Page 163 - Innovator's Science-8

This is how nature supports a wide variety of living beings, allowing them to
coexist peacefully in the same habitat.

WHO ALL LIVE TOGETHER IN NATURE?
In the previous activity, you might observe fish in a pond. Did you notice just

one fish? Probably not. You would have noticed many fish of the same kind
swimming together. A group of the same kind of fish living in the same pond
forms the population of that fish.

In a similar way, we can identify and record populations of various kinds of
plants and animals living in a single habitat.

Activity-2 Aim: To find out the popula on of a par cular plant or animal by coun ng how many
are present in a defined area at a given me.
Experiential Learning
Procedure:

• Form four to five student groups.
• Each group should choose two organisms- these can be plants or animals.
• Mark an a I metre × 1 metre in your school garden.
Science • Iden fy four different organisms within that area.
Bytes
• Count how many of each organism you see.

Testimony • Write your data in a table like the one below.
A single forest or pond
• Combine and discuss your results with those of other groups.
can support many species
living together in Table : Number of Organisms in a Specific Area
harmony. Each uses the Name of Organism Popula on (Number of Individuals)
same surroundings
differently, ensuring that Plant 1 30
food and space are Plant 2 15
shared without Animal 1 _____________
exhaus ng the habitat. Animal 2 _____________

In this example, there are 30 plants of one kind and 15 of another within the same 1
x 1 metre area. This shows that popula ons can vary even in the single habitat.
A popula on is a group of organisms of the same kind living together in a par cular
habitat at a specific me.

What might happen if only a habitat had only one kind of living organism in it?

All of them would depend on the same resources such as food, water, and
space. This would lead to competition and may cause a shortage of

resources. What other problems do you think might occur?
From Activities 1 and 2, you can see that many different groups of
Plants and Animals
organisms live together in a single habitat. A community is made up of
different populations that share the same environment.

163
Science-8