4th marking period
unit 2- ecosystems
Ecosystems Content Statements and Expectations
L.OL.M.5 Producers, Consumers, and Decomposers - Producers are mainly green plants that obtain energy from the sun by the process of photosynthesis. All animals, including humans, are consumers that meet their energy by eating other
organisms or their products. Consumers break down the structures of the organisms they eat to make the materials
they need to grow and function. Decomposers, including bacteria and fungi, use dead organisms or their products to
meet their energy needs.
L.OL.06.51 Classify producers, consumers, and decomposers based on their source of food (the source of energy and building
materials).
L.OL.06.52 Distinguish between the ways in which consumers and decomposers obtain energy.
L.EC.M.1 Interactions of Organisms - Organisms of one species form a population. Populations of different organisms interact and
form communities. Living communities and nonliving factors that interact with them form ecosystems.
L.EC.06.11 Identify and describe examples of populations, communities, and ecosystems including the Great Lakes region.
L.EC.M.2 Relationships of Organisms – Two types of organisms may interact with one another in several ways: They may be in a
producer/consumer, predator/prey, or parasite/host relationship. Some organisms may scavenge or decompose another.
Relationships may be competitive or mutually beneficial. Some species have become so adapted to each other that neither could survive without the other.
L.EC.06.21 Describe common patterns of relationships between and among populations (competition, parasitism, symbiosis,
predator/prey).
L.EC.06.22 Explain how two populations of organisms can be mutually beneficial and how that can lead to interdependency.
L.EC.06.23 Predict and describe how changes in one population might affect other populations based upon their relationships in the
food web.
L.EC.M.3 Biotic and Abiotic Factors – The number of organisms and populations an ecosystem can support depends on the biotic
(living) resources available and abiotic (nonliving) factors, such as quality of light and water, range of temperatures, and
soil composition.
L.EC.06.31 Identify the living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) components of an ecosystem.
L.EC.06.32 Identify the factors in an ecosystem that influence changes in population size.
L.EC.M.4 Environmental Impact of Organisms – All organisms (including humans) cause change in the environment where they
live. Some of the changes are harmful to the organism or other organisms, whereas others are helpful.
L.EC.06.41 Describe how human beings are part of the ecosystem of the Earth and that human activity can purposefully, or
accidentally, alter the balance in ecosystems.
L.EC.06.42 Predict and describe possible consequences of overpopulation of organisms, including humans, (for example: species
extinction, resource depletion, climate change, pollution).
L.OL.M.5 Producers, Consumers, and Decomposers - Producers are mainly green plants that obtain energy from the sun by the process of photosynthesis. All animals, including humans, are consumers that meet their energy by eating other
organisms or their products. Consumers break down the structures of the organisms they eat to make the materials
they need to grow and function. Decomposers, including bacteria and fungi, use dead organisms or their products to
meet their energy needs.
L.OL.06.51 Classify producers, consumers, and decomposers based on their source of food (the source of energy and building
materials).
L.OL.06.52 Distinguish between the ways in which consumers and decomposers obtain energy.
L.EC.M.1 Interactions of Organisms - Organisms of one species form a population. Populations of different organisms interact and
form communities. Living communities and nonliving factors that interact with them form ecosystems.
L.EC.06.11 Identify and describe examples of populations, communities, and ecosystems including the Great Lakes region.
L.EC.M.2 Relationships of Organisms – Two types of organisms may interact with one another in several ways: They may be in a
producer/consumer, predator/prey, or parasite/host relationship. Some organisms may scavenge or decompose another.
Relationships may be competitive or mutually beneficial. Some species have become so adapted to each other that neither could survive without the other.
L.EC.06.21 Describe common patterns of relationships between and among populations (competition, parasitism, symbiosis,
predator/prey).
L.EC.06.22 Explain how two populations of organisms can be mutually beneficial and how that can lead to interdependency.
L.EC.06.23 Predict and describe how changes in one population might affect other populations based upon their relationships in the
food web.
L.EC.M.3 Biotic and Abiotic Factors – The number of organisms and populations an ecosystem can support depends on the biotic
(living) resources available and abiotic (nonliving) factors, such as quality of light and water, range of temperatures, and
soil composition.
L.EC.06.31 Identify the living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) components of an ecosystem.
L.EC.06.32 Identify the factors in an ecosystem that influence changes in population size.
L.EC.M.4 Environmental Impact of Organisms – All organisms (including humans) cause change in the environment where they
live. Some of the changes are harmful to the organism or other organisms, whereas others are helpful.
L.EC.06.41 Describe how human beings are part of the ecosystem of the Earth and that human activity can purposefully, or
accidentally, alter the balance in ecosystems.
L.EC.06.42 Predict and describe possible consequences of overpopulation of organisms, including humans, (for example: species
extinction, resource depletion, climate change, pollution).
Big Ideas (Key Concepts)
• All life forms, including humans, are part of a global food chain in which food is supplied by plants, which need light to produce food.
• Ecosystems continually change with time as environmental factors and populations of organisms change.
• All life forms, including humans, are part of a global food chain in which food is supplied by plants, which need light to produce food.
• Ecosystems continually change with time as environmental factors and populations of organisms change.