6.L.2.1 Summarize how energy derived from the sun is used by plants to produce sugars (photosynthesis) and is transferred within a food chain or food web (terrestrial and aquatic) from producers to consumers to decomposers.
Food provides molecules that serve as fuel and building material for all organisms. Plants use the energy from light to make sugars from
carbon dioxide and water. Green plants are the producers of food that is used directly or indirectly by consumers. Plants can use the food they
make immediately or store it for later use.
Energy flows through ecosystems in one direction, from the sun through producers to consumers to decomposers. Matter is transferred from one organism to another and between organisms and their environments.
Water, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and oxygen are substances cycled between the living and non-living environments. Investigate how decomposers return nutrients to the environment—such as fungi on fallen logs, mold on bread. Explore the importance and role of bacteria in the guts of animals and plant roots at it relates to the recycling of matter.
carbon dioxide and water. Green plants are the producers of food that is used directly or indirectly by consumers. Plants can use the food they
make immediately or store it for later use.
Energy flows through ecosystems in one direction, from the sun through producers to consumers to decomposers. Matter is transferred from one organism to another and between organisms and their environments.
Water, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and oxygen are substances cycled between the living and non-living environments. Investigate how decomposers return nutrients to the environment—such as fungi on fallen logs, mold on bread. Explore the importance and role of bacteria in the guts of animals and plant roots at it relates to the recycling of matter.
6.L.2.2 Explain how plants respond to external stimuli (including dormancy and forms of tropism) to enhance survival in an environment.
Changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of individual organisms and entire species. Dormancy is a period of inactivity in a
mature seed prior to germination; seed remains dormant until conditions are favorable for growth and development of the new plant.
Plants have mechanisms that enable them to respond to their environment. Plants grow, reproduce, and shift the position of their roots, stems and
leaves in response to environmental conditions such as gravity, sunlight, temperature and day length. Tropism is a plant’s turning or bending
movement of an organism toward or away from an external stimulus such as light, heat or gravity. If the tropism is positive, the plant grows
toward the stimulus. If the tropism is negative, the plant grows away from the stimulus. This enhances the survival rate for that plant in a
given environment.
mature seed prior to germination; seed remains dormant until conditions are favorable for growth and development of the new plant.
Plants have mechanisms that enable them to respond to their environment. Plants grow, reproduce, and shift the position of their roots, stems and
leaves in response to environmental conditions such as gravity, sunlight, temperature and day length. Tropism is a plant’s turning or bending
movement of an organism toward or away from an external stimulus such as light, heat or gravity. If the tropism is positive, the plant grows
toward the stimulus. If the tropism is negative, the plant grows away from the stimulus. This enhances the survival rate for that plant in a
given environment.
6.L.2.3 Summarize how the abiotic factors (such as temperature, water, sunlight, and soil quality) of biomes (freshwater, marine, forest, grasslands, desert, Tundra) affect the ability of organisms to grow, survive and/or create their own food through photosynthesis.
The world contains a wide diversity of physical conditions, which creates a wide variety of environments: freshwater, marine, forest, desert,
grasslands, mountain, and others. In any particular environment, the growth and survival of organisms depend on the physical conditions.
Environmental factors that affect an organism’s ability to survive in its environment, such as food availability, predators, and temperature, are
limiting factors. A limiting factor is any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence, number, reproduction, or distribution of organisms.
For example, at high elevations, temperatures are too low, winds too strong and the soil too thin to support the growth of large trees.
Vegetation is limited to small, shallow-rooted plants, mosses, ferns and lichen. Factors that limit one population in a community may also have
an indirect effect on another population. For example, a lack of water could limit the growth of grass in a grassland, reducing the number of
seeds produced. The population of rabbits dependent on those seed for food will also be reduced and the hawks depending on the rabbits will
be reduced too as a result of a decrease in their food supply. Another factor for survive is the ability of an organism to withstand fluctuations in
biotic and abiotic environmental factors. The limits of an organism’s tolerance are reached when the organism receives too much or too little
of some environmental factor. Organisms become fewer as conditions move toward either extreme of the range of tolerance (too much or too
little).
grasslands, mountain, and others. In any particular environment, the growth and survival of organisms depend on the physical conditions.
Environmental factors that affect an organism’s ability to survive in its environment, such as food availability, predators, and temperature, are
limiting factors. A limiting factor is any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence, number, reproduction, or distribution of organisms.
For example, at high elevations, temperatures are too low, winds too strong and the soil too thin to support the growth of large trees.
Vegetation is limited to small, shallow-rooted plants, mosses, ferns and lichen. Factors that limit one population in a community may also have
an indirect effect on another population. For example, a lack of water could limit the growth of grass in a grassland, reducing the number of
seeds produced. The population of rabbits dependent on those seed for food will also be reduced and the hawks depending on the rabbits will
be reduced too as a result of a decrease in their food supply. Another factor for survive is the ability of an organism to withstand fluctuations in
biotic and abiotic environmental factors. The limits of an organism’s tolerance are reached when the organism receives too much or too little
of some environmental factor. Organisms become fewer as conditions move toward either extreme of the range of tolerance (too much or too
little).