Download PowerPoint_Ecosystem Organization and Limiting Factors

Inquiry Activity
Put an L next to all of the things you think are
living and an N next to the things you think are
nonliving:
___ Plant
___ Sunlight
___ Wind
___ Frog
___ Mold
___ Oxygen
___ Human
___ Flower
___Yeast
___ Bird
___ Temperature
___ Humidity
___ Water
___ Minerals
___ Rock
___ Rain
___ Bacteria
___ Fire
What is Ecology?
 Ecology- studies interactions
between organisms and their
environments.
 It is a science of relationships.
What do you mean by environment?
The environment is made up of two factors:
Biotic factors- all living organisms inhabiting the
Earth
Abiotic factors- nonliving parts of the
environment (i.e. temperature, soil, light,
moisture, air currents)
Levels of Organization in Ecology
 A range of all surroundings in an
environment.
 Listed from smallest to largest.
Biosphere
Ecosystem
Community
Population
Organism
Level or Organization Notes
 You will be moving around to the descriptions of
each level of the walls around the classroom
 You will have 8 minutes to get all 5 levels of
organization and an example for each one (SO
MOVE QUICKLY)!
 Once you are done head back to your assigned seat
Organism- any unicellular or
multicellular living thing.
•The smallest level of organization
•Example: 1 Fish or 1 Bear
Population-a group of one species
of organisms living in the same
place and breeding.
Example: Group of Bears or a
School of Fish.
Community- several different
populations that live in a common
environment.
Example:
Bears AND Fish
Living in the SAME
PLACE
Ecosystem- Made up of
communities and abiotic
factors.
Biosphere- ALL life supporting
portions of Earth composed of air,
land, fresh water, and salt water.
•The largest level of organization
What is a Limiting Factor?
 Limits the SIZE of a population and prevents it from
growing FAST
 Examples include: stress (overcrowding), starvation,
disease, parasites and predation, poor reproductive
success, and damage to the habitat.
 Limiting Factors can be both BIOTIC and ABIOTIC
Carrying Capacity
 Carrying capacity is the maximum population that
the environment can support
 Limiting factors effect carrying capacity
 The amount of food, habitat (living space), water etc.