1. Ecology Stem Words ECO – House/Home LOGY – “The science of…” OR “the study of…” Eco + logy = The study of home - where things live.

2. The study of the relationships living things have with each other and to their environment.

3. Biotic Factors Biotic Factors - all of the LIVING things in an ecosystem (living now or once was living) Stem word: BIO = life or living

4. Abiotic Factors Abiotic Factors – all the NON-LIVING parts of an ecosystem Examples: 1.Water 2.Sunlight 3.Soil 4.Air, Oxygen 5.Temperature

5. How Living and Non-Living things are Organized on Earth: From Largest to Smallest 1. Biome  2.Ecosystems  3.Communities  4.Populations  5.Individual Organism

6. Biome Biome – a group of ecosystems with similar climates and organisms Examples of Biomes: 1.Tropical Rain Forests 2.Tundra 3.Grassland 4.Desert 5.Ocean (marine) 6.Deciduous Forest

8. The Tundra Biome is a cold dry place where no trees live.

9. Grassland/ Savanna

11. Ocean Biome

13. Coniferous Forest (Tiaga)

14. Ecosystems - Contains ALL the living AND non- living things that interact in a particular area.

15. Communities - ALL the different populations of organisms within an area.

16. Populations ALL the members of one species in a particular area. It’s a NUMBER count. Does not matter how big or small the area is. World Population South Carolina Pop. Greenwood Pop. EMS Population

17. Species -Organisms that are physically similar -Can mate to produce FERTILE offspring. -Fertile means their babies can have babies. -Similar DNA (genetics)

18. Examples of a Species: Examples of a Species: Dogs - Different dog breeds can mate to give mixed breed that look like both parents AND the mixed puppies can have babies themselves. Cats HumansHorses

19. Examples of Non-Species: Horse + Donkey = Mule (Sterile) Lion + Tiger = Liger (Sterile) Zebra + Horse = Zorse (Sterile) Sterile – cannot have babies

20. Horse + Donkey = A Mule (AKA: Honkey) (A animal that is STERILE = cannot breed

21. Lion + Tiger = A Liger (A sterile animal – cannot breed)

22. Liger

23. Horse + Zebra = Zorse (A sterile animal – cannot breed)

25. Habitats Habitats – The place where an organism lives and can find the things it needs to survive. Needs for Survival: 1.Food 2.Water 3.Shelter 4.Space

26. How big does an organisms habitat need to be? Depends on size of animal. Examples: Squirrel – backyard Whale – ocean Fish – pond Single ecosystem contains 1000’s of habitats

27. A single ecosystem can contain many habitats.

28. Changes in Population Size (Positive and Negative) 1.Births and Deaths 2.Immigration and Emmigration Immigration – moving into a population Emmigration - moving out of a population 3. Limiting Factors

29. Limiting Factors An environmental factor that causes a population to DECREASE or stop growing.

30. 1.Food/water = starvation 2. Disease/accidents 3. Shelter/Weather 4.Predators/Hunters 5. Space

31. Competition over space

32. Birth/Death Rates

33. What happens to Moose population as Wolf population increases?

35. Carrying Capacity Carrying Capacity – the largest population an environment can support.