainfall.
• Explain why food chains always begin with a producer.
• Illustrate the relationship between producers and consumers.
• Describe two food chains in the environment around them.
• Explain a food web.

Living things are all around us. They are in air, on land and in water.

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Environment of an organism consists of all the living and non-living things around that organism.
These living and non-living things affect the life of organism in one way or the other. We have
learnt in class VI that organisms live where they can have their needs met. All the organisms
depend on each other and on non-living things in an environment, we shall discuss it in this
chapter.

4.1: Ecosystems

A system formed by the interaction of living organisms and non-living things in an environment is
called an ecosystem. An ecosystem may be large, like a desert, or small, like a decaying log. Deserts,
seashores, rivers, mountains, oceans, grasslands and rain forests are also some of the ecosystems.
4.1.1: Parts of an Ecosystem

All ecosystems are made of two parts:

1. The living or biotic part
2. The non-living or abiotic part
All the plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms make the living or biotic part of their ecosystem.
Organisms of the same kind living and reproducing in a particular area is called population. All the
populations of different kinds of organisms living together in an area make a community (Fig.4.1).
Air, water, soil, sunlight and temperature make the non-living or abiotic part of an ecosystem.

Fig: 4.1. The number of wolves in this forest is their population. The wolves and all other animals,
plants, microorganisms are included in the community of the forest ecosystem.

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4.2: Habitat

The place where an animal or plant lives and reproduces is called its habitat. A habitat provides
the things an organism needs, i.e. food, water, shelter, etc. Many populations of organisms live in
each habitat.

Animation 4.2 : Habitat

Source and Credit: trrobbin
4.3: Kinds of Habitats

Organisms live in different kinds of habitats. An organism has

special features to live in its habitat.
1. The Grassland Habitat

Grassland is a grassy, windy, partly-dry area. These areas

receive a medium amount of rain. The soil found here is
very fertile. Grasses are the producers in a grassland
habitat. Mostly grazing animals like the sheep, goats, cows,
antelopes, buffaloes, and deer are a few examples that are
found in a grassland. A few flesh-eaters like cheetahs, foxes,
Fig: 4.2. A grassland habitat
wolves and a few birds like owls, eagles, hawks, etc. are also
found in this habitat (Fig.4.2). Many kinds of insects are also
found in grasslands.

2. The Pond Habitat

A pond is an aquatic habitat which is rich in life. Plants like

algae, duckweed, water lily, etc. are found in water. The
animals like fishes, pond skaters, wolf spiders, snails,
frogs and microscopic organisms are also found in the pond
Fig: 4.3. A pond habitat
habitat (Fig.4.3).
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3. The Desert Habitat

Deserts are the driest land areas. They receive very little
rainfall. Rainwater quickly drains away due to the sandy
soil. Some plants and animals have adapted to the
limited supply of water. Cacti, euphorbia, lizards, snakes,
kangaroo rats, camels, etc. are found in a desert habitat
(Fig.4.4).
Fig: 4.4. A desert habitat

4. The Rainforest Habitat

Rainforests are always wet. They receive rain the whole
year. A large number of plant types (herbs, shrubs and
trees) is found here. Several varieties of butterflies, snakes,
lizards, frogs, parrots, cockatoos, humming birds, cats and
jaguars are also found in this habitat (Fig:4.5).

Fig: 4.5. A rainforest habitat

Extend Your Thinking

Explain, why a limited plant and animal life is found in deserts?

Activity 4.1 Observing a Pond Habitat

• Visit a nearby pond under the

supervision of your science teacher.
• Observe the pond habitat and fill the
table given below.

Producers Consumers Abiotic factors

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4.3.1: The Factors Causing Changes in a Habitat

We know that light, temperature, air, soil and water are

abiotic factors of the environment. Changes in these
factors bring changes in the populations of a habitat. Some
other natural factors and humans also cause changes in
habitats.
Sunlight is the basic source of energy on the Earth. Plants
use light energy to make their own food. All forms of life Fig: 4.6: Most plants and animals
on the Earth depend directly or indirectly on green plants need light to survive.
for food. They also need light for their survival (Fig.4.6).
Light intensity affects the number of plants in a habitat.
Decrease in number of plants may result in the decrease of
animals’ number in the habitat.

Extend Your Thinking

How is the Sun important to the food supply of an ecosystem?

Temperature can also bring change in the population of a habitat. Any extraordinary rise or
fall in temperature may disturb the habitat. For example, warm water contains less oxygen.
What happens to the aquatic animals in the water as it gets hotter?

Water is essential for life. Where there is more water, more organisms are found there.
Availability of water in a habitat can greatly influence its organisms.

Migration is another factor that changes the size of populations of a habitat. When a few
individuals come to an area, it increases the size of the population in that area. Organisms
migrate in search of better living places.

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Animation 4.3: Indicator of a warming world

Source and Credit: myweb
Natural disasters such as droughts, floods, earthquakes, etc. can bring changes in habitats.
A drought is a period when there is no rain for a long time in an area. The ponds or streams may
dry up during a drought (Fig.4.7). Most pond plants and animals die or move to other ponds. Some
crops do not grow in the area affected by a drought.

Fig: 4.7: Droughts and floods bring rapid changes in habitats.

When an area gets a lot of rain for a long time, there may be a flood in that area (Fig.4.7). Many
plants and animals die or move to other drier places during a flood.
Sometimes lightning strikes a tree in a forest, causing forest fires. Plants and trees are burned and
destroyed (Fig.4.8). Some animals die, others may move to safer places. It takes many years for a
forest to grow back.
Earthquakes are sudden shocks of the Earth’s surface. Earthquakes can change a habitat very
quickly. On October 8, 2005, a massive earthquake damaged a widespread area across Pakistan.
Over 70,000 people lost their lives. A large number of animals and plants were also destroyed.

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Fig. 4.8: Sometimes lightning destroys the whole habitat.

Animation 4.4: Deforestation

Source & Credit: Coventryschools Animation 4.5: Deforestation
Source & Credit: Coventryschools

Extend Your Thinking

Two kinds of birds live in the same tree. Kind A eats ants that live in the tree. Kind B
eats ants and caterpillars. Which species is more likely to survive if the ant population
decreases? Why?

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How People Change Habitats

Human activities also change habitats. When habitats change, some organisms die or leave
the habitat.
Farming is very important to human survival. People clear forests to get land for farming.
People also cut down trees to get wood or paper. In this way they destroy the natural habitats
of several plants and animals.
Pollution is another agent that brings changes in habitats. Pollution harms the land, water
or air. Pollution is harmful to people, animals and plants. It destroys many habitats. Land
pollution affects the land, destroying life, the environment and its habitats (Fig.4.10).
Air pollution affects the air we breathe in. Factories and motor vehicles add air pollution in the
environment (Fig.4.11). Air pollution damages our health and our environment.

Fig. 4.9: Water pollution destroys Fig. 4.10: Litter kills plants and causes
water habitats. animals to get sick or die.

Fig. 4.11: Air pollution causes acid rain Fig. 4.12: Forests clean the air. We need
that can destroy pond or lake habitats. forests to help keep the air clean.

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How to Protect Habitats

Everyone can help protect habitats by saving the resources. Reducing, reusing, and recycling
are three ways to save resources and protect ecosystem.
• Reduce means to cut down on the use of resources.
• Reuse means not to throw away things that can be used again.
• Recycle means to make new things from the used material.

Effect of Salts on the Growth of Plants

Activity 4.2
You will need
• 3 plastic cups • garden soil • 24 watermelon seeds
• normal water • salty water • very salty water

Procedure
1. Make holes in the bottom of plastic cups with a nail.
2. Label the cups A, B and C.
3. Fill the cups two-third with garden soil.
4. Sow 8 watermelon seeds in each cup.
5. Add some normal water to cup A, salt water to cup B and very salty water to cup C.
6. Every day add some more water to each cup.
7. Observe the cups every day for ten days and collect the data.

Number of seeds germinating to plants

cup A cup B cup C
Day 1
Day 2
Things to think

1. How did salt in the habitat change the growth of plants?

2. Why did more plants grow in the cup A?

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4.3.2: Adaptations of Organisms to Live in a Habitat

Plants and animals live in different habitats. They develop special features that help them to live
in their habitats. These special features are called adaptations. An adaptation is a change in the
organism’s body or behaviour that helps it to survive in its habitat. Organisms that are not well
adapted to their habitats may not survive.
Aquatic Habitats

Animals and plants living in aquatic habitats have such body parts that help them to live in water.
1. Streamlined body shape is an important adaptation for animals to move easily through water.
2. Webbed feet of ducks, seagulls and frogs work like oars to help move in water (Fig.4.13).
3. Floating plants like water hyacinth, duckweed and water lily have floating leaves and submerged
roots. Their bodies contain air spaces. Their leaves have waxy covering to prevent water from
collecting on them.

Extend Your Thinking

All the plants and animals of an aquatic habitat
will find difficulties in living inother habitats.
Why?

Fig:4.13: Webbed feet of a frog

help to move in water.
Land Habitats
Animals and plants living in land habitats also have adaptations to adjust well in their surroundings.
1. The arctic fox and polar bear have thick fur on their bodies. This thick fur keeps the body of
these animals warm in freezing cold. Snowy owl has a thick coat of feathers.
2. Plants and animals of deserts are adapted to live in scorching heat. Some desert plants
have tough, thick surfaces and thin, spiny leaves to reduce water loss. Most animals, such as
gecko(lizard) and jackrabbit conserve water by living underground during the day and coming
out at night. Camel’s feet and large stomach are the adaptations to live in deserts (Fig.4.14).
3. Bird song, the roars of lions, howling of wolves, etc. are the adaptations of behaviour. Animals
send and receive messages using sound (Fig.4.14).
4. Plants, too, have many adaptations to help them survive. Trees in rainforests grow very tall to
get the sunlight (Fig.4.14).

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Fig. 4.14: Some adaptations in animals and plants

Tidbit

The chameleon can change its colour and has a long

sticky-tipped tongue. These adaptations help it to
catch insects.

4.4: Biotic Components and Their Relation with Food Chains and
Food Webs

Every living thing needs energy. Energy in an ecosystem passes from one organism to another. The
basic source of energy on Earth is sunlight. Plants use sunlight and make food. Thus, plants are the
producers.
Animals cannot make their own food .They eat plants or other animals that eat plants. Thus, animals
are the consumers. A consumer may be a primary consumer (herbivore), a secondary consumer
or a tertiary consumer. Organisms eat organisms and are in turn being eaten by others. This feeding
relationship among organisms is called a food chain. Most food chains start with producers like:
grass g zebra g lion
leaves g caterpillar g bird g hawk
Green plants are producers so, they are the first in most food chains. Animals that feed on plants
are the second in a food chain. They are called primary consumers. Animals that eat primary
consumers are called secondary consumers. Secondary consumers may be eaten by tertiary
consumers.

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Extend Your Thinking

Even though secondary consumers do not eat plants, how are plants important to their food
supply?
Activity 4.3 Food Chains

A plant or an animal in a food chain is called a link.

(a) Construct two food chains with
(i) three links (ii) four links
(b) Write down the producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers and tertiary consumers
in food chains constructed in part (a).

Food Web

An organism can be a part of many food chains. Several food chains in an ecosystem overlap to
form a network called food web.
Example 1: A lion does not feed entirely on deer but it also hunts cows and goats. Similarly owl
and hawk may also take different organisms as their food. So, most animals feed on one or more
than one kind of animals. Therefore many food chains form a kind of network or a food web.
Example 2: A snake does not feed on frog alone. It also eats birds, rats and even rabbits. Birds
eat grains. They also eat insects, spiders and worms. If we arrange food chains in an ecosystem,
it takes the form of a web (Fig.4.15).
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Fig. 4.15: Several food chains are present in a

food web.

Science, Technologyand Society

Bacteria and fungi are decomposers. They break down the dead
Extend Your Thinking
bodies of plants and animals into simpler substances. These
What will happen to all
substances mix with soil and again are available to green plants
animals of a food web, if
to make their food. Without decomposers recycling of nutrients
green plants are removed?
is impossible. How can we use decomposers to reduce the use
of expensive chemical fertilizers in our country.

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Key Points
• Ecosystem is the system formed by the interaction of living organisms and non-living things in
an environment.
• A habitat is the natural home of an organism where it lives and reproduces.
• Grassland is a grassy, windy, partly-dry area. A pond habitat is rich in life. Desert are the driest
land areas with a few number of plants and animals. A large number of plants and animals is
found in a rainforest.
• Plants and animals adapt to live in a particular habitat.
• Light intensity, temperature, water, droughts, floods, earthquakes, etc. are the factors that
can bring changes in a habitat.
• People can also bring changes in habitats by adding pollution.
• Animals and plants adapt to their environment for their survival.
• Green plants make food, so they are producers. Animals eat plants so they are consumers.
• A food chain and a food web are feeding relationships among organisms.
• The feeding relationship among organisms is called a food chain.
• Several food chains in an ecosystem overlap to form a network called food web.

Questions
1. Complete each of the following sentences by writing the correct term.
i. The basic source of energy for every ecosystem __________
ii. Any living thing in the environment __________
iii. All the populations living in an area make a __________
iv. Several food chains overlap in a __________
v. Breakdown the bodies of dead animals and plants __________
3. Give short answers.
i. What kinds of organisms are there at the start of most food chains?
ii. Name biotic factors of an ecosystem.
iii. How are producers, consumers and decomposers related to each other?
iv. Define an ecosystem.
v. What do you mean by community in an ecosystem?
vi. Name the ways by which we can save our natural resources.

4. What is a habitat? Describe its few kinds.

5. Describe factors that can bring daily and yearly changes in the habitat.
6. Describe adaptations of some aquatic animals to live in their habitat.
7. Explain a food chain and a food web with examples.

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Q8. Look at the following food web and answer the questions given below.

i. Name the producer in the food web.

___________________________________________________________________
ii. From where does the producer gets energy?
___________________________________________________________________
iii. Name three consumers in the food web.
___________________________________________________________________
iv. Write down two food chains in this food web.
___________________________________________________________________

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CHAPTER

5 Water

Animation 5.1 :Water Molecule

Source and credit: eLearn.punjab
5. Water eLearn.Punjab

Students’ Learning Outcomes

After completing this chapter, the students will be able to:
• Describe the ways in which clean water is vital for meeting the needs of humans and other
living things.
• Identify the sources of water.
• Recognize the substances present in water that make the water impure.
• Suggest different ways to clean the impure water.
• Describe various uses of water in our country.
• Investigate the consumption of water in our daily life and suggest ways to reduce wastage of
water.

All is born of water. (Al-Quran)