Download Meadow Food Web, Ecology pp

Meadow Food Web
Ecology:
the study of the interactions
between organisms and their
environment
Biotic:
Living parts of
the
ecosystem:
Plants,
animals,
decomposers
Abiotic:
Nonliving parts
of the
ecosystem:
soil, water, air,
weather
Levels of Organization:
1. Individual organism
2. Population - members of the same
species in one area
3. Community – many populations in the
same area
4. Ecosystem – the biotic and abiotic
factors in the area
5. Biome – group of ecosystems with the
same climate and dominant communities
6. Biosphere – portion of the planet where
all life exists
(8 km above Earth’s surface to
11 km below the ocean)
Methods of Ecological Study
1. Field observations – counting
populations, observing interactions
2. Experimenting set up a small
environment,
manipulate the
conditions,
observe the
results
3. Modelling • Uses Mathematical formulas based on data collected
• Computer models of interactions may predict
outcomes of environmental change