What is ecology?

							What is
Ecology?

     copyright cmassengale   1
 Organisms
 and Their
Environment

      copyright cmassengale   2
2) Population Ecology:               3) Community
population growth, life              Ecology: How the
history, distribution, and           organisms survive in their
regulation for a certain             “home”- live in a space,
species                              make or get food, interact
                                     with each other, compete for
                                     resources, and add to
                                     diversity, deal with
                                     disturbances and changes


                          What is
                          Ecology?
1) Physiological                       Ecosystem
Ecology:                               Ecology: How energy
(temperature, light,                   moves through the
water, elevation,                      environment, natural
interaction of living                  chemical cycles, global
things with non-living)                changes
2) Population   Ecology:     3) Community Ecology:




                      What is
1) Physiological      Ecology?    Ecosystem Ecology:
Ecology:
Interaction among the levels

• Ecosystems ecology
• Community ecology
• Population ecology
• Physiological ecology
Why Ecology?? Who Cares!!!
• The study of interactions that
  take place between organisms
  and their environment.
• It explains how living
  organisms affect each other
  and the world they live in.

            copyright cmassengale   6
This is YOUR world
   Habitat & Niche
• Habitat is the
  place a plant or
  animal lives
• Niche is an
  organism’s total
  way of life
            copyright cmassengale   8
   The Nonliving Environment
• Abiotic factors- the
  nonliving parts of an
  organism’s environment.
• Examples include air
  currents, temperature,
  moisture, light, and soil.
• Abiotic factors affect an
  organism’s life.
               copyright cmassengale   9
   The Living Environment
• Biotic factors- all the
  living organisms that
  inhabit an environment.
• All organisms depend on
  others directly or
  indirectly for food,
  shelter, reproduction, or
  protection.
            copyright cmassengale   10
Abiotic or Biotic?




     Biotic
     copyright cmassengale   11
Abiotic or Biotic?




  Abiotic
     copyright cmassengale   12
Abiotic or Biotic?




     Abiotic
     copyright cmassengale   13
Abiotic or Biotic?




     Biotic
     copyright cmassengale   14
 Levels of
Organization


   copyright cmassengale   15
What are the Simplest Levels?
• Atom
• Molecule
• Organelle
• Cell
• Tissue
• Organ
• System
              copyright cmassengale   16
    Levels of Organization
• Ecologists have organized the
  interactions an organism takes
  part in into different levels
  according to complexity.




             copyright cmassengale   17
  1st Level of Organization
• Organism:
 An individual
 living thing that
 is made of cells,
 uses energy,
 reproduces,
 responds, grows,
 and develops
              copyright cmassengale   18
  2nd Level of Organization
• Population:
 A group of
 organisms, all
 of the same
 species, which
 interbreed and
 live in the
 same place at
 the same time.
                copyright cmassengale   19
  3rd Level of Organization
• Biological
  Community:
 All the
 populations of
 different
 species that
 live in the same
 place at the
 same time.
             copyright cmassengale   20
  4th Level of Organization
• Ecosystem:
 Populations of plants
 and animals that
 interact with each
 other in a given
 area with the
 abiotic components
 of that area.
 (terrestrial or
 aquatic)      copyright cmassengale   21
  5th Level of Organization

• Biosphere:
  The
  portion of
  Earth that
  supports
  life.
           copyright cmassengale   22
The Biosphere

• Life is found in air, on
  land, and in fresh and salt
  water.
• The BIOSPHERE is the
  portion of Earth that
  supports living things.
              copyright cmassengale   23
What level of organization?


                                  Organism




          copyright cmassengale              24
What level of Organization?




       Community
          copyright cmassengale   25
What level of Organization?




         Population
          copyright cmassengale   26
copyright cmassengale   27