Ecology …the study of how organisms interact with each other and their environments

Ecology- scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environment.

How Everything Fits Together The study of how the living and nonliving things fit together in nature is the science of ecology How are this bee, the flowers, and the sun interacting?

Like a set of nesting dolls… We can think about the interactions and types of living things by organizing them into groups, smallest to largest. A species (individual) includes only one type of organism. Example: pigeon A population includes all members of one species that live in the same area. Example: all the pigeons in Denton Modify the species/ city here to your own.

…bigger and bigger groups! A community includes all of the different species that live in the same area. Example: all the pigeons, ants, maple trees, dogs, etc. that live in Denton An ecosystem includes both the community and the abiotic factors. Example: the Denton community plus the cars, buildings, rocks, air… Continue modification of city here.

Levels of Organization

Levels of Organization Individual Population Community Ecosystem Biome Biosphere Make a sentence using the first letters of each level to remember the order!

The organisms in a habitat can be organized in the following way… ecosystem Species/ organism community population Click for labels to appear in order from species to ecosystem. Prompt students to predict how this diagram will help them remember the order.

Ecosystem Groups of animals live in specific habitats. There are two factors included in every habitat: Biotic factors Living things, like…? Abiotic factors Nonliving things, like…? Review the prefixes “bio” and “a.” Review “habitat” if needed. Examples of biotic factors: moose, shrubs, humans, dogs, flowers etc. Examples of abiotic factors: water, soil, rocks, air, etc.

Abiotic Vs. Biotic Factors Abiotic Factors The nonliving environment Ex.: air currents, temperature, light, moisture, and soil Determine which species survive in a particular environment Biotic Factors The living organisms that inhabit an environment Ecologists study how biotic factors affect different species

Habitat vs. Niche Each species occupies a particular position within the community, both in a spatial sense (where it lives, referred to as its habitat) and a functional sense (how it lives, its niche). A number of species may occupy a particular habitat but the niches of those species differ to avoid competition.

Habitats A habitat is the place where an organism lives out its life Organisms use a variety of different strategies to live and reproduce in their habitats Habitats can change or disappear from an area through both natural and human causes

Niches How an organism meets its needs for food and shelter, how it survives, and how it reproduces

What niche does this lizard occupy? Niches A species niche includes all of its interactions with the biotic and abiotic parts of its habitat It is an advantage to have a unique niche in an environment This reduces competition What niche does this lizard occupy?

Niches In the coastal habitat in Florida there are a number of species of wading birds, each with a unique niche

Niches These species differ in their beak depth. Beak depth corresponds to the size of seed the bird eats. On two islands, only one of these species is found. Note that there is a difference in beak depth when the species is alone compared to when it is with the other two species. In the presence of these other species, beak depth differences have evolved that reduce competition.

Biomes

Biome Major communities that occur over wide areas on land Scientists have divided the Earth into 7-9 major biomes Climate – temperature and precipitation. Climate dictates biomes.

Major Biomes of the Earth

Biomes Terrestrial Tropical rainforest Temperate rainforest Temperate deciduous forest Tiaga (boreal forest) Tundra Desert Temperate grassland Savannah Chaparral/Steppe Urban Marine Open ocean Antarctic ocean (edge of the ice) Estuary Coral Reef Barrier Island Shallow ocean/bay Mangrove forests Freshwater River Lake Pond Wetlands (Swamps, marshes, etc.)

Taiga

Tiaga (Boreal Forest)

Animals of the Taiga Rodents, snowshoe hares, lynx, caribou, bears, wolves, birds in summer

Deciduous Forest A forest biome with many kinds of trees that lose their leaves each autumn

Temperate Deciduous Forest

Animals of the Deciduous Forest Wolves, deer, bears, and a wide variety of small mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and insects

Tropical Rain Forest A hot, humid biome near the equator, with much rainfall and a wide variety of life equator

Tropical Rainforest

Animals of the Tropical Rain Forest More species of insects, reptiles, and amphibians than any place else; monkeys, other small and large mammals, including in some places elephants, all sorts of colorful birds

Desert A sandy or rocky biome, with little precipitation and little plant life

Desert

Animals of the Desert Rodents, snakes, lizards, tortoises, insects, and some birds. The Sahara Desert in Africa is home to camels, gazelles, antelopes, small foxes, snakes, lizards, and gerbils

Tundra A cold biome of the far north; the ground is frozen even in summer

Animals of the Tundra Musk oxen, migrating caribou, arctic foxes, weasels, snowshoe hares, owls, hawks, various rodents, occasional polar bear.

Arctic Fox

Grassland A biome where grasses, not trees, are the main plant life. Prairies are one kind of grassland region.

Grassland animals American Grasslands: Prairie dogs, foxes, small mammals, snakes, insects, various birds

Marine Biomes Open Ocean Coral Reefs - Barrier Islands - Shallow Marine…

Name the Biome Temperate Forest Desert Tundra Grasslands Tropical Rainforest Tiaga