Kelly Richter

 Ecology- study of living things › Way they interact with physical environment › Greek words  Oikos meaning house  Logic meaning for study › Important for determining role they play › How to best maintain for future generations

 Biotic- living organisms, plants, animals, bacteria, fungi  Abiotic- nonliving factors of environment › Air> Temperature › Water> Altitude › Rocks> Light › Minerals> Soil  Ecologists study interaction ob biotic and abiotic worlds

 Smallest level of relationship ecologists study  Refers to an organism’s specific requirements: › Food › Water › Shelter › Space

 Food requirements vary greatly  Basis of how organism derives energy  All organisms require water to survive  Shelter- way organism protects itself from environment › Protective body parts or constructing a shelter  Space in which to live lives › Small to large area depending on organisms

 Group of same organisms living in specific area  Groups of same organisms- species › Group of organisms genetically resemble each other  Can reproduce with each other  Small- population of bacteria on particle of soil  Large- human begins in the United States

 Specialists- threatened by loss/change in habitat › Requires special habitat requirements  Wolves, elephants, tigers, and others  Threatened by loss or change in habitat  Generalists- survive in wide range oh habitats › Humans, squirrels, mice, rats, and many insects › Can tolerate extreme changes in habitats

 Interaction between different populations in a particular area  Can be called symbiotic relationship › One or more organisms benefit for each other  Mutualism- interaction of two species › Each benefit from the action of the other  Example is the lichen community  Algae and a fungus

 Commensalisms- two organisms › One benefits from, other doesn’t harm host › Remora fish and shark host  Parasitism › One organism harms a host › Takes nutrition for it › Tick on a dog

 Ecosystem- short word for ecological system  Interaction of a community with abiotic factors › Amount of sunlight a region receives › Amount of moisture in an area › Temperature of the environment › Surrounding landscape

 Largest ecosystem- ecosphere › Relationship between biotic and abiotic components  On entire planet  Two broad categories: › Aquatic ecosystems › Terrestrial ecosystems

Kelly Richter