Implement this lesson:
This unit can be implemented during the Ecosystem units, an Ocean unit, or any TEK 10+.x
Objective:
- Students will identify and describe the biotic and abiotic factors in saltwater wetlands.
- Students will understand the levels of ecosystem organization.
- Students will analyze the interactions between biotic and abiotic factors.
- Students will create a model demonstrating the levels of ecosystem organization within saltwater wetlands.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
6.11(A) research and describe why resource management is important in reducing global energy poverty, malnutrition, and air and water pollution
6.11(B) explain how conservation, increased efficiency, and technology can help manage air, water, soil, and energy resources
6.12(A)* investigate how organisms and populations in an ecosystem depend on and may compete for biotic factors such as food and abiotic factors such as availability of light and water, range of temperatures, or soil composition
6.12(B) describe and give examples of predatory, competitive, and symbiotic relationships between organisms, including mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism
6.12(C) describe the hierarchical organization of organism, population, and community within an ecosystem
6.13(A) describe the historical development of cell theory and explain how organisms are composed of one or more cells, which come from pre‐existing cells and are the basic unit of structure and function
6.13(B) identify and compare the basic characteristics of organisms, including prokaryotic and eukaryotic, unicellular and multicellular, and autotrophic and heterotrophic 6.13(C) describe how variations within a population can be an advantage or disadvantage to the survival of a population as environments change
7.10(A)* describe the evidence that supports that Earth has changed over time, including fossil evidence, plate tectonics, and superposition 7.10(B)* describe how plate tectonics causes ocean basin formation, earthquakes, mountain building, and volcanic eruptions, including super volcanoes and hot spots
7.11(A)* analyze the beneficial and harmful influences of human activity on groundwater and surface water in a watershed
7.11(B)* describe human dependence and influence on ocean systems and explain how human activities impact these systems
7.12(A)* diagram the flow of energy within trophic levels and describe how the available energy decreases in successive trophic levels in energy pyramids
7.13(A)* identify and model the main functions of the systems of the human organism, including the circulatory, respiratory, skeletal, muscular, digestive, urinary, reproductive, integumentary, nervous, immune, and endocrine systems
7.13(C)* compare the results of asexual and sexual reproduction of plants and animals in relation to the diversity of offspring and the changes in the population over time
7.13(D)*describe and give examples of how natural and artificial selection change the occurrence of traits in a population over generations
7.14(A) describe the taxonomic system that categorizes organisms based on similarities and differences shared among groups
8.10(A) describe how energy from the Sun, hydrosphere, and atmosphere interact and influence weather
8.10(B) identify global patterns of atmospheric movement and how they influence local weather
8.10(C) describe the interactions between ocean currents and air masses that produce tropical cyclones, including typhoons and hurricanes
8.12(B) describe how primary and secondary ecological succession affect populations and species diversity after ecosystems are disrupted by natural events or human activity
8.12(C) describe how biodiversity contributes to the stability and sustainability of an ecosystem and the health of the organisms within the ecosystem
8.13(A) identify the function of the cell membrane, cell wall, nucleus, ribosomes, cytoplasm, mitochondria, chloroplasts, and vacuoles in plant or animal cells 8.13(C) describe how variations of traits within a population lead to structural, behavioral, and physiological adaptations that influence the likelihood of survival and reproductive success of a species over generations
8.13(B) describe the function of genes within chromosomes in determining inherited traits of offspring
Abiotic & Biotic Factors in Gulf Saltwater Wetlands
Saltwater wetlands along the Texas Gulf Coast are special places where both living and nonliving things work together to create a healthy environment.
Abiotic Factors (Nonliving Things)
These are the parts of nature that are not alive, but still very important!
| Abiotic Factor | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Saltwater | The salty water shapes which plants and animals can live there. |
| Sunlight | Helps wetland plants grow and make food. |
| Soil/Mud | Soft mud provides homes and food for many creatures. |
| Tides | Bring in fresh nutrients and help move water around. |
| Temperature | Warm weather helps many plants and animals survive year-round. |
| Water Depth | Changes with tides and storms — animals must adapt to both shallow and deep water. |
Without abiotic factors, wetlands couldn’t exist!
Biotic Factors (Living Things)
These are the living parts of the ecosystem!
| Biotic Factor | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Seagrass & Marsh Plants | Provide food, oxygen, hiding places, and help stop erosion. |
| Fish & Shrimp | Important food for bigger animals and help control smaller creatures. |
| Crabs & Shellfish (like oysters) | Clean the water and recycle nutrients. |
| Birds | Eat fish and crabs and spread seeds. |
| Microorganisms | Tiny helpers that break down dead stuff and return nutrients to the soil. |
Biotic factors make wetlands full of life!
How They Work Together
Biotic + Abiotic = A Strong Ecosystem 💪🌿
-
Plants need sunlight, water, and soil to grow.
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Animals need plants and clean water to survive.
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Tides bring nutrients that feed microorganisms.
It’s like a team — everyone plays a part!
Quick Summary
| Abiotic = Nonliving | Biotic = Living |
|---|---|
| Sunlight | Plants |
| Water | Fish |
| Salt | Crabs |
| Soil | Birds |
| Temperature | Microorganisms |
Saltwater wetlands only stay healthy when both abiotic and biotic factors are in balance!
Possible Books:
- Willy Explores the Wonders of the Gulf Coast by Jared Knetzer
- The Gulf by Adam de Souza
- Saving American Beaches by MaVynee Betsch
- Hoot by Carl Hiasen
Materials Needed:
- Biotic & Abiotic Factor Observation Sheet (in resource folder)
- Writing utensil
- clipboard
Lesson Plan:
Engage:
- Begin with a brief discussion of what students already know about saltwater wetlands.
- Review student’s understanding of biotic and abiotic factors.
Explore:
- BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC OBSERVATIONS
- Students will take several minutes to explore the area and make observations, paying close attention to the various biotic and abiotic factors..
- Students will record their observations by making a list of all of the biotic and abiotic factors they observed.
- Allow students to share their observations with the class.
- Lead a discussion on how these factors might be interacting within the saltwater wetland. (ex: crabs use sand for protection, birds eat the fish, plants need the nutrients in the soil etc)
- Focusing on the abiotic factors, ask students how many of their abiotic factors are man made.(ex: trash, buildings etc
Explain:
- Lead a discussion on how students think these man made factors interact with the biotic factors. Discuss the benefits or consequences of these interactions.
Elaborate:
- DIAGRAM LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION IN THE ECOSYSTEM
- Using the observations made during part one of this lesson, have students create a diagram of the levels of organization of the area.
- The diagram can either be written, depicted with pictures, or both allowing students to express their understanding in a format they are most comfortable using
Evaluate:
- By the end of this lesson, students should have a solid understanding of the difference between biotic and abiotic factors. They should be able to formulate a hypothesis about how these factors interact within the saltwater wetlands in either a positive or negative way. They will be able to construct a diagram of a natural ecosystem defining the various levels of organization within the ecosystem. . They will also develop skills in research, collaboration, and ecological analysis.