Grade 9 IB Science Study Guide - Unit 1: Sustainable Ecosystems

UNIT 1: Sustainable Ecosystems

Know & Understand:

• Sustainability: The ability of ecosystems to maintain balance and meet the needs of present and future generations.

Abiotic vs Biotic Factors:

• Abiotic Factors: Non-living components of an ecosystem.

  • Examples: temperature, sunlight, water.

• Biotic Factors: Living components of an ecosystem.

  • Examples: plants, animals, bacteria.

Interactions:

• Predation: An interaction where one organism (the predator) hunts and feeds on another organism (the prey).

• Competition: An interaction where multiple organisms or populations require the same resources, such as food, water, or space. This can occur within a species (intraspecific competition) or between different species (interspecific competition).

• Symbiosis: Any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasitic.

  • Mutualism: A symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit.

  • Commensalism: A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits, and the other is neither harmed nor helped.

  • Parasitism: A symbiotic relationship where one organism (the parasite) benefits at the expense of the other organism (the host), often causing harm.

Energy & Matter Cycles:

• (Further details on energy and matter cycles would be included here, elaborated from additional pages.)