32 Living Communities

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Living Communities by MEISH GOLDISH

Chapter 1 What Is an Ecosystem? An ecosystem is a community of living things. Earth has many different ecosystems. Each has its own kind of land, weather, plants, and animals. Plants and animals in an ecosystem need one another to live. Plants get energy from the Sun. They use this energy to make food. A small animal might eat some of the plants. A bigger animal might eat the small animal. This makes a food chain.

Chapter 2 Hot Desert Ecosystem A hot desert is one kind of ecosystem. A desert is very dry land. Many deserts are hot during the day. But they can get cold at night. Deserts can also be windy! A desert gets very little rain. Desert plants and animals need to save water. Camels store water in their bodies. A cactus has a thick, waxy skin to keep water inside. Its spines give off very little water.

Chapter 3 Cold Desert Ecosystem Did you know that Antarctica is a large desert? It is a cold ecosystem. It gets very little rain. Most of Antarctica is covered in ice. It is also windy and dry. The temperature can go below -70° Celsius (-94° Fahrenheit)! Few things can live in Antarctica. Moss is one of those things. Penguins and some seals live in Antarctica, too. They eat krill and fish to survive the very cold weather. Krill is an animal like shrimp.

Chapter 4 Grassland Ecosystem Grasslands are dry land. Yet they are not as dry as deserts. Can you guess what grasslands are filled with? That's right. Grass! Trees and bushes grow there, too. Zebras, giraffes, and elephants live in Africa's grassland ecosystem. These animals eat grassland plants. Elephants eat strong grass. Giraffes eat the leaves of tall trees. Lions, cheetahs, and leopards live in grasslands, too. They are meat-eaters. They eat other animals.