Download 2.1 Ecology notes

Ecology
Module 2
Ecology
 The study of interactions between organisms and their
environment
 Those who study ecology are ecologists
Organization of Life
Organism/Species
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biome
Biosphere
Organization of Life
 All living matter can be organized
 SMALLEST--> LARGEST.
 Ecology deals with the levels
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Organisms/Species
Populations
Communities
Ecosystems
Biomes
Biosphere
Organisms
 Ecologists may study the behavior on an individual
organism.
 They may study its daily movements, feeding, or breeding
behaviors.
 Ex
 A deer
 A Shark
Populations
 A group of organisms of one species that interbreed
and live in the same place at the same time.
 Compete for food, water, mates, and other resources
 Resources determine how big/small a population is
 They may also study growth rates of populations and
predict future populations
 Ex
 Many deer
 Endangered species
Communities
 A collection of interacting populations
 All organisms in a community depend in someway
on the other organisms living there.
 Ecologists are concerned with studying the effects
on the community when a new species is added or
removed.
 Ex
 Hawks go up then mice go down
Ecosystem
 All the biotic and abiotic factors in an area from an
ecosystem.
 Ecologists are concerned with ecosystem stability and
knowing what keeps ecosystems stable.
 Ex
 Rain forest
Biome
 A group of ecosystems that together make up a specific
region for species to live
 Similar climate
 Temperature
 Elevation
 Rainfall
Biosphere
 The biosphere is the highest
level of organization.
 It is made up of the entire
planet and all its living and
nonliving parts
 Ecologists are concerned
with all interactions within
the biosphere.
Living environment= Biotic
factors
 Living things are found in air,
on land, in both fresh and salt
water
 The Biosphere is the portion of
the Earth that supports life
 Biotic factors= all living
organisms
Nonliving factors= Abiotic
Factors
 Environment
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Air currents
Temperature
Moisture
Light
Soil
Where and how organisms
live
 Every species has a particular function
in its community
 A Niche is the role a species plays in a
community
 The space, food, and other conditions an
organism needs to survive and reproduce
are part of it’s niche
 Ex
 Fungi= break down of organic matter
 Coyotes= keep rodents down
Habitat
 A place where organism lives out its life
 Ex bird in trees
 Prairie dog in grassland burrows
 Several species share habitats, the food,
shelter and other resources of that habitat
are divided into separate niches