
Ecology
The study of ECOLOGY involves focusing on the relationships between different living things, ORGANISMS, and their HABITAT. Within one individual organism, come single species of that same being, creating a POPULATION and with those populations come other populations of other organisms that share the same area, thus creating a COMMUNITY. With these communities of similar functions/characteristics an ECOSYSTEM is born. BIOMES, groups of alike features are everywhere. From forests, oceans, even your mouth, all these biomes make up Earth’s BIOSPHERE. The components that make up an ecosystem are ABIOTIC, living, and BIOTIC factors interacting with each other. Those abiotic components being things organisms might use for energy (as sunlight, oxygen, temperature, etc.) whereas biotic are those that use said energy (animals, plants, ALL LIVING ORGANISMS). These biomes can form in all places, both in TERRESTRIAL and AQUATIC lands. Within these ecosystems, there’s a system in which all organism benefit off of each other. PRODUCERS provide energy from photosynthesis to CONSUMERS who then use that energy to operate. DECOMPOSERS are those that provide minerals to the producers and consumers by eating decomposed/ dead carcasses. From these organisms, FOOD CHAINS, FOOD WEBS, and ENERGY PYRAMIDS are formed. Food Chains providing insight into the energy flow of one organism to another while food webs provide information on interrelationship of many organisms and how they connect. Being that some energy doesn’t go fully to the next organism in line, some is lost, that process can be found in an ENERGY PYRAMID.



Key Terms
Ecology
The study of the relationships between organisms and their environment.
Ecosystem
A community made up of living organisms and nonliving components.
Habitat
The natural home where plants/animals live and grow.
Population
Individuals of single species that live and coexist in a particular area together.
Community
All the populations of different species that share an area.
Niche
The role an organism partakes in its ecosystem.
Biomes
Ecosystems that have similar characteristics grouped together.
Biosphere
Parts of Earth where biomes live (all around the world).
Biotic
Living parts of an ecosystem.
Abiotic
Non living parts of an ecosystem.
Terrestrial Land
Growing in the ground.
Aquatic Land
Plants that grow in water.
Predation
Predator and Prey
(One animal species as food by another animal population).
Herbivory
Animals who eat plants.
Symbiotic Relationship
Two different species living amongst each other, either benefitting or being harmed.
(The types of the Symbiotic Relationship:)
Commensalism
One group benefits while the other is not benefited or harmed.
Mutualism
Both groups benefit off of each other.
Parasitism
One group benefits while the other group is harmed.
Competition
When organisms both use the same resource, usually limited resulting in a struggle.
Organism
One living thing with a living system within.
Producers
Make their energy/food from photosynthesis.
Consumers
Gets their energy from producers.
Decomposer
Gets their energy by breaking down dead matter.
Food Chain
Shows one flow of energy from one organism to another.
Food Web
Shows the interrelationship of MANY food chains.
Energy Pyramid
Shows the amount of energy stored in the bodies of organisms during different levels of the ecosystem.
Essential Questions
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Describe and define the (troph) levels of the ecological organization
(organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, and biosphere).
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How does the energy flow through an ecosystem, and how are they defined?
(food chains, energy pyramids, and food webs)
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Explain how all matter recycles through different types of ecosystems.
(water cycle, oxygen cycle, carbon cycle, and nitrogen cycle).
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How do ecosystems change when a natural or human disturbance occurs?
Objectives
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Define and describe the different levels of ecological organizations.
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Identify and compare abiotic and biotic elements of both terrestrial and aquatic biomes.
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Identify how different organisms function together; Symbiotic relationships
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Describe how energy flows through an ecosystem
(Food Chain, Web Chain, and Energy Chains)
Its Your Turn!
1. A producer can…
A. generate heat by signaling the sun.
B. Make their own food from vitamins found in the ground.
C. Make their own food from photosynthesis.
D. Obtain energy by eating off of others.
2. Ecosystems are grouped into biomes if they…
A. Share similar characteristics.
B. Identify with the same pronoun.
C. Feed off of each other.
D. Contribute to the same portion of their habitat.
3. An abiotic factor includes
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A tree
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Katy Perry
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Paper
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Temperature
4. What biomes and what organisms live there?
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5. Can abiotic and biotic interact to form ecosystems that are different sizes? If yes, what kinds of habitats would be found?