📚 Topic Summary
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals, and microbes) that interact with each other and their physical environment. Habitat loss, the destruction or degradation of natural habitats, poses a significant threat to ecosystems worldwide. When habitats are destroyed, fragmented, or polluted, the organisms that depend on them for survival may face displacement, reduced access to resources, and increased vulnerability to predators and disease. Visualizing habitat loss helps us understand its impacts on ecosystems and motivates us to take action for conservation.
In this activity, we'll create ecosystem diagrams to understand the consequences of habitat loss. We’ll use diagrams to understand the intricate relationships within an ecosystem and how habitat loss disrupts this delicate balance, impacting biodiversity and overall ecosystem health.
🧪 Part A: Vocabulary
Match the terms with their definitions:
| Term |
Definition |
| 1. Habitat |
A. The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem. |
| 2. Ecosystem |
B. The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism. |
| 3. Biodiversity |
C. The process of clearing forests to use the land for other purposes. |
| 4. Deforestation |
D. A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment. |
| 5. Fragmentation |
E. The breaking up of continuous habitat into patches amid a human-dominated landscape. |
📝 Part B: Fill in the Blanks
Complete the following paragraph using the words: resources, impact, balance, ecosystem, loss.
Habitat ______ has a significant ______ on the entire ______. It disrupts the delicate ______ of nature by reducing available ______ for organisms. This change can lead to species extinction.
🌍 Part C: Critical Thinking
How does habitat fragmentation affect the movement and survival of animals in an ecosystem? Give an example. Explain in detail.