What is Ecology

1. What is Ecology The study of the interactions among living things and their environment

2. Where on Earth does life exist? Life exists in the biosphere.

3. The levels of Organization in the Biosphere Biosphere Biome Ecosystem Community Population Species

4. Biosphere Biome Ecosystem Community Population Species Part of Earth where life exits Ecosystems with the same climate and communities Let me break it Down! All living and nonliving factors in a particular environment Group of different species that live together in one area A group of the same species living in one area An organism, an individual Good job my friend!

5. Biomes A biome is a large ecosystem characterized by a distinctive type of vegetation and maintained under the climatic conditions of the region. Biomes can be either terrestrial or aquatic.

6. Biomes Terrestrial Aquatic Tundra Northern Coniferous Forest Deciduous Forest Grasslands Deserts Tropical Forests Shrub Lands Freshwater Marine Water Estuaries

7. Tundra Few plant species survive the cold, severe climate Permafrost: ground below the surface is always frozen

8. Biosphere Biome: Deciduous Forest Ecosystem: trees, animals, rocks, air, water, soil, etc.. Community: Georgia Lake Population: fish Species: Trout FIsh Georgia Lake Ecosystem

9. Name:________________

10. Levels of Organization Illustration • Create/Illustrate the levels of organization in a marine aquatic environment or the tropical rainforest. • Include: biosphere, biome, ecosystem, community, population, species • Have fun !!!

11. Ecology • All ecosystems are made of living and nonliving things. • Biotic Factors:living things such as plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria • Abiotic Factors:nonliving things such as wind, air, soil, and rocks Think of the rainforest biome and list 5 biotic factors and 5 abiotic factors of this biome.

12. What is biodiversity? Explain keystone species. Take a Moment and Think Variety of living things in an Ecosystem A species that has a large effect on an ecosystem

14. All organisms in an ecosystem must have a source of energy in order to survive. • Producer/Autotroph:organisms that use the energy from the sun through photosynthesis or utilize chemosynthesis to make their own food. • Consumer/Heterotroph:organisms that consume other organisms for their food source.

15. Herbivores:eat only plants Carnivores:eat other animals Omnivores: eat both plants and animals Detrivores:eat detritus (dead organic matter) Decomposers: detrivores that break down dead organic matter into simpler compounds There are 5 types of Consumers/Heterotrophs Get with a friend and think of 2 examples for each type of consumer.

16. Food chains and food webs show the feeding relationships and movement of energy from organism to organism. Food Chain and Food Web

17. Food Chain: a series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten. Take a Moment : Using the following organisms, create a simple food chain. Remember the arrow points to the belly the organism goes in. Food Chain Rabbit Sun Hawk Bacteria Grass

18. Each level in a food chain is referred to as a trophic level.

19. Food Web:a complex network of feeding relationships. Food Web

20. Symbiotic Relationships Mutualism: both species benefit Commensalism: one species benefits and the other is neither harmed nor benefited Parasitism: one species benefits and the other is harmed