ECOSYSTEMS
K-3
SP.15.1 - Living things interact with other living things and the surrounding
physical environment as they acquire resources in order to sustain
life and to grow.
SP.15.2 - Living things must gain energy from their environment, either
by converting it from sunlight or by eating other organisms or organic
matter.
SP.15.3 - Earth species has its own life cycle, matched to particular events
in its environment; as environments change, so have the numbers and types
of organisms.
SP.15.4 - Human practices can often affect the well-being of other species
in the environment.
3-6
SI.15.1 - All living things interact with each other and with the physical
environment; interactions may have helpful, harmful, or neutral effects on
the organisms involved.
SI.15.2 - Food chains and food webs describe the system of energy flow
through ecosystem (energy production in photosynthesis, predation, and
decomposition).
SI.15.3 - Changes in one part of an ecosystem (physical changes, change
in populations, change over time) affect other parts of the ecosystem.
SI.15.4 - Reduction of geographic and ecological ranges by human activities
within ecosystems have contributed to the reduction or extinction of
many species.
6-9
SJ.15.1 - Predation and competition for resources are important regulators
of populations within ecosystems; however, the ability to survive within
the physical environment through reproduction may be the most difficult
task faced by most organisms and may be the prime factor underlying both
adaptation and extinction.
SJ.15.2 - Energy and matter are transferred among organisms within each
ecosystem, but the efficiency of energy transfer decreases upward through
food chains and food webs.
SJ.15.3 - Ecosystems are dynamic, and they change through time as climate,
availability of resources, and species' compositions change.
SJ.15.4 - Ecosystems often exist in a fragile balance; humans can manage
ecosystems to preserve their diversity and well-being through careful
planning.
9-12
SH.15.1 - The physiochemical conditions of an environmental limit the biotic
forms which may interact and compete for its resources.
SH.15.2 - Organisms are adaptable, dynamic systems that continually
exchange energy and matter with their environments, often in cycles
with some form of self-regulation.
SH.15.3 - Because of the intricate relationships that exist among species in
a community and because of abiotic features of the biome, a change in one
part of ecosystem may have far-reaching consequences to the system.
SH.15.4 - Land use, pollution, energy use, and application of technology all
involve ethical considerations for individuals and society.