Parts of the Ecosystem

ECOSYSTEMS An ECOSYSTEM must provide what an organism needs to survive, or the organism must move, adapt, or die. To stay alive, organisms need 4 things: Energy (food) Water Oxygen Living space

An Organism and Its Environment Habitat: Place where organism lives which is determined by climate and adaptations.

LIVING THINGS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT Environment– all the living and nonliving things with which an organism interacts. All the living and nonliving things in an environment are interconnected. If one factor is affected another factor is thrown off balance. Nature is always trying to stay in balance.

What is Ecology? Study of the interactions between organisms and their environment

ECOSYSTEMS The living parts of an ecosystem are called BIOTIC factors Examples: trees, plants, flowers, insects, animals

ECOSYSTEMS The non-living things in an ecosystem are called ABIOTIC factors Examples : water, rocks, soil, air, temperature, wind, carbon dioxide, nutrients, sunlight

Organization in the Environment Ecologists have arranged the environment in different levels Organism Population Community Ecosystem Biosphere

The 5 Levels: #1 Organism 1. An individual is a single organism. Ex: an alligator, a human, an oak tree

The 5 Levels: #2 Population A population is a group of individuals of the same species in the same area. Ex: group of alligators, herd of deer

The 5 Levels: #3 Community A community consists of all of the populations of different species that live and interact in an area.

The 5 Levels: #4 Ecosystem An ecosystem is made up of a community of organisms and its abiotic environment

The 5 Levels: Level #5 Biosphere The biosphere is the part of Earth where life exists

ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATION Biosphere - the entire Earth Animals & plants adapt to best survive in the conditions of each Earth region. These regions are called the biomes.

Salt Marsh Ecosystem Organism- egret, Seaside sparrow, Periwinkle snail, oyster, Laughing gull Population- Laughing gull, Codgrass Community- Sparrows eat the crabs, algae grows on grass, snail uses grass as shelter and protection Ecosystem- how does temp., precipitation, soil affect the organisms?, river brings in nitrogen which helps the algae grow Biosphere- where all life lives

Biotic and Abiotic Factors Biotic: Laughing gulls, seaside sparrow, codgrass, snail, algae, jellyfish (any of the animals or plants) Abiotic: sunlight, river (water), temperature, soil, rain (weather), nutrients from the nitrogen