S4.3.7 For the adult
Interdependence
Why do the numbers of foxes and rabbits in a wood rise and fall in a pattern, year after year?
What this chapter teaches
The living things in a habitat depend on each other. Predator and prey numbers rise and fall in cycles, and the predator peak comes a little after the prey peak. Living factors are food, predators, disease and competition. Non living factors are temperature, light, water, soil pH and oxygen in water.
Three questions to ask
There is no one right wording. Listen for the idea.
- Why does the number of predators peak after the number of prey?
- What might happen to rabbits if all their predators were removed?
- Can you name one living factor and one non living factor that affect a pond?
After the chapter, the learner can
- Explain predator and prey population cycles from a graph
- Explain how living and non-living factors affect a community
What they copy into their notebook
Predator and prey numbers rise and fall in cycles, and the predator peak is a little later. Living factors: food, predators, disease, competition. Non living: temperature, light, water, soil pH, oxygen.