1. What is Ecology Chapter 3 Section 1 SC B-6: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the interrelationships among organisms and the biotic and abiotic components of their environments

2. Ecology the scientific study of interactions among organisms & between organisms and their environment

3. Biosphere part of the Earth in which life exists – Water – Land – Air

4. Levels of Organization

6. Know Definitions! Species: group of organisms so similar to one another that they can breed & produce fertile offspring Population: groups of individuals of same species that live in same area Community: includes all the different species living in same area Ecosystem: collection of all organisms that live in one place with their abiotic environment Biome: group of ecosystems that have the same climate & similar dominant communities

7. Ecological Methods 3 basic approaches to studying ecology 1.Observing 2.Experimenting 3.Modeling

8. Observing often 1 st step in studying something

9. Experimenting experimenting may occur in the lab or in the “field”

10. Modeling many ecological phenomena occurs over long periods of time or involve very large areas so use models…. often followed up by further observations or experimentation