1. Ecology Characteristics of a healthy/mature ecosystem Relationships
Parts
Cycles
Ecology

2. Word
Definition
Picture or example
Biotic factors
Abiotic factors
Species
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biome
Biosphere
Habitat
Niche
Predation
Parasitism
Mutualism
Commensalism

3. Ecology
The study of the relationship of living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.

4. A healthy ecosystem Biodiversity
Population in check (right number of consumers and producers)
Nutrient recycling high

5. Parts Biotic factors Abiotic factors Species Population Community
Ecosystem
Biome
Biosphere
Habitat
Niche

6. Relationships
Predation
Parasitism
Mutualism
Commensalism

7. Cycles
Energy
Nitrogen
Carbon
Phosphorus
Water
Succession

8. Other topics
Populations
Biodiversity
disturbances

9. Organisms and Their Environment

10. Habitat & Niche Habitat is the place a plant or animal lives in
Niche is the adaptations and strategies a species uses in it’s environment.

11. The Nonliving Environment
Abiotic factors- the nonliving parts of an organism’s environment.
Examples include air currents, temperature, moisture, light, and soil.
Abiotic factors affect an organism’s life.

12. The Living Environment
Biotic factors- all the living organisms that inhabit an environment.
All organisms depend on others directly or indirectly for food, shelter, reproduction, or protection.

13. Abiotic or Biotic?
Abiotic

14. Abiotic or Biotic?
Biotic

15. Abiotic or Biotic?
Abiotic

16. Abiotic or Biotic?
Biotic

17. Abiotic or Biotic?
Abiotic

18. Abiotic or Biotic?
Biotic

19. Abiotic or Biotic?
Abiotic

20. Abiotic or Biotic?
Biotic

21. Abiotic or Biotic?
Abiotic

22. Levels of Organization

23. What are the Simplest Levels?
Atom
Molecule
Organelle
Cell
Tissue
Organ
System

24. Population Biosphere Species Community Ecosystem Biome Niche Habitat
Place the terms in order from the simplest to the most complex.
Population
Biosphere
Species
Niche
Community
Habitat
Ecosystem
Biome

25. 1st Level of Organization
Organism/Species: An individual living thing that is made of cells, uses energy, reproduces, responds, grows, and develops

26. Levels of Organization
Group of organisms that can reproduce
Species/ Organism

27. 2nd Level of Organization
Population: A group of organisms, all of the same species, which interbreed and live in the same place at the same time.

28. Levels of Organization
Group of organisms that can reproduce
Species/ Organism
A group of one species
Population

29. 3rd Level of Organization
Biological Community: All the populations of different species that live in the same place at the same time.

30. Levels of Organization
Group of organisms that can reproduce
Species/ Organism
A group of one species
Population
Populations of different species
Community

31. 4th Level of Organization
Ecosystem: Populations of plants and animals that interact with each other in a given area with the abiotic components of that area. (terrestrial or aquatic)

32. Levels of Organization
Group of organisms that can reproduce
Species/ Organism
A group of one species
Population
Populations of different species
Community
Community + abiotic factors
Ecosystem

33. 5th Level of Organization
Biosphere: The portion of Earth that supports life.

34. Levels of Organization
Group of organisms that can reproduce
Species/ Organism
A group of one species
Population
Populations of different species
Community
Community + abiotic factors
Ecosystem
Portion of the earth that supports life
Biosphere/Biome

35. What level of organization?
Organism

36. What level of Organization?
Community

37. What level of Organization?
Population

38. Limiting Factors Do populations often grow exponentially?
What are limiting factors?
Limiting factors are any factors (things) that affect an organism’s ability to survive in its environment. These factors affect population growth.
Examples?
availability of food and water, predators, temperature, space/shelter, and disease
Discuss the first question with students, then move onto the concept of limiting factors. Students should note that usually populations are not able to continue growing exponentially. You may need to explain the concept of exponential growth, depending upon students background in this concept in math class. Ask students to name possible examples first, before showing them the answer.

39. Density-Dependent Factors
What are density-dependent factors?
Factors that depend upon the size of the population. These factors will have an increasing effect as the population size increases.
Examples?
availability of food and water, competition, predators, and disease
Discuss this with students before showing them the answer, see if they can come up with a reasonable definition based on their knowledge of the word “dependent”. Again, ask students to think of examples before showing them the examples on this PowerPoint.

40. Competition What is competition? Examples?
Competition is one of the many symbiotic relationships occurring in nature. Members of species compete for resources, especially for limited natural resources.
Examples?
trees that grow very close together vie for sunlight and soil nutrients, lions and tigers that vie for similar prey, and a farm of rice paddies with weeds growing in the field
Again, discuss with students first, before showing them the “right answer”.

41. Competition
What happens to competition between individuals as population size increases?
Competition will also increase.
If the demand for resources exceeds the supply, then the population size will eventually decrease.
Again, discuss with students first, before showing them the “right answer”.

42. Density-Independent Factors
What are density-independent factors?
Factors that are not dependent upon the size of the population and can affect any population.
Examples?
temperature, weather (storms, floods, drought), and habitat disruption by humans
Again, discuss with students before showing the answer; they may be able to determine a good definition based on their knowledge of the word “independent”.

43. Carrying Capacity K n
Ask students to interpret this graph, then lead a discussion on carrying capacity. The formal definition is on the following slide. “t” is time, “N” is number of individuals, and “K” is carrying capacity. At first, the population grows well, as resources are abundant, then as the population reaches it’s carrying capacity (limit), the growth of the population slows and will stay at a steady rate unless there is a disruption such as disease, storm, etc. t

44. Carrying Capacity
The maximum number of individuals that an environment can support.
Why is knowing carrying capacity important to ecologists?
Discuss the importance of carrying capacity with students. They will likely come up with a variety of responses possibly including the following: it helps establish hunting restrictions/freedoms, it helps those at wildlife sanctuaries determine the right number of individuals for an area.

45. Symbiosis Means living together. Four kinds of symbiosis Mutualism
Commensalism
Parasitism
Predation

46. Mutualism Both species benefit
The ants protect the acacia tree by attacking any animal that tries to feed on the tree. The tree provides nectar and a home for the ants.

47. Commensalism
The barnacle benefits by finding a habitat where nutrients are available. (In the case of lodging on the living organism, the barnacle is transported to new sources of food.) The presence of barnacle populations does not appear to hamper or enhance the survival of the animals carrying them.
One species benefits and the other species is neither harmed nor benefited.

49. Parasitism One species benefits at the expense of the another species.
Ticks are blood-sucking parasites. Some ticks transmit diseases as they obtain nutrients from their host.

50. Predation Predator-prey relationship Predator hunts & kills
Prey is hunted & killed

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