Download Clean out binders! - Mrs. Cindy Williams Biology website

5/2/13
• Using what you know about the
meaning of the prefix “Eco” (from
ecosystem, ecofriendly, etc),
hypothesize a definition for the word
Ecology.
Ecology
• The study of how
organisms interact with
each other & their
environment.
Ecology Includes:
• Resources such as water, light
and space
• Relationships between
organisms
• Population growth patterns
• Climate studies
• Etc.
Think – Pair Share
• Brainstorm some factors that
influence the survival of a zebra.
Decide if they are biotic or
abiotic.
Biotic Factors
• Any living or once living
factors in an ecosystem
• Examples:
• predators
• fallen leaves
• competition with
another species
• empty seashells
• disease
Abiotic Factors
• The environmental factors
affecting an organism (never
living)
• Examples:
•
•
•
•
•
Amount of sunlight
Amount of water
Natural disasters
Rock Formations
Amount of Chemical Nutrients Available
(like Nitrogen, Phosphorous, etc)
Levels of Organization
• Use the word bank to try to
determine the levels of
ecological organization from
largest to smallest.
Biosphere
• The part of the world in which
life exists
• Includes land, air, water or
atmosphere
Biome
• A group of ecosystems with the
same climate and dominant
living communities.
Ecosystem
• A collection of organisms and their
environment found in a large
geographical area.
Community
• Several
populations of
many different
species living in a
defined area.
Population
• A group of individuals of the same
species that live in one specific area.
Individual
• One organism of a particular species.
Biomass
• the total amount of living material
• (kind of like the weight of all the
organisms)
Biomass Video
Which trophic level has the
most biomass? Which has the
least?
Food Chain Video
Use your
homework reading
to complete the
rest of the notes.
Essential Questions
• List the levels of organization
in ecology from smallest to
largest.
• What is a trophic pyramid
and what can it show you?