Ecology

Unit Map Set Up  Unit Name: Ecology  Unit Essential Question: Why is it important to understand Ecology in Natural Resources?

Warm-up  What does the word ecology mean to you?

Lesson Essential Question  How are all parts of the world connected?

Understanding Ecology  Ecology- branch of science that deals with the complex relationships among living things and their environment.

Understanding Ecology  Ecologist- scientist who studies the complex relationships and interactions among living organisms and their environment

Understanding Ecology  Environmentalist- political activist with a special interest in some aspect of the environment

Principles of Ecology  All living things are classified into naturally-related groups in a systematic way; known as taxonomic groups  Divisions: Species, genus, family, order, class and phylum (animals) or division (plants)

Principles of Ecology  “An organism is an individual plant, animal or other living thing. A group of similar organisms that is found in a defined area is known as a population. A community includes all of the populations of organisms that live within a defined area.”

Principles of Ecology  Ecosystem- any partially self- contained environmental and living system  Lake, forest, desert  We exist in an ecosystem  One ecosystem can affect another

Principles of Ecology  Biosphere or ecosphere- when all of the ecosystems of the Earth are considered as a whole

Principles of Ecology  When an ecosystem supports all living community and nonliving resources it is said to be balanced.  Rare because a slight change in one thing will affect everything else  Population ↑, resources ↓

Principles of Ecology  Terrestrial- organisms that live on land  Aquatic- organisms that live in water environment  Common needs: sunlight, water and nutrients from soil

Principles of Ecology  “Plants depend on nutrients and moisture from the soil along with sunlight to supply their energy needs. All animals and insects derive their energy from the food they eat. Some eat plants as all or part of their diets,

Principles of Ecology  “but even those animals and insects that eat diets of meat derive their energy from the plants that were eaten by their prey” (pg. 8)

World’s Biomes  Biome-"the world's major communities, classified according to the predominant vegetation and characterized by adaptations of organisms to that particular environment" (Campbell 1996). Campbell 1996Campbell 1996

World’s Biomes  6 groups  Each groups assigned a biome  Draw a picture that represents your biome  Present it to the class and describe so that each student gets the information

Exit Question  How does ecology affect you?

Vocab  Terrestrial  Aquatic  Ecology  Environmen talist  Community  Organism  Population  Biosphere  Biome

Ecology Food Chains and Food Webs

Lesson Essential Question  How does a food chain/food web work?

Warm-up  Describe the biomes discussed.

Food Chains  Shows how each living thing gets its food.  Some animals eat other animals  Always starts with a plant life and ends with an animal

Food Web  Series of food chains interconnected

Activity  Complete the packet and hand in at the end of class

Vocab  Food Chain  Food Web

Ecology Natural Selection

Warm-up  Why is it important to know and understand food chains and food webs?

Lesson Essential Question  What is natural selection?

Natural Selection  Read the packet on Darwin and Natural Selection and answer the questions at the end.

Exit Question  How have humans adapted to their environments?

Vocab  Natural Selection- the process by which traits become more or less common in a population due to consistent effects upon the survival or reproduction of their bearers.

Vocab  Evolution- the change in the inherited traits of a population of organisms through successive generations.