1. Ecology

2. What is Ecology?
Defined: Studying how life interacts within the biosphere is called Ecology
All life interacts within the biosphere
Area within the deepest ocean trenches to the highest mountains

3. An organism is an individual living thing, such as an alligator.

4. A population is a group of the same species that lives in one area.
Organism

5. Populations Population changes based on:
Click on information box
Population changes based on:
Births, Deaths, Immigration, Emigration, Available resources

6. School of
Fish

7. Herd of
Buffalo

8. Litter of
Cats

9. Flock of
Birds

10. Troop of
Monkeys

11. Pod of
Whales

12. Gaggle of
Geese

13. Murder of
Crows

14. Limiting Factors Birth & death rates eventually balance
Factors: Disease, food, predators, climate, space, mates
Populations become stable
Carrying Capacity: greatest number of individuals that a population can sustain
What stage is the human population in?

15. Human Population: Fast Growth Stage
How have humans extended our carrying capacity?
Farming
Medical innovations
Clean water
Public assistance

16. Rapid Future Population Increase
Typical Reproductive years

17. Slow Future Population Increase
Typical Reproductive years

18. Stable Population
Typical Reproductive years

19. Which shows a declining population?
Typical Reproductive years
Typical Reproductive years

20. A community is a group of different species that live together in one area.
Population
Organism

21. Communities 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
Ex: Termites return nutrients to the soil

22. Desert Communities
have many species

23. An ecosystem includes all of the organisms as well as the climate, soil, water, rocks and other nonliving things in a given area.
Ecosystem
Community
Population
Organism

24. Factors of Ecosystems Biotic Factors: Bio = Life
Defined: Living factors of an environment
Ex: Predators/prey
Abiotic Factors
A = without
Bio = Life
Defined: Nonliving factors of an environment
Ex: Soil, Climate, temps, water, wind

25. Ecosystem changes affect biodiversity
Keystone species greatly alter ecosystems

27. (biotic + abiotic factors)
Desert Ecosystems
(biotic + abiotic factors)

28. A biome is a major regional or global community of organisms characterized by the climate conditions and plant communities that thrive there.
Biome
Ecosystem
Community
Population
Organism

29. More on biomes… Climate factors: sun, rain, topography
Climate determines life