1. What is ECOLOGY?

2. Look Around That’s the first step in ecology – looking around When you look around at living things in their environment, you are involved in the study of ecology.

3. Your Environment Your house is a perfect fit for a big mammal like you. It is also home to spiders, insects, and the occasional mouse. Your house is your environment

4. Ecology in the Beginning Ecology started as a branch of biology One of the first people to put natural history observations down on paper was an ancient Greek named Theophrastus (300 BC) He was a student of Aristotle’s

5. Ecology Gets a Name In 1866 German biologist Ernst vonHaeckel coined the word “ecology” He combined two Greek words oikos = place to live logos = study of

6. 6 Ways to Study Nature 1- Individual – a single organism can be studied. (Check out the way your cat lounges in the sunshine.)

7. 6 Ways to Study Nature 2- Population – a group of individuals from the same species that live in the same area. (Notice how all the neighborhood cats like to visit the same garbage cans?)

8. 6 Ways to Study Nature 3- Community – different populations of species living together in the same area. (The neighborhood cats catch mice and birds, are chased by dogs, eat grasshoppers, and have bacteria in their stomachs.)

9. 6 Ways to Study Nature 4- Ecosystem – one or more communities that interact plus non-living physical features that support life. Think sun, rocks, air, buildings, etc.

10. 6 Ways to Study Nature 5- Biome – an area or region of the world that has a particular climate and specific types of plants and animals. For example, deserts, deciduous forest, etc.)

11. 6 Ways to Study Nature 6- Biosphere – the area on Earth between the highest mountains and the deepest oceans where life can exist. It is made up of all the different biomes.

12. Draw this in your notes Biosphere Biome Ecosystem Community Population Individual

13. The Big Idea Ecologists study Earth’s environment at 6 different levels.

14. Mini-Quiz 1- When an ecologist looks at all of the trees, birds, insects, and mammals living at Barker Park, she is studying a a. population b. community c. biosphere d. individual

15. Mini-Quiz 2- A(n) ______________ is one or more communities plus nonliving stuff that supports life. a. population b. community c. ecosystem d. biome

16. Mini-Quiz 3- Ecology is the study of: a. plants b. animals c. environments d. behaviors