Transcript Ecology
Ecology
Ecology
What is ecology?
The study of how organisms (plants and
animals) interact with the natural world.
Life builds upon the physical properties
and chemical reactions of matter.
Levels of Ecological
Organization
the organism is the most fundamental
unit of ecology
Similar organisms that breed to produce
fertile offspring in their natural
environment are members of the same
species.
Levels of Ecological
Organization
Many organisms of the same species
together makes up a population.
The total number a species living in a
defined region
Levels of Ecological
Organization
Many populations of different species
living in the same place makes up a
community.
Levels of Ecological
Organization
Groups of organisms together with their
physical and chemical environments
make up an ecosystem.
Ecosystems may be natural or human-made.
Ecosystems
What are some examples of humanmade ecosystems?
- farms
- cities
- gardens
- aquariums
Levels of Ecological
Organization
Ecosystems with similar climate and soil
types are linked together to form
biomes.
Levels of Ecological
Organization
All biomes are linked together in a
single biosphere that includes the land,
water, and atmosphere at the surface
of the earth and supports life.
Ecosystems
Functional unit of a biome that
ecologists study
Natural ecosystems tend to be selfsustaining systems.
Contains all the resources needed to support its
organisms
Ecosystems
What may interrupt an ecosystem’s
stability?
- natural disasters
- human activity
Ecosystems
What is the difference between a
terrestrial and an aquatic ecosystem?
Ecosystems
Within ecosystems, organisms live in
their habitat, or “home”
Ecosystems
Habitat- the place in an ecosystem where an
organism prefers to live. It meets all the needs
of an organism.
Each living organism requires a certain set of
physical and chemical conditions.
The biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem are dependent
upon one another. “Nothing can live alone.”
Ecosystems
Biotic- living components of an
ecosystem
i.e. plants and animals
Ecosystems
Abiotic- nonliving components of an
ecosystem
i.e. temperature, pH, salinity, light
Ecosystems
Each organism occupies its own niche.
An organism’s niche is its role or job in the
ecosystem