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Chapter 3~The Biosphere
3.1~What is Ecology?
-Biosphere extends from 8km above Earth to
11km below the ocean.
~It consists of all life on Earth & all parts
of the Earth in which life exists (land,
water, & the atmosphere)
-Ecology-study of interactions among
organisms & between organisms &
their physical environment.
~These interactions make a web of
interdependence between
organisms & the environment that
they live in.
~organisms respond to their
environment & can change their
environment making an ever
changing biosphere.
Levels of Organization (see pp 64-65)
Individual Organism
(1 animal, part of species)
Population
(group of animals that are part of species
and live in same area)
Community
(a bunch of different populations that live
together in an area)
Ecosystem
(all the organisms that live in a place with
their environment)
Biome
(group of ecosystems that share similar
climates & typical organisms)
Biosphere
(the whole planet)
Biotic & Abiotic Factors
-Biotic Factor-any living part of the
environment that an organism might
interact (animals, plants, mushrooms,
Bacteria)
-Abiotic Factor-any nonliving part of the
environment (like sunlight)
Ecological Methods
Observations
(asking a question)
Experimentation
(to test hypothesis)
Modeling
(making models to help them understand)