Organisms and Their Environment Ecology Organisms and Their Environment

Ecology Ecology is the study of organisms and how they interact with their environment. An ecosystem consists of all the living and non-living things in a given area that interact with one another.

Some Vocabulary Communities: many different types of organisms living together in an ecosystem Populations: a particular species within a community (they are similar and can reproduce) Habitat: The place in which an organism lives

Food and Energy Producers are the plants that take energy from the Sun and turn it into food. Consumers get their food by eating plants or organisms that eat plants. Decomposers get their energy by breaking down dead organisms into simpler substances.

GrassAntelope Lion Bacteria Chains and Webs Food Chains are strings of organisms that link up together by what they eat GrassAntelope Lion Bacteria When food chains overlap they are referred to as Food Webs (It’s never as simple as the example above because there are more producers-consumers-and decomposers involved)

The Battle Begins Organisms Compete for their resources They compete with members of their own species They compete with other species for food, water, and even things like sunlight They even compete for mates and the resources needed for reproduction

How might it benefit a species to be hunted by predators? Predation A predator is any organism that kills and eats another organism The prey is the organisms that are killed and eaten How might it benefit a species to be hunted by predators?

Organisms in a close relationship that benefits at least one of them Symbiosis Organisms in a close relationship that benefits at least one of them Commensalism – One organism benefits and the other is not affected Mutualism – Both organisms benefit from the relationship Parasitism – One organism benefits and one is harmed by the relationship

Adapting to the Environment Adaptation: Evolutionary changes that make organisms better suited to their environment Natural Selection: Individuals best suited to the environment survive and flourish to successfully reproduce

What are some Adaptations? How have organisms adapted to their climate? To predators? To Competition?