1. Ecology

2. What is Ecology?
Defined: Study of how life interacts on Earth

3. How do you interact with the environment?

4. How do you interact with the environment?

5. How do you interact with the environment?

6. How do you interact with the environment?

7. What is Ecology? Defined: Study of how life interacts on Earth
Point of this unit? Show the impact that life has on the environment… and vice versa

8. Levels of Ecology

9. Populations Defined: Group of one species living in the same area
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Defined: Group of one species living in the same area
Populations change based on:
Births, Deaths, Immigration, Emigration, Limiting Factors

10. What’s this population called?
School of Fish

11. What’s this population called?
Herd of Buffalo

12. What’s this population called?
Litter of Cats

13. What’s this population called?
Flock of Birds

14. What’s this population called?
Troop of Monkeys

15. What’s this population called?
Pod of Whales

16. What’s this population called?
Gaggle of
Geese

17. What’s this population called?
Smack of Jellyfish

18. What’s this population called?
Murder of Crows

19. Population Patterns
We’ve studied bacteria populations…

20. Population Patterns
We’ve studied plant populations…

21. Population Patterns
We’ve studied fungus populations…

22. Population Patterns
We’ve studied all kinds of animal populations…

23. Population Patterns Populations go through stages: Slow growth
Population is slowly adapting to particular environment

24. Population Patterns Populations go through stages: Slow growth
Population is slowly adapting to particular environment
2) Exponential growth
High birth rates due to natural selection & resources

25. Population Patterns Populations go through stages: Slow growth
Population is slowly adapting to particular environment
2) Exponential growth
High birth rates due to natural selection & resources
3) Carry capacity
Defined: greatest number of individuals that the environment can sustain
Birth & death rates eventually balance

26. Population Patterns Populations go through stages:
Slow growth
Population is slowly adapting to particular environment
2) Exponential growth
High birth rates due to natural selection & resources
3) Carry capacity
Defined: greatest number of individuals that the environment can sustain
Birth & death rates eventually balance
What stage is the human population in?
Population Patterns
Fighting disease
Improving agriculture
Exponential growth
Building more shelters
Sanitizing water

27. After Carrying Capacity?
stable
crash
Some populations stabilize for the long term
Some populations experience a sharp decline called a “crash”
Which will humans experience?

28. Communities Defined: Many populations living in the same area
Many species of fish…
Many species of corals…
Many species of invertebrates…
Defined: Many populations living in the same area

29. Communities Defined: Many populations living in the same area
Many species of plants…
Many species of insects…
Many species of reptiles…
Defined: Many populations living in the same area

30. Communities Defined: Many populations living in the same area
Many species of plants…
Many species of insects…
Many species of amphibians…
Many species of birds…
Defined: Many populations living in the same area

31. In a tree hole you might find…
Communities
In a tree hole you might find…
Defined: Many populations living in the same area
Each organism has it own HABITAT
Habitat: Place where an organism lives

32. In a hole in the ground you might find…
Communities
In a hole in the ground you might find…
Defined: Many populations living in the same area
Each organism has it own HABITAT
Habitat: Place where an organism lives

33. Lift up a rock and you might find…
Communities
Lift up a rock and you might find…
Defined: Many populations living in the same area
Each organism has it own HABITAT
Habitat: Place where an organism lives

34. Communities Defined: Many populations living in the same area
How can 5 different populations of birds live in the same tree? Wouldn’t they compete and fight each other off?
Each has a different niche in the community.
Eats insect A & nests in March
Eats insect B & nests in June
Eats insect C & nests in September
Defined: Many populations living in the same area
Each organism has it own HABITAT
Habitat: Place where an organism lives
Each species has its own NICHE
Niche: The role/needs of a species

35. Ecosystems Defined: All the living & non-living in a given area
Biotic (living) Factors:
Animals, Plants, Fungi, Bacteria, Protista
Abiotic (non-living) Factors:
Rocks, climate, soil, water, etc…
What have we learned?

36. Cattle (living) can overgraze and ruin topsoil (nonliving)
Ecosystems
Defined: All the living & non-living in a given area
Biotic (living) Factors:
Animals, Plants, Fungi, Bacteria, Protista
Abiotic (non-living) Factors:
Rocks, climate, soil, water, etc…
What have we learned?
The biotic affects the abiotic
Cattle (living) can overgraze and ruin topsoil (nonliving)

37. Humans (living) can pollute water (nonliving)
Ecosystems
Defined: All the living & non-living in a given area
Biotic (living) Factors:
Animals, Plants, Fungi, Bacteria, Protista
Abiotic (non-living) Factors:
Rocks, climate, soil, water, etc…
What have we learned?
The biotic affects the abiotic
Humans (living) can pollute water (nonliving)

38. Above is a healthy coral reef with lots of life
Ecosystems
Below is the same reef exposed to a higher water temperature (non-living)
Defined: All the living & non-living in a given area
Biotic (living) Factors:
Animals, Plants, Fungi, Bacteria, Protista
Abiotic (non-living) Factors:
Rocks, climate, soil, water, etc…
What have we learned?
The biotic affects the abiotic
The abiotic affects the biotic
Above is a healthy coral reef with lots of life

39. Ecosystems Defined: All the living & non-living in a given area
Biotic (living) Factors:
Animals, Plants, Fungi, Bacteria, Protista
Abiotic (non-living) Factors:
Rocks, climate, soil, water, etc…
What have we learned?
The biotic affects the abiotic
The abiotic affects the biotic

40. Keystone species = one species that has a tremendous impact on the entire ecosystem
Ecosystems often contain a “keystone species.”

41. Biomes
Defined: Large area with distinct climate, plant, and animal life
Tundra

42. Biomes
Defined: Large area with distinct climate, plant, and animal life
Deciduous forest

43. Biomes
Defined: Large area with distinct climate, plant, and animal life
Grasslands

44. Biomes
Defined: Large area with distinct climate, plant, and animal life
Rainforests

45. Biomes
Defined: Large area with distinct climate, plant, and animal life
Deserts

46. Biomes
Defined: Large area with distinct climate, plant, and animal life
Taiga

47. Biomes
Defined: Large area with distinct climate, plant, and animal life
Climate Factors: Temperature, Precipitation, Humidity
Learned? Climate determines where life can survive

48. Why can’t reptiles survive in the tundra biome?
Biomes
Defined: Large area with distinct climate, plant, and animal life
Learned? Climate determines where life can survive
Why can’t reptiles survive in the tundra biome?

49. Why can’t oak trees survive in the desert biome?
Biomes
Defined: Large area with distinct climate, plant, and animal life
Learned? Climate determines where life can survive
Why can’t oak trees survive in the desert biome?

50. The Biosphere
Defined: All organisms and the part of the Earth where life exists

51. Defined: All organisms and the part of the Earth where life exists
Biosphere changes can affect life
The Biosphere
Crust
Mantle
core

52. Defined: All organisms and the part of the Earth where life exists
Biosphere changes can affect life
Ex: More CO2 in the atmosphere… causes warmer temps
The Biosphere
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2
Crust
Mantle
core
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2
CO2

53. The Biosphere
Defined: All organisms and the part of the Earth where life exists
Biosphere changes can affect life
Ex: More CO2 in the atmosphere… causes warmer temps

54. Section Quiz 1) What is ecology?
2) What are two reasons that populations will increase?
3) What are two reasons that populations will decrease?
4) What are factors that control population growth called?
5) How does a population, community, ecosystem, biome, and biosphere differ?
6) What is the difference between a HABITAT and NICHE?
7) What is a keystone species?
8) Give 4 examples of abiotic factors.
9) What determines a biome’s climate?
10) Place the levels of ecology in order from smallest to largest.
Ecosystem, Population, Biosphere, Community, Biome

55. Answers
1) What is ecology? Study of how life interacts within the biosphere
2) What are two reasons that populations will increase?
Increased birth rate, decreased death rate, availability of resources
3) What are two reasons that populations will decrease? Decreased birth rate, increased death rate, lack of availability of resources
4) What are factors that control population growth called? Limiting factors

56. 5) How does a population, community, ecosystem, biome, and biosphere differ?
Population is a group of organisms of the same species
Community is many groups of differing species
Ecosystem is all the biotic and abiotic factors that interact within a community
Biome contains many ecosystems and has a specific climate
Biosphere contains all the biomes of the planet
6) What is the difference between a habitat and a niche?
7) What is a keystone species? An organism that has an unusually high impact on its ecosystem

57. 8) Give 4 examples of abiotic factors.
9) What determines a biome’s climate?
10) Place the levels of ecology in order from smallest to largest.
Ecosystem, Population, Biosphere, Community, Biome
Population, Community, Ecosystem, Biome, Biosphere