1. What is Ecology?

2. Origin of the word “ecology”
Greek origin
oikos = household
logos = study of…
Study of the “house/environment” in which we live.

3. Ecology is study of interactions between
Non-living components in the environment…
light
water
wind
nutrients in soil
heat
solar radiation
atmosphere, etc.
and…

4. Living components in the environment…
plants
animals
microorganisms, etc.

5. To study Ecology involves…
Non-living (abiotic)
Climatology
Hydrology
Oceanography
Geology
Physics
Chemistry
Living
(biotic)
Taxonomy
Physiology
Population studies
Animal
behavior

6. Ecology…
views each locale as an integrated whole of interdependent parts that function as a unit.
tundra
caribou

7. The interdependent parts are…

8. nutrients in the soil and water
Abiotic factors
climate
nutrients in the soil and water
Producers
green plants
Tundra

9. Consumers Decomposers herbivores and carnivores some animals
fungi and bacteria

10. ECOLOGY: Levels of Organization
- a hierarchy of organization
in the environment

11. Levels of organization - Terms
Biosphere
Surface of the earth
Composed of many biomes
Ecosystem
Biomes are composed of many ecosystems
Large or small as we decide
Burlington City Park, Lake Mackintosh, your yard, a shrub, etc.

12. Levels of organization - Terms
Habitat – physical location of community
Organism – simplest level of organization
(an individual)

13. Levels of organization - Terms
Population – one species living in one place at one time (a collection of individuals)
Community – all of the populations that live in that area (a collection of populations)

14. Ecology is an integrated and dynamic study of the environment.
SO…
Ecology is an integrated and dynamic study of the environment.