1. Ecology: an introduction

2. The study of the interactions that take place among organisms and their environment

3. Ecosystem Ecosystem - all the living organisms that live in an area and the nonliving features of their environment

4. Ecosystem All the organisms living in an area and the nonliving features of their environment –Biotic – living –Abiotic – nonliving

5. Biotic Biotic – living –Plants –Animals –Single celled organisms –Fungi

6. Abiotic Abiotic – nonliving –Water –Air –Soil –Temperature –Sunlight

7. Parts of an Ecosystem

9. Biosphere The part of Earth that supports life –Top portion of Earth's crust (lithosphere/ asthenosphere) –All the waters that cover Earth's surface (hydrosphere) –Atmosphere (air) that surrounds Earth

10. Describe each of the following terms: Biosphere - part of Earth that supports life, including the top portion of Earth's crust, the atmosphere, and all the water on Earth's surface Biotic - living Abiotic – non-living

11. Ecosystem Ecosystem - all the living organisms that live in an area and the nonliving features of their environment Example: Oceans, Forest, Desert

12. Community All the populations in an ecosystem (biotic) Community - all the populations of different species that live in an ecosystem

13. http://www2.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/texas_nature_trackers/black_ tailed_prairie_dog/images/lg_black_tailed_prairie_dogs.jpg

14. Population All the organisms in an ecosystem that belong to the same species (biotic)

15. Populations All of the same species in an ecosystem www.nkf-mt.org.uk www.intrasystems.gr

16. Population - all the organisms that belong to the same species living in a community

17. Organism (species) one of any living thing in an ecosystem

18. Organism (species)

19. Habitat The place in which an organism lives –provides the kinds of food and shelter, the temperature, and the amount of moisture the organism needs to survive

20. Habitat - place where an organism lives and that provides the types of food, shelter, moisture, and temperature needed for survival

21. Niche The specific role (job) that an organism plays in its ecosystem

22. http://www.thinksimian.com/images/birds_2/nest.JPG Niche - in an ecosystem, refers to the unique ways an organism survives, obtains food and shelter, and avoids danger

23. Things that affect an ecosystem Limiting factors Carrying capacity Competition

24. Limiting Factors Anything that restricts or controls the number of individuals in a population www.bahamascommerce.com

25. Limiting Factor Anything that restricts the number of individuals in a population. Includes living / biotic and nonliving / abiotic features of the ecosystem

26. Limiting factor - anything that can restrict the size of a population, including living and nonliving features of an ecosystem, such as predators or drought

27. Carrying Capacity The largest number of individuals of one species an ecosystem can support www.wwt.org.uk

28. Carrying Capacity The maximum number of individuals of any species that can be supported by a particular ecosystem on a long-term basis

29. http://library.thinkquest.org/J002558F/carrying_capacity.JPG Carrying capacity - largest number of individuals of a particular species that an ecosystem can support over time

30. Competition All living things compete for –Food –Space Competition limits population growth www.opim.wharton.upenn.edu

31. Competition Competition caused by population growth affects many organisms, including humans Limits population size