2. Ecology & Conservation A guide to Chapter 26

3. Living Things and Their Environment l Environment: All living and nonliving things with which an organism may interact. l All of the living and nonliving things in an environment are interconnected.

4. Ecosystems l Ecosystems: All the living and nonliving things in a given area that interact with one another

5. Community l The living part of the ecosystem.

6. Population l A group of organisms of the same type, or species, living together in the same area.

7. Habitats l The place where an organism lives. It should provide food, shelter and all other resources an organism needs to survive.

8. Energy Roles l Producers l Consumers l Decomposers

9. Producers l The source of all the food in an ecosystem. Any organism that goes through photosynthesis.

10. Consumers l An organism that feeds directly or indirectly on producers.

11. Decomposers l Break down dead organisms into simpler substances.

12. Food Chains l A series of events in which food and energy are transferred from one organism in an ecosystem to another. The first link is always a producer.

13. Food Web l Many overlap ping Food Chains

14. Competition l When there are not enough resources to go around, organisms must struggle with one another to get what they need to survive.

15. Predation l When one organism hunts another. l Predator: The organisms that hunt. l Prey: The organism that is eaten by the predator.

16. Predation l When one organism hunts another. l Predator: The organisms that hunt. l Prey: The organism that is eaten by the predator.

17. Symbiosis l A close relationship between two organisms in which one organism lives near, on or inside of another organism. One will benefit.

18. Types of Symbiosis l Commensalism l Mutualism l Parasitism

19. Adaptation l A change that increases an organism’s chance of survival. l Types: l Adapting to predators l Adapting to competition. l Adapting to symbiosis

20. Ecology Games l Oh Deer!: Habitat, limiting factors, competition, population l Quick Frozen Critters: Predator, prey, adaptations, limiting factors,competition, population. l Muskox Maneuvers: Adaptations, predator, prey, limiting factors, populations l Deadly Links: food chains, pesticides.