3. Living Things and the Environment
Ecosystems

4. Ecology
What is it?
Definition: The study of how living things interact with each other and their environment.
Ecologist study how organisms react to changes in their environment

5. Ecosystems
Definition: The community of organisms that live in a particular area, along with their nonliving surroundings.
Living components are called Biotic factors
Nonliving components are called Abiotic factors.

6. Biotic Factors Definition: The living parts of a habitat
Habitat: an environment that provides the things the organism needs to live, grow and reproduce.
Examples: deserts, grasslands, tropical rain forest, oceans.

7. Biotic Factor Terms Organism: a single living thing
Species: a group of organisms that are physically similar & can mate with each other and produce offspring that can do the same.
Population: All members of one species in a particular area.
Community: All the different populations that live together in an area.

8. Example: Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Species
All members of one species in a particular area
a single living thing
All the different populations that live together in an area.

10. Abiotic Factors Water Sunlight Oxygen Temperature Soil
Definition: Nonliving parts of an organism’s habitat.
Include:
Water
Sunlight
Oxygen
Temperature
Soil
Assignment:
Outline each abiotic factor as to it’s importance to an ecosystem. (have 3)
(Hint see p. 8)
Example: Water
required for all living things to carry out their life processes
large part of living things bodies are made up of water (65%)
Ingredient of photosynthesis in plants.