Ecology: Sustainable Ecosytems The study of the interactions of living organisms with each other and with the non-living components of  their environment. Abiotic Factors: non-living e.g. sunlight, temperature, wind Biotic Factors: living e.g. interaction of plants and animals

Why study Ecology? to understand the connections and what happens when things change.

What are the most important things for life on Earth? 1.    air     =     atmoshphere 2.    water =     hydrosphere            3.    land    =    lithosphere 4.    sun            (energy) (How much of each are available to us?)                                             

ENVIRONMENT ABIOTIC BIOTIC "non-living" "living" Habitat niche (job) individual population sun rocks community water ECOSYSTEM

Ecosystem: a system of all the interacting biotic and abiotic parts of a certain place examples:   terrestrial (land) forest grassland tundra aquatic (water) lake river swamp 3 min

 

Biodiversity: the number of different species in an ecosystem more biodiversity = likely more sustainable / stable (less likely to be "harmed”) example:  Arctic - low biodiversity   Rainforest - high biodiversity