Environment Chapter 1: Interactions of Living Things Section 1: Everything is Connected

Ecology- Ecology- the study of interactions between organisms and their environments. 2 parts of the environment- Biotic & Abiotic Biotic- all the organisms that live together and interact with one another. Abiotic- all of the physical factors that affect organisms in a particular area Examples- water, soil, light, temperature, rainfall

Levels of Organization Organism- an individual animal or plant

Levels of Organization Population- Population- A group of individuals of the same species that live together in the same area at the same time.

Levels of Organization Community- Community- Consists of all the populations of different species that live and interact in an area.

Levels of Organization Ecosystem- Ecosystem- Made up of a community of organisms and the abiotic environment.

Levels of Organization Biosphere- Biosphere- Part of the Earth where life exists. It extends from the deepest part of the ocean to very high up in the atmosphere, where tiny insects and plant spores drift.

Apply Your Knowledge Using this salt-marsh example, distinguish between populations, communities, ecosystems, and the biosphere.

Section 2: Living Things Need Energy Environment Chapter 1: Interactions of Living Things Interactions of Living Things

Section 2: Living Things Need Energy Producers: Organisms that use sunlight directly to make food. The process that producers use to obtain energy is called photosynthesis. Examples- plants, algae, grasses, some bacteria

Section 2: Living Things Need Energy Consumers: organisms that eat producers or other organisms for energy. Herbivore- a consumer that eats plants Ex: grasshoppers, gophers, prairie dogs, vegetarians Carnivore- a consumer that eats animals Ex: coyotes, hawks, badgers, owls Omnivore - consumers that eat a variety of organisms, both plants and animals Ex: mouse, humans, bears

Section 2: Living Things Need Energy Scavengers- consumers that feed on the bodies of dead animals Ex: turkey vulture, crayfish, worms Decomposers- consumers that get their food by breaking down the remains of dead organisms. Ex: bacteria and fungi Decomposers are called “nature’s recyclers” because they allow nutrients to be reused by the ecosystem

Diagrams that show energy flowing through an ecosystem Food Chains- a diagram that represents how the energy in food molecules flows from one organism to the next Food Webs- a complex diagram representing the many energy pathways in a real ecosystem Energy pyramid- shows the loss of energy at each level of the food chain

Food Chains

Food Webs

Energy Pyramid

Habitat and Niche Habitat- the environment where an organism lives Ex: rain forest, desert, savanna Niche- (sounds like itch) an organism’s way of life within an ecosystem Includes an organism’s habitat, food, and the temperature, light, and moisture it needs

Section 3: Types of Interactions Environment Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Interactions of Living Things Interactions of Living Things

Limiting Factors When a population becomes too large for the amount of a given resource, it will become a limiting factor. Amount of food Amount of living space Amount of water

Carrying Capacity The largest population that a given environment can support over a long period of time. When a population gets larger than the carrying capacity, a limiting factor causes the population to get smaller.

CompetitionCompetition When two or more individuals or populations try to use the same limited resource. Compete over... FoodWaterShelterSunlight

Predator and Prey Predator- the organism that eats the prey Prey- organism eaten by the predator Prey must adapt to avoid predators Run fast Poisonous Camouflage & Warning Coloration Stay in groups (safety in numbers)

SymbiosisSymbiosis A close long-term association between two or more species. Individuals within a symbiotic relationship may: benefit (mutualism) be unaffected (commensalism) be harmed (parasitism)

MutualismMutualism Both organisms benefit Ex: Bacteria in our intestine. Ex: Coral and algae

CommensalismCommensalism One organism benefits Other organism is unaffected.

ParasitismParasitism One organism benefits = parasite Other organism is harmed = host Can cause death of the host!

CoevolutionCoevolution A long-term change that takes place in two species because of their close relationship with one another.