Section 1 – ecosystems Section 2 – evolution Section 3 – diversity of life

An ecosystem is an area that …includes all the organisms and the physical (nonliving) environment

CORAL REEF DESERT FOREST STREAM

they do not have clear boundaries living things can move from one ecosystem to another

Energy Minerals Carbon dioxide (CO2) Water (H2O) Oxygen (O2) Soil Living things And others…. If one part (component) of an ecosystem is destroyed, or changes, the entire ecosystem may be affected

ENERGY IN ECOSYSTEMS IS ESSENTIAL!!! In most ecosystems – the original source of energy is the SUN

Examples are……

Tides Mold Butterflies Minerals Precipitation – snow, sleet, rain, … Bacteria Feather Wind Soil Earthworms Scat (poop)

Each of the following slides shows an ecosystem, ……think of the biotic and abiotic factors that might be present in each

Coral Reef

MARSH

VACANT LOT

MOUNTAIN TOP

Hydrothermal Vent, Ocean

Badlands, South Dakota

Organism…. a single individual of a species SPECIES – organisms that are… structurally similar, naturally interbreed (mate), and produce fertile offspring

Are these members of the same species?

Population – includes all the members of a single species within a given area Community – includes all the species (living things) within a given area Ecosystem – includes all the living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) things within a given area

Biosphere – the areas of Earth where all life exists – includes all the ecosystems on Earth

organism population community ecosystem biosphere

HABITAT - the place that an organism lives (its address) Every habitat has specific biotic and abiotic factors Organisms tend to be well suited to their natural habitats What is the habitat of the chipmunk?

An organism’s niche includes…… 1. the environmental factors necessary for its survival 2. its interactions with other organisms 3. its interactions with the environment (its physical surroundings) What is the niche of the chipmunk?