Directorate: Curriculum FET

SUBJECT AND Agricultural Sciences GRADE 10

GRADE

TERM 1 Week 1

TOPIC Ecology and Agro- ecology

AIM OF LESSON At the end of the lesson you should be able to:
• Define concepts regarding creative thinking and problem solving
• Application of knowledge and skills associated with the topic of Agro-ecology

RESOURCES Paper-based resources

• Relevant Textbooks:
Important terminology that can help you understand key concepts

INTRODUCTION • Pre-content of previous grades must be linked to the current content

• The purpose of the following lesson is to discuss the content associated with the following:
• Ecology and levels of organization
• Concepts of agro-ecology and agro-ecosystems
• Biotic and abiotic factors affecting an ecosystem
CONCEPTS & Ecology and Agro-ecology
SKILLS
What is ecology?
• Ecology is the scientific study of the different relationships or interactions between different organisms in a
system and their relationship to the non-living part of their environment.
• Ecology tries to explain issues like the following:
• Adaptation and life processes;
• The distribution of organisms;
• The movement of energy through communities;
• The development of ecosystems.

Levels of ecological organization

Biosphere Biome Ecosystem Community Population Individuals

• Biosphere individual
• It is the sum total of ecosystems on the planet. It includes the life-sustaining portion of the earth's surface, as
well as the soil, atmosphere and water in rivers, lakes, wetlands, water cliffs and the ocean.
Biome
• A biome is a large unit of organization that encompasses different regions of the earth's ecosystems, mainly
according to the composition and structure of the vegetation.
• A biome is a natural ecological area with a set of unique features, for example in terms of climate, soil and
landform. These factors determine the type of flora and fauna communities found in that particular region.
• There are eight major biomes in the world, namely tropical rainforests, temperate broadleaf forests, temperate
mixed forests, temperate deciduous forests, taiga, tundra, warm deserts and polar deserts.

Ecosystem
• All organisms live in an ecosystem.
• Ecosystems are units formed by the interaction of living organisms with their environment.
• An ecosystem is a delimited and self-sustaining area that consists of all the different living organisms that interact
with each other and with their abiotic components.
• A coastal area, forest, forest area, pool or stream are all examples of ecosystems.

Community
• A community is all the different plants and animals that inhabit a specific area.
• This area can be as small as a puddle or as large as a rain forest.

Population
• A population is a group of organisms or individuals (plants or animals) of the same species that live and
reproduce in the same place.
• To be a population, individuals of the same species or species must stay together in a particular area. It can be
very small, for example a population of yeast in a test tube, or it can be very large, for example the human
population of South Africa.

Individuals (Species)
• Members of a particular species can breed with each other, but members of different species cannot breed with
each other. Lions and leopards, for example, are both big cats.
• The lion is a species called Panthera leo and leopards are Panthera pardus.
• Lions breed with other lions to produce lion cubs.
• However, a lion and a leopard cannot since they do not belong to the same species.

Components of an ecosystem
• An ecosystem consists of biotic (living) as well as abiotic (non-living) components.
• An ecosystem cannot function without its abiotic and biotic components.

Biotic components
• The biotic components of an ecosystem are the plant and animal organisms
• Green plants that produce their own food are the producers in the system
• Organisms that depend directly or indirectly on producers for their nutrients are called consumers.
• Sunlight trapped by plants is the main source of energy for all living organisms.
• Plants are also called autotrophic organisms.
• Autotrophs (green plants) produce food through the process of photosynthesis
• Consumers are organisms that depend on other organisms for their supply of nutrients.
• Primary consumers feed exclusively on plant material to sustain themselves.
• Secondary consumers feed on primary consumers.
• Decomposers are an essential component of any ecosystem. These are the microorganisms - the fungi and
bacteria that live on decaying material.

Physical and climatic factors

• Physical factors include sunlight, temperature, water, gas and wind.
• Sunlight and the length of the day affect many aspects of communities and ecosystems.
• Sunlight is the ultimate source of energy for ecosystems.
• Plants need light to photosynthesize and produce food.
• They are adapted to different light intensity levels in different ways.
• Some are well adapted to high levels of light intensity, and others are better adapted to shade.
• Plants also respond to the time of day through the movement of the stem or petals.
• Animals also respond to levels of light intensity.
• Day animals feed and are most active in the day; nocturnal animals are the most active at night.
• Migration and reproduction are also influenced by light intensity.

Temperature
• Temperature greatly affects organisms and the habitat they choose.
• For example, the germination of plants is controlled by temperature.
• Many bulbous plants (geophytes) are also influenced by temperature.
• Many animals have to move around to make sure that their bodies maintain a certain temperature.
• For example, reptiles (cold-blooded animals) need to warm on rocks or in the sun because they cannot regulate
their body temperature themselves.
• Their activity levels are controlled by the temperature outside.
• Some mammals living in cold climates hibernate during the winter months when food is scarce, temperatures
are low and their metabolism is very slow.

Water
• Water is an essential component of ecosystems.
• Plants and animals are adapted to the abundance or deficiency to water in their respective habitats in many
different ways.
• Plants adapted to very dry climates are called xerophytes.
• They often have specialized roots, leaves and stems that help them cope with the water shortage, high
temperatures, high light intensity and hot, dry winds.
• Hydrophytes are plants specially adapted to very wet conditions, or can partially living under the water.
• They often have large leaves, many air spaces in the stem (to make the plant float) and a waxy coating on the
upper surface to allow the water to run off.
• Mesophytes are plants that need only an average supply of water.
• This includes most vegetables and crops such as wheat and maize.
• These plants do not survive extreme moisture or extreme drought.
• Animals also have certain levels of tolerance to the amount of water in their habitats.
• Some are adapted to dig away from extreme dryness, others are able to survive for days without water, and
some of the body's surface is adapted to prevent extreme drying.

Gasses
• Oxygen is used in cell respiration and combustion and returns to the environment during the process of
photosynthesis.
• Carbon dioxide is a product of cell respiration and decomposition.
• It is removed by plants during the process of photosynthesis.
• All organisms need nitrogen for the synthesis of proteins.
 • Water vapor determines the weather in most parts of the world.

Wind
• Wind (air currents) is another important physical factor affecting organisms.
• Worldwide air circulation patterns cause differences in rainfall in different parts of the world.
• It affects vegetation and the various ecosystems that form.
• Air currents and winds help to propagate seeds and spores and assist in the propagation of plants.
• Local winds also affect soil moisture, which in turn affects the growth of plants.

Soil factors
• Soil is an important abiotic factor in any ecosystem.
• Soil-related factors are called edaphic factors or soil factors.
• The following properties of soil have an impact on plant growth and animal health:
• The pH of soil
• The humus content
• The texture of soil
• Soil depth and texture

Physiographic factors
• Physiographic factors have a major influence on plant and animal life.
• This includes:
• The aspect is the position of an area relative to the sun.
• A northern-facing habitat in the southern hemisphere receives more sun than a southern-facing one.
• The slope of the soil affects the flow of water.
• The height of a mountain above sea level determines the amount of rainfall received and the levels of solar
radiation, as well as wind and shade.

ACTIVITIES / You can also use the following information sources to complete activities:
ASSESSMENT • Relevant Grade 10 textbooks
• Previous Grade 10 November papers
CONSOLIDATION • The lesson covers the content as stipulated in the CAPS document.

VALUES • Learners who understand the content should be able to apply the required knowledge and skills in order to
successfully answer the questions based on the curriculum content.
• Learners will be able to use the knowledge and skills as a solid foundation for progression to the next topic.