Exploring an ecosystem
An ecosystem is all the living and non-living things in an area that depend on one another. Living things grow, need food, water and air, and can make more of their own kind. Non-living things — like rocks, water, soil and air — were never alive, but living things still need them.
Q1. Sort these into the table: gum tree, granite rock, honey bee, tap water, earthworm, plastic bottle, banksia flower, sand.
| Living | Non-living |
|---|---|
Q2. How did you decide if something was living? Write one thing you looked for.
Q3. Choose one habitat: a creek, a gum forest, or the schoolyard. List the living and non-living things you would find there.
| Living things | Non-living things |
|---|---|
Q4. Pick one non-living thing from your habitat. Explain what would happen to the living things if it disappeared.
Q5. Finish the sentence in your own words: An ecosystem is…