1. Ecological Organization

2. What is Ecology?
Ecology: is the study of the interactions between organisms and their environment
Ecologist: A person who studies Ecology

3. Ecology is organized into six levels
Biosphere
Biome
Most general
(biggest group)
Ecosystem
Community
Population
Organism
Most specific
(smallest group)

4. Example: One deer, one human
Organism: an individual living thing that is made of cells, uses energy, reproduces, grows, and develops.
Example: One deer, one human

5. Population: a group of organisms of one species that live in the same place at the same time
Example: Many deer

6. Communities: all the populations of different species that live in the same place at the same time
Example: Deer, zebras, and grass living together

7. Ecosystem: populations that interact with each other with the abiotic (non-living) factors
Example: Grass grows in the ground using sunlight, horse eats grass (grass and horses)

8. Biomes: large groups of ecosystems that share certain characteristics, such as climate
Example: Desert, deciduous forest

9. Biosphere: the portion of Earth that supports life, includes all the ecosystems on earth
Example: Earth

10. Think: Which Level of Ecology?

11. Organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere
What level?
Organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere
Lion

12. Earth’s crust and atmosphere
What level?
Organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere
Earth’s crust and atmosphere

13. Groups of animals interacting
What level?
Organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere
Groups of animals interacting

14. Organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere
What level?
Organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere
Groups of lions

15. Organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere
What level?
Organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere
The rain forest

16. Biotic factors: living things
Parts of an Ecosystem
Ecosystems are made up of biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors
Biotic factors: living things
Examples: trees, animals, and bacteria
Abiotic factors: non-living things
Examples: sun, soil, air, water

17. Think: Biotic and Abiotic

18. Abiotic or Biotic
Cat

19. Abiotic or Biotic
Water

20. Abiotic or Biotic
Rock

21. Abiotic or Biotic
Mushroom

22. Abiotic or Biotic
Bacteria

23. Abiotic or Biotic
Sun

24. Abiotic or Biotic
Virus

25. Abiotic or Biotic
House

26. Abiotic or Biotic
Fish

27. Organism in Ecosystems
Habitat: physical area in which an organism lives
A Niche: is the role an organism plays in its environment (how it gets food, finds shelter, and reproduces)
A niche includes all of an organism’s interactions with the biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) parts of its environment
Ex. A Bee’s Niche
A bee lives in a bee hive, makes honey, and eats nectar from flowers

28. EXIT TICKET

29. A. habitat B. community C. niche D. kingdom Question 1
The area in which certain types of plants and animals can be found living in close proximity to each other is called a...
A. habitat
B. community
C. niche
D. kingdom

30. A. Abiotic factors B. Biotic factors C. Biospheric factors
Question 2
Nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide are among the most biologically important atmospheric gases. What are these called?
A. Abiotic factors
B. Biotic factors
C. Biospheric factors
D. Habitat factors

31. A. Commensalism B. Mutualism C. Predation D. Parasitism Question 3
Ostriches and gazelles feed next to each other and guard each other from predators. What type of symbiotic relationship is this?
A. Commensalism
B. Mutualism
C. Predation
D. Parasitism

32. Question 4
A fly lays her young (offspring) on top of a cricket. The fly larvae promptly burrow into the cricket and eat him. Why symbiotic relationship is this?
A. Mutualism
B. Predation
C.Parasitism
D. Commensalism

33. C. Both biotic and abiotic factors D. Succession pattern
Question 5
The tropical rain forest is found near the equator. It has abundant rainfall, stays very humid, and experiences an average summer temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. This is a descriptions of the ecosystem’s:
A. Biotic factors
B. Abiotic factors
C. Both biotic and abiotic factors
D. Succession pattern

34. Answers

35. A. habitat B. community C. niche D. kingdom Question 1
The area in which certain types of plants and animals can be found living in close proximity to each other is called a
A. habitat
B. community
C. niche
D. kingdom

36. A. Abiotic factors B. Biotic factors C. Biospheric factors
Question 2
Nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide are among the most biologically important atmospheric gases. What are these called?
A. Abiotic factors
B. Biotic factors
C. Biospheric factors
D. Habitat factors

37. A. Commensalism B. Mutualism C. Predation D. Parasitism Question 3
Ostriches and gazelles feed next to each other and guard each other from predators. What type of symbiotic relationship is this?
A. Commensalism
B. Mutualism
C. Predation
D. Parasitism

38. Question 4
A fly lays her young (offspring) on top of a cricket. The fly larvae promptly burrow into the cricket and eat him. Why symbiotic relationship is this?
A. Mutualism
B. Predation
C.Parasitism
D. Commensalism

39. C. Both biotic and abiotic factors D. Succession pattern
Question 5
The tropical rain forest is found near the equator. It has abundant rainfall, stays very humid, and experiences an average summer temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. This is a descriptions of the ecosystem’s:
A. Biotic factors
B. Abiotic factors
C. Both biotic and abiotic factors
D. Succession pattern