1. Ecology
is the study of interactions that take place between organisms and their environment.

2. Ecology is study of interactions between
non-living components in the environment…
light
water
wind
nutrients in soil
heat
solar radiation
atmosphere, etc.
AND…

3. Living organisms…
Plants
Animals
Fungi
microorganisms in soil, etc.

4. To study Ecology involves…
For non-living (abiotic)
Climatology
Hydrology
Oceanography
Physics
Chemistry
Geology
soil analysis, etc.
For living (biotic)
animal behavior
Taxonomy
Physiology
mathematics (population studies)
etc.

5. Can you find all of the living things?
What nonliving things are important to the living organisms in this picture?

6. Ecology…
views each locale as an integrated whole of interdependent parts that function as a unit.
caribou
tundra

7. The interdependent parts are…

8. nutrients in the soil and water.
Nonliving
dead organic matter
nutrients in the soil and water.
Producers
green plants
Green algae
Tundra

9. Consumers
Herbivores, carnivores, & omnivores
Decomposers
fungi and bacteria
Tundra
Caribou

10. Levels of Organization
Ecologists study individual organisms, interactions among organisms of the same species, interactions among organisms of different species, as well as the effects of abiotic factors on interacting species.
Ecologists have organized the living world into levels—the organism by itself, populations, communities, and ecosystems.

11. Levels of organization - Terms
Biosphere
Surface of the earth
All places on earth that supports life
Ecosystem
Large or small as we decide
Backyard, Human body (GROSS!), Badin Lake
Includes all biotic & abiotic factors

12. The biosphere is the portion of Earth that supports living things.
It extends from high in the atmosphere to the bottom of the oceans.

13. Biotic and abiotic factors form ecosystems
An ecosystem is made up of interacting populations in a biological community and the community’s abiotic factors.
There are two major kinds of ecosystems—terrestrial ecosystems and aquatic ecosystems.

14. Very complex
Can contain 100’s to 1000’s of interacting species.

15. Levels of organization - Terms
Community – All populations (diff. species) that live in a particular area. (only biotic factors)
Population – one species live in one place at one time

16. Interactions within populations
A population is a group of organisms, all of the same species, which interbreed and live in the same area at the same time.

17. Interactions within populations
Members of the same population may compete with each other for food, water, mates, or other resources.
Competition can occur whether resources are in short supply or not.

18. Interactions within communities
A biological community is made up of interacting populations in a certain area at a certain time.

19. Levels of organization - Terms
Organism – simplest level of organization

20. Organism
An individual living thing that is made of cells, uses energy, reproduces, responds, grows, and develops.

21. Habitat vs Niche Niche-things it does to live and survive
Habitat-where an organism lives

22. Organisms in Ecosystems
A habitat is the place where an organism lives out its life.
The organism’s address.
Habitats can change, and even disappear. Habitats can change due to both natural and human causes.

23. Niche
Although several species may share a habitat, the food, shelter, and other essential resources of that habitat are often used in different ways.
A niche is the role or position a species has in its environment—how it meets its specific needs for food and shelter, how and where it survives, and where it reproduces in its environment.

24. Niche
A species’ niche, therefore, includes all its interactions with the biotic and abiotic parts of its habitat.
It is thought that two species can’t exist for long in the same community if their niches are the same.

25. STRUCTURES AND FUNCTIONS The drawings below represent five levels of ecological organization. In the spaces provided, label the levels and number them from 1 to 5, with 1 being the most inclusive.

26. A. abiosis B. symbiosis C. ecology D. biology
The study of interactions that take place between organisms and their environment is __________.
A. abiosis
B. symbiosis
C. ecology
D. biology

27. A. ozone layer B. maria C. the Sun D. constellation Orion
Which of the following is found in the biosphere?
A. ozone layer
B. maria
C. the Sun
D. constellation Orion

28. A. moisture B. soil C. earthworm D. light
Which of the following is a biotic factor?
A. moisture
B. soil
C. earthworm
D. light

29. A. biological community
A(n) __________ is a group of organisms, all of the same species, which interbreed and live in the same place at the same time.
A. biological community
B. population
C. ecosystem
D. habitat

30. Which of the following is a biological community?
A. the organisms living in your backyard today
B. the tadpoles living in a pond
C. the abiotic factors in the environment
D. the factors interacting in an aquatic ecosystem