1. Ecology Chapter 3

2. Ecology
Ecology – the study of how living things interact with each other and their environment
Living things could not survive without specific interactions and relationships with each other and their surroundings.
Ecosystem – all the living and non-living things in an area.
Biome – group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar living things.
Types: Rain Forest, Desert, Savanna, Grasslands, Temperate Forest, Tundra, Marine, Freshwater, etc.
Biosphere - Any portion of Earth that supports life.
Examples: Tundra, Rainforest, Desert
Very diverse and supports different organisms
Biospheres have different climates, soils, plants, animals, seasons

3. Abiotic Factors The non-living portion of an ecosystem
Examples: Air currents, temperature, light, moisture, soil, and water currents
List 3 abotic factors in your life

4. Biotic Factors The living portion of an ecosystem
Examples: Food, plants, animals

5. Levels of Organization
Biosphere – Portion of the Earth that supports life
Ecosystem – Interactions among populations and communities
Community – A collection of interacting populations. Example: Michigan
Population – A group of 1 species that lives and breeds together. Example: Mice living in a forest
Organism – A single member of a species

6. Create your own Create your own level of organization Biosphere –
Ecosystem –
Community –
Population –
Organism –

7. Obtaining Energy
Producers (Autotrophs) – living things that make their own food (glucose – type of sugar)
Process called Photosynthesis
Light Energy (sun) + Water + Carbon dioxide  Glucose and Oxygen
Ex: PLANTS, some bacteria
Consumer (Heterotrophs) – Organisms that cannot produce their own food and must consume other hetertrophs and autotrophs
Example: Rabbits eat insect and grass

8. Obtaining Energy Continued
Types of Consumers:
Herbivores – consumers that only eat plants
Carnivores – consumers that only eat meat
Omnivores – consumers that eat plants and meat

9. Heterotrophic Relationships
Scavengers – Animals that consume already dead organism
Example: Vultures
Your Example: _____________________
Decomposers – Organisms that break down complex compounds of dead and decaying plants and animals
Example: Mushrooms
Your Example: _______________________

10. Food Chains and Webs
Trophic Levels – The way in which energy and materials flow through a food chain or web
Example: Rabbits eat carrots
Your Example: _____________________

11. Food Chain

12. Food Web