Biodiversity and ecosystem relationships are at the heart of this Grade 6 Science worksheet on Trees and Forests. Using examples such as beaver dams, mycorrhizal fungi, and cavity-nesting birds, students explore how plants, fungi, and animals depend on one another and how species diversity contributes to ecosystem stability and resilience.

This Alberta-focused science resource moves beyond simply identifying organisms. Students investigate the roles different species play in ecosystem functions, consider how one organism can create opportunities for others, and explain why losing an important species or ecological role can affect an entire ecosystem.

Discover the connections that keep ecosystems functioning

The reading passage introduces biodiversity as the variety of living things in an ecosystem and examines several specific ecological relationships. Students learn how beavers act as ecosystem engineers by creating dams that slow water and form ponds, potentially providing habitat for other organisms. They also explore how mycorrhizal fungi associated with plant roots help plants absorb water and nutrients from soil.

Another example focuses on cavity-nesting birds that rely on holes in mature trees for nesting. This relationship highlights how organisms can depend on structures created by other living things. Together, these examples help students connect species interactions with habitat availability, nutrient cycling, food webs, and ecosystem resilience.

Scientific concepts and activities

Students apply the passage's information through a range of question and activity formats designed to reinforce ecological vocabulary and reasoning.

• Multiple-choice questions that assess biodiversity, ecosystem engineers, species relationships, and ecological functions.
• True-or-false statements that address common misconceptions about species interactions and ecosystem stability.
• Short-answer responses requiring students to explain beaver impacts, describe the role of mycorrhizal fungi, and connect species diversity with resilience.
• A labeled diagram activity to support visual learning about the topic.
• A categorization task and short-note activity to help students organize and consolidate key concepts.

Included for students and teachers

• Grade 6 Science worksheet focused on biodiversity roles in ecosystems.
• Separate PDF answer key for checking student responses.
• Student Notes lines at the bottom of the worksheet for recording key ideas.
• Teacher Guide included in the answer key PDF, featuring Learning Objectives, Teaching Tips, Discussion Questions, and Common Mistakes.

Ways to use this resource in class

Use this ecosystem biodiversity worksheet during a Trees and Forests unit, after introducing species interactions, or as independent practice reviewing ecological relationships. The concrete examples help students connect abstract ideas about ecosystem functions to recognizable organisms and habitats.

The answer key supports efficient checking, while the Teacher Guide provides discussion prompts and guidance for addressing misconceptions. Students can use their notes to consolidate how species contribute to ecosystem processes and why ecological relationships matter when environments experience change.

Strengthen ecological reasoning

This Grade 6 environmental science resource encourages students to explain connections rather than memorize isolated facts. By examining habitat creation, plant-fungal relationships, nesting dependencies, and the consequences of species loss, learners build a foundation for reasoning about biodiversity and ecosystem stability within the Alberta Science context.

Resource details: Science | Grade 6 | Trees and Forests | Alberta framework.