1. PRINCIPLES OF ECOLOGY

2. WHAT IS ECOLOGY?
Scientific study of the interactions among organisms and their environments.

3. ASPECTS OF ECOLOGICAL STUDY
Biosphere: part of the Earth that supports life.
Environment: non living and living surroundings.
Abiotic factors: non living factors, light, soil.
Biotic factors: living organisms interactions.
Look at the picture. How do other living organisms affect the gold fish?

4. LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION IN ECOLOGY
ORGANISM
POPULATION
COMMUNITY
ECOSYSTEM
BIOSPHERE

5. ORGANISM
Complete individual, living being.

6. POPULATION
-A group of one species of organisms that live together in the same place at the same time
-Interbreed.
-Share and compete for resources.

7. COMMUNITY
-A group of interbreeding populations in the same area at the same time.
-Changes in one population affects another.

8. ECOSYSTEM
-Composed of the interactions between organisms, and their surrounding abiotic factors.
-Types: terrestrial, freshwater and saltwater.

9. BIOSPHERE -All portions of Earth where life exists.
-Relationship between all of the ecosystems.

10. ORGANISMS IN ECOSYSTEMS
-HABITAT: Where the organism lives.
-NICHE: The role and position the species has in the environment.

11. Predator prey relationship

12. Living together of different species may aid survival.
Symbiosis
Living together of different species may aid survival.

13. LIVING RELATIONSHIPS
Commensalism (+/0) - One is benefited and the other is neither harmed nor benefited.
Mutualism (+/+) – both are benefited.
Parasitism (+/-) – One is benefited and the other is harmed.

14. Feeding relationships
Autotroph – Makes its own Food
Heterotroph – Must eat other organisms
Carnivore
Scavenger
Omnivore
Decomposer
Herbivore