Warm-Up Update your Table of Contents for today…write your homework Get your Ecology Vocabulary out to be checked! Get something to correct your Evolution test with! DateSession # ActivityPage # 4/309 Ecosystem Basics 12 Limiting Factors 13

Essential Question for this Unit What are the components that make-up an ecosystem & how do their relationships maintain balance and stability within that ecosystem?

What is an Ecosystem? Ecosystem: A system formed by the interaction of both the living and non-living components that make up an environment… What are those living and non-living factors called again? Biotic - living Abiotic – non-living

Where does ecosystem fall within the levels of the environment? Draw the diagram and place each of the words in correct level of the environment: Levels of the Environment Species Biosphere Individual Organisms Ecosystem PopulationCommunity

Levels of the Environment – From Largest to Smallest Biosphere: all the ecosystems on earth Ecosystem: a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their environment…this includes both biotic and abiotic factors in the environment!

Levels of the Environment – From Largest to Smallest Community: all the populations of all of the species that live in an area at the same time Population: all the organisms of a single species that live in the same place at the same time. They can be described based on their size, distribution or density Species: organisms of the same species share characteristics and can breed with each other Individual Organism: one single animal of a given species

Population Community Ecosystem A Different Way to Look at it… Species/Individuals Population

What About Habitat & Niche? Within an ecosystem, each species has a… Habitat: The place an organism lives…the habitat supplies all the biotic and abiotic factors the organism needs to survive Niche: an organism’s “role/job” in the ecosystem – What it eats/how it eats, individual response to resource changes, what it does to keep the ecosystem functioning…etc. If the niche of one organism overlaps the niche of another organism, it will lead to competition!

An Example… Reginald the Red Wolf E8jc E8jc What is Reginald’s habitat? What is Reginald’s niche?

5 Minute Field Trip You will be going outside IN AN ORDERLY AND QUIET MANNER. Describe the school ecosystem: – What type of ecosystem would it be if nothing had every been built? – What types of communities do you see (or not see, but know are there)? – What populations of organisms do you see (or not see, but know are there)? – For three organisms, describe the habitat and niche of each organism

If it’s Rainy… Using your groups picture… Describe the ecosystem List biotic and abiotic factors List some of the various communities and populations Select three organisms: identify their habitat and niche

TIPS: Think, Ink, Pair, Share What do all living organisms need? How might organisms in an ecosystem interact in order to get the things they need? What does this mean in terms of these factors affecting the size of a population?

Factors Affecting Populations Carrying Capacity: the maximum number of individuals a given area can support – there is a limit! Limiting Factors: – Density Dependent Limiting Factors – determined by organism interactions - competition for food, territory, mates, shelter; also disease & parasites from living close together – Density Independent Limiting Factors – usually abiotic factors that can’t be controlled – weather, temperature, fire, drought, flood, human activities

Practice with Limiting Factors Complete the reading and questions…start in class, finish for homework!

Warm-Up Update your Table of Contents for today… Get Limiting Factors homework out to be checked! Answer on page 14: What qualifies as a relationship within an ecosystem? Can you give examples? DateSession # ActivityPage # 5/110 Relationships in an Ecosystem Part 1 14 Predator-Prey Relationships Packet 15

Do You Remember? How organisms interact with and respond to the biotic and abiotic components of their environment? How factors such as food, water, shelter, and space affect populations in an ecosystem?

Relationships Relationships between organisms fall into 3 main categories: – Competition/Cooperation – competition between organisms for limited resources OR cooperation to gather those needed resources – Symbiosis – any close relationship between two different species that does not involve predator-prey interaction – Predation – organisms of one species killing and eating those of another species

Relationships: Competition How does this relationship help maintain balance & stability in an ecosystem? Let’s Find Out… Animal Fight Club – What are they fighting for?

Relationships: Cooperation How does this relationship help maintain balance & stability in an ecosystem? Let’s Find Out… Elephants Show Cooperation on Test

Relationships: Symbiosis There are 3 types of symbiosis: – Mutualism: Both species benefit from the relationship – Commensalism: One species benefits, the other does not benefit or get harmed – Parasitism: One species benefits, the other is harmed

Example of… The most common example is the clownfish and the sea anemone. The clownfish takes shelter among the tentacles of the sea anemone, and the sea anemone is not affected.

Example of… Sea Lampreys attaching to native fish species in the Great Lakes and living of the fish’s body fluids

Example of… Remora sharks have an adhesive disk on their dorsal surface, which they use to attach themselves to whales. They clean the whale’s skin and then feed on the remains from the whale's food.

Heads Down Thumbs Up Put your head down, and as I read each scenario use the thumb signals I taught you to show me whether the scenario is Parasitism, Commensalism or Mutualism

Relationships: Predation Predator: Those that are doing the eating Prey: Those that are being eaten

Relationships: Predation How does this relationship help maintain balance & stability in an ecosystem? Let’s investigate the answer to this through the “Oh Deer!” game

Relationships: Predation How does this relationship help maintain balance & stability in an ecosystem? Predators eat prey and maintain health of the prey populations Predators eat the old, sick, weak – those “less fit” to survive the evolution of the species Works like a cycle: As the population of prey increases, then the predator population will increase as their food source increases – they are able to eat more prey, and in turn decrease the prey population once again

Relationships: Predation More Practice! Start now, finish for homework…