Coexisting with the Biotic and Abiotc parts of the ecosystem

So, with all great new things comes trial and error.  Kim (one of the three daring science teachers) had her students in the lab yesterday working on this assignment and realized that some tweaking was necessary, so Connie revised the template for students to use when researching the abiotic and biotic needs of their organism.

Define:

Biotic Factors - _________________________________________________________________________________________

Abiotic Factors - ________________________________________________________________________________________

BIOTIC FACTORS- Use complete sentences to answer the following:

A) What does your animal species eat?  B) Is it an omnivore, carnivore or herbivore?  Why is this?	List and describe three plants species that exist in same habitat as your animal.
List and describe three other animal species that coexist with your animal.	List any predators of your animal species – (those that eat your animal).
Describe any interactions that your animal species has with humans.  What types of conflicts are taking place here?	Describe a biotic factor that your animal species might use for shelter?

ABIOTIC FACTORS- Use complete sentences to answer the following:

Where does your species live?  Be specific- include country, state, geographic region, etc.	What bodies of water does your animal live in or near?
What biome does your animal live in?	How much rainfall does your animal’s biome receive yearly?
What is the average temperature range of your animal’s biome?	What type of soil exists in your animal’s biome? (If your animal has an ocean biome, list other abiotic factors that can be found in the ocean.)

  




This is the second major assignment that students will complete for their year long species project.  This is the example I will use for them, and they will compile similar information for their species.

Your Name: ____Mrs. Decker

7^th Grade Life Science

Species Common Name:  _Asian Elephant___

Species Scientific Name: __Elephas  maximus__

Directions:  Research to find out the living things that your species coexist with (eats, uses for shelter, symbiotic relationships, ect.) List and describe at least four biotic species below that exist with your species.  Research the abiotic (non-living) parts of its habitat also.  (Ideal temperature, soil types, topography (shape of the land), water needs ect.)  You need to fill in at least four of the sections in the abiotic column.

Biotic	Abiotic
Definition: Something that is living or was once living	Definition: Something that is non-living and never was alive
Asian Elephants Eat: roots, grasses, fruit, and bark, and they eat a lot of these things. An adult elephant can consume up to 300 pounds (136 kilograms) of food in a single day. They are herbivores	Location Where does your species live?  Country/state geographic area?	Asian mainland, including India and Nepal, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia.  Elephants are also found on the islands of Sri Lanka, Sumatra and Borneo r.
Human interactions and conflict:  Humans and elephants do not make great neighbors.  Elephants can harm humans if angered (mostly males during mating season.)  Humans also poach elephants for their tusk.  Efforts are being made in Southeast Asia on helping humans and elephants coexist.	Biome	Rainforest with intermixed meadows and grasslands
Predators:  Young are in danger from tigers and lions but there are no known predators for adult elephants.	Ideal temperature range	Not much is mentioned about their temperature needs, but they do live in the tropics where there are no distinct seasons and it is typically warm all you around.
Other plants in their habitat:  These elephants spend the evenings in dense forest and typically spend the foraging part of the day in meadows and grasslands.  Deforestation of their habitats is one of the major reasons for them becoming endangered.	Water consumption needs	An elephant will consume between 18-55 gallons of water a day.
Other animals in their habitat: No specific information was found about this.	Bodies of water it lives in or near	They must have a good source of freshwater.  They will use their tusk to dig for water when necessary.  This helps out other animals that share their habitat.
	Sunlight needs	There are no specific sunlight needs mentioned for elephants
	Terrain/topography what is the shape of the land where it lives?  Mountains, hills, streams, ect.	Asian elephants typically live in hilly rainforest terrain. They are important to their ecosystem because their dung provides needed fertilizer for the soil and they churn up the ground and make pathways of light and passageways through dense areas as they travel.  The density of the forest where they live makes it difficult to study Asian elephants in the wild.