Interactions of Living Things May 2012

Living or Not Living? Biotic – any living thing in an ecosystem –Examples: (list our class examples) Abiotic – any nonliving parts of the environment –Examples: (list our class examples)

Weigand took Vance and Reed to school on the court!!!

Organization in the Environment Organism - one member of a species

Organization in the Environment Population - a group composed of the same species

Organization in the Environment Community - all the populations in an area; includes plants

Organization in the Environment Ecosystem - community of organisms plus their abiotic environment

Organization in the Environment Biosphere - where life exists on Earth

One yellow reef fish = organism

all yellow reef fish = population

all fish types, sea anemone, tube worms, coral, sea weed = community

all fish types, sea anemone, tube worms, coral, sea weed = community

the coral reef, water, sunken ship,…. = ecosystem

Whole Earth = Biosphere

Organization in the Environment Example: Organism - yellow reef fish Population - all yellow reef fish Community - all fish types, sea anemone, tube worms, coral, sea weed Ecosystem - the coral reef, water, sunken ship,…. Biosphere - Earth

Living things use energy! Living things are divided groups by how they get their energy. –Producers: gets energy from sunlight –Consumers: gets energy from other things Herbivore: eats only plants Carnivore: eats only animals Omnivore: eats plants and animals –Decomposers: get energy from dead things

Living things use energy! Food Chain - shows energy flow from one organism to another

Living things use energy! Food Webs – interconnecting food chains in an ecosystem

Living things use energy! Energy Pyramid – a triangular diagram that shows the loss of energy as it moves between organisms In an energy pyramid, a producer is ALWAYS on the bottom, with a predator on top.