Chapter 2 Principles of Ecology Section 2.1 Organisms and their environment

Bellringer Quick Write-5 mins Describe the kinds of organisms you see in your environment everyday.

Objectives I can statements Describe and identify Abiotic and Biotic factors in an environment Compare the different levels of biological organization and living relationships important in ecology Explain the difference between a niche and a habitat

Why is this important? Organisms get what they need to survive from their immediate environment They find food and shelter, reproduce and interact with other organisms It is important to understand how living things depend on their environments How are we dependent on our environment?

What is Ecology Ecology is the branch of biology that focuses on the study of interactions that take place between organisms and their environment Ecologists use descriptive and quantitative data to describe environments Ecologists obtain quantitative data by making measurements in the field and the laboratory An ecologist may ask questions about the diets of animals, how day length influences plant growth, the effect of pollution on fish populations.

The Biosphere The Biosphere is the portion of the Earth that supports living things. Living things can be found in the air (atmosphere), land (lithosphere) and water (hydrosphere) environments. The biosphere supports a diverse group of organisms in a wide range of environments

Abiotic & Biotic Factors Living things are dependent on Abiotic or Non-living Factors Water-Preciptation Gases in the atmosphere and dissolved in water Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon Dioxide, Air currents Minerals that make up the soil Sunlight Salinity

Abiotic Factors Determine which organisms survive in a particular environment What changes in a grassland might result from a drought

Biotic Factors Living things are dependent on Biotic factors-all the living organisms that inhabit an environment Living things affect other living things. In what ways do living things interact and cause changes in other living things?

Levels of Organization Ecologists Study Individual Organisms-Level 1 Interactions among organisms of the same species which interbreed and live in the same area at the same time-Population Level 2 Interacting populations of organisms found in a location all the time-Community Level 3 Infer how a change in level 1 might affect levels 2 and 3? Why? Individual 1 Population 2 Community 3

Ecosystems-Biotic and Abiotic Factors Working Together An Ecosystem is made up of interacting populations in a biological community and the community’s abiotic factors. There are 2 kind of ecosystems Terrestrial-those located on land Forests, meadows and rotting logs Aquatic Ecosystems Freshwater-ponds, lakes, streams Saltwater also called Marine ecosystems Ocean, Seas, Estuary

Organisms in Ecosystems The place where an organism lives out its’ life is called the Habitat The bottom of a stream A specific species of tree Habitats can change and sometimes disappear Natural Human causes What kind of habitat might have existed here before the city was built?

Organisms have jobs too! Centipedes are predators who capture and eat beetles The role or position a species has in its environment-how it meets its specific needs for food, shelter, reproduction is called a Niche. It is not advantageous for 2 species to occupy the same niche in a habitat. Unique adaptions allow species to coexist in the same habitat. Earthworm eat organic matter in the soil Millepedes eat decaying leaves These ants eat dead insects

Homework-Biotic and Abiotic Factors Observe and take notes on the biotic and abiotic factors in your neighborhood can be your backyard, front yard or local park. Explain the importance of each factor to the community. Identify a single organism, a population of similar organisms and the members of a community in the ecosystem you observe. Infer what might happen if one of the members of the community disappeared.