1. Section 3.1 – what is ecology?
The Biosphere
Section 3.1 – what is ecology?

2. Bellwork – what role do enzymes play in living things and what affects their functions?

3. Ecology

4. Ecology
Definition- Ecology is the scientific study of interactions between organisms and their physical environments
Web of interdependence between organisms and their environments
Organisms respond to their environment
Organisms can change their environment

5. Write down 3 examples of how humans have changed or affected their environment on either a global or local scale…

6. Levels of organization
Easy way of dividing up a large population
Example in school
Class
Grade level
Student body
School district
State
Country
World

7. Levels of organization in ecology

8. The Biosphere
consists of all life on Earth and all parts of the Earth in which life exists, including land, water(11km down in oceans), and the atmosphere(8km upward). It is a dynamic web of interdependence.

9. Environment
Environment : All conditions or factors surrounding an organism
Biotic – biological influences on an organism
Abiotic factors –Physical components of an ecosystem
List 3 common biotic and abiotic factors that affect an ecosystem

10. Do Biotic and abiotic factors work together?
Yes!
Physical factors are often affected by living organisms
Trees can provide shade
Bacteria can live in mud and change it’s properties
Roots of trees determine how much soil is there
Pine needles can make soils to be acidic

11. How do we “do” Ecology? 3 key methods Observation Experimentation
Modeling

12. Observation 1st step What species lives there?
How many individuals of one species?
Behavioral characteristics
How does an adult animal protect it’s young?
At what age do young animals leave the nest?

13. Experimentation Test Hypothesis
Gather data to solve an environmental problem
Artificial experiments in a lab to alter specific conditions
Replicate natural ecosystems to see what will happen if conditions are changed

14. Modeling
Some ecological events are difficult to observe and/or they take place over a long period of time
Mathematical models often built upon experimental data and observations
Further observations can often test models

15. If you wanted to know if the water in a stream was safe to drink, which ecological method would you use in your investigation? Explain your reasoning