1. ECOLOGY

2. What is Ecology?
The study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment.

3. Foundation of Environmental Science
Ecology: the study of how living organisms interact with each other and their nonliving environment

4. Ecology studies how all of these living and nonliving things interact

5. What is an ecosystem?

6. Defining an ecosystem
Ecosystem: all the organisms living in an area together with their physical environment
Forest Ecosystem
Pond Ecosystem
Vacant Lot Ecosystem
Desert Ecosystem

7. All Ecosystems are connected
How does your ecosystem impact the Atlantic Ocean?

8. Parts of an ecosystem

9. Parts of an ecosystem
In order for an ecosystem to survive it needs five basic components:
Energy
Mineral Nutrients
Water
Oxygen
Living Organisms

10. What are some parts of this ecosystem?

11. If your are conducting a study of the interactions of vegetation, animals, mineral composition of the soil, and water levels in a saltmarsh. You are studying the saltmarsh ___.
ECOSYSTEM

12. Biotic and Abiotic Factors
Biotic: living & once living parts of an ecosystem
Plants, animals, bacteria, dead organisms, wastes
Abiotic: nonliving parts of an ecosystem
Air, water, soil, sunlight, temperature

13. What are some biotic AND abiotic parts of this ecosystem?

14. Organizing Biotic Parts

15. Organism: an individual living thing
- you, a tree, a fox, a rose
- smallest unit
Species: groups of closely related organisms that can mate & produce fertile offspring
- red foxes, or black widow spiders, or grizzly bears

16. Species: groups of organisms that resemble each other in appearance, behavior, chemistry and genetic makeup…able to reproduce
8.7 million species (1.3 million identified)
Mostly insects/micro
Tropical forests

17. Insects 751,000
Known species 1,300,000
Plants 248,400

18. Population: all the members of the same species that live in the same place at the same time
Field mice living in a corn field, grizzly bears of Yellowstone Park
Members breed with one another, rather than with other populations

20. Community: a group of various species that live in the same place and interact with each other
Pond Community
Pineland Forest Community

22. Biosphere: all parts of the Earth where life is found

23. Habitat Habitat: the place where an organism lives
Organisms are well suited for their habitat

24. Habitats provide an organism with resources— anything an organism needs to survive and reproduce, including food, shelter, and mates

25. Habitat
Influenced by temperature and precipitation

26. Climate vs Weather Weather – current condition of the atmosphere
Climate – the general weather conditions prevailing in an area over a long period