1. Chapter 11 Living things and the environment

2. 11-1 What is ecology? Key Terms Environment- everything that surrounds an organism and acts upon it. Ecology- the study of the relationship between living things and their environment. Interact- process of organisms acting upon one another or on the nonliving parts of their environment.

3. Ecology Everything that surrounds a living thing makes up its environment. Living things are affected by their environment, and also affect their environment. The study of this relationship between living things and their environment is called ecology. Scientists who study ecology are called ecologists. Ecologists study how living things are adapted to their environments.

4. Importance of the Environment All living things need materials to carry out their life processes (food to each, materials to make shelter) Organisms get these materials from their environment. Nutrients are an example of these materials. Nutrients are used for energy and for growth. Ex.) plants get nutrients from the soil, light from the sun and carbon dioxide from the air.

5. Interactions

6. Organisms interact (act on each other), they also interact with the nonliving parts of the environment. Water and soil Ex.) There is a snail known as a periwinkle that feed on grasses and algae living in a march. The wastes produced by the snail enrich the soil, the enriched soil make the grasses grow better. This gives the snail more food to eat!

7. Some birds also rely on the snails. Gulls eat the snails. If there are too many gulls eating the snails, then the number of snails will decrease. If there are fewer snails, then the gulls will have to find something else to eat, if they can’t find anything else to eat, then they will die from lack of food. As a result there will be less birds.

8. 11-2 What is an ecosystem? Key Terms Population- group of the same kind of organisms living in a certain place Community- all the populations that live in a certain lace and can interact with one another Ecosystem- group of communities interacting with each other and the nonliving parts of their environment.

9. Populations A population is all of the same species of organisms living in a certain place. Different populations may living in the same environment. Do you think a lion and a gazelle can be part of the same population?

10. Communities

11. Ecosystem Several communities together make up an ecosystem. An ecosystem is a group of communities interacting with each other and the nonliving parts of their environment. Nonliving parts of an environment include water, air and soil.

12. Ecosystems come in all shapes and sizes. An ecosystem is be as large as desert or as small as a rotting log. They can be rivers, lakes or ponds. Even a puddle of water can be an ecosystem. Can you think of an example of an ecosystem?

13. A self supporting unit An ecosystem is a self supporting unit. 4 processes occur in an ecosystem to make it self-supporting. 1.) Production of energy– the sun is the source of energy in most ecosystems. 2.) Transfer of energy- energy is transferred from the sun to plants to make their own food. The energy is stored in plants and transferred to other animals that eat plants. Energy is transferred to other animals when they eat the plant-eating animals.

14. 3.) Breakdown of materials- when organisms die their bodies decompose, or break down. The chemicals are reused by other living things. 4.) Recycling- the materials needed by organisms in an ecosystem are recycled, or used over and over.

15. 11-3 What are habitats and niches? Key Terms Habitat – place where an organism lives Niche- organism’s role, or job in its habitat

16. Habitat The place where an organisms lives is its habitat. The habitat holds its food, water and shelter. Habitats, like ecosystems, come in all shapes and sizes. There are water and land habitats. Ex.) A bears habitat is the woods, a whales habitat is the ocean, and an ant’s habitat could be an anthill.

17. Niche What is your role, or job? Right now your niche is being a student. This is a role that you carry out where you live. Organisms have niches, or roles in their communities. It includes everything an organism does and everything needs.

18. Different Niches Many kinds of organisms share the same habitat. Polar bears and seals both swim in the icy waters of the Artic Ocean. However, they have different roles in the habitat. Polar bears hunt seals and other animals Seals eat the fish that live in those habitats. Polar bears and seals do not share the name shelter. They live in the same habitat, but have different niches.

19. Populations cannot share niches for very long. One animal may hunt better than another. Then the other animal will have to leave that niche to find one where there is not competition for those resources.

20. 11-5 What are biomes? Key terms Climate- average weather of an area over a long period of time Biome- large region with a characteristic climate and plant and animal communities.

21. Biomes The average weather of an area over a long period of time is the area’s climate Climate helps determine the kinds of plants and animals that live in an area. A biome is a large region that has similar types of plants and animals regardless of where on Earth it is located. Biomes has a particular climate and type of soil.

22. 7 Major Land Biomes Particular kinds of organisms live in different biomes. Biomes often are name for their most common plants. Earth’s land area can be divided into 7 major biomes.

23. Tundra Found in the far north The ground is permanently frozen. Mosses, lichens, grasses and shrubs are the only plants that can survive here. Animals that live here are: birds, wolves, foxes, and reindeer.

24. Taiga Found south of the tundra, but still have a cold climate. It receives enough rainfall for trees to grow. Coniferous forests are found here. Animals: moose, squirrels, rabbits, and beavers

25. Temperate Deciduous forest South of the taiga, is the temperate deciduous forest with a much milder climate. This is where we live! Characterized by its long growing season, with a cold winter. Plants: Trees (oak, maple, and birch). Many kinds of animals live here.

26. Temperate Grasslands and Savannas It has moderate rainfall, but not enough to allow trees to grow. These areas are called grasslands. Temperate grasslands are found on the interior of continents. (The great plains!) Used for farming! Savannas are like grasslands, but are found closer to the equator. Large herds of animals are found on savannas. They also have some scattered trees and shrubs.

27. Tropical Rain Forests These rain forests are found in areas near the equator, and receive large amounts of rain. They are hot all year. Tall trees and many kinds of plants grow well here. There are also a large variety of animals.

28. Deserts These form where temperatures are moderate or hot, and where there is very little rain. Very few plants grow in desert biomes. Cacti are an example of a plant that can survive here because they do not need a lot of water and can tolerate a lot of heat. Animals that live here are: birds, lizards, and scorpins.

29. Other biomes There a minor biomes as well as major ones. These are found at the polar ice caps and chaparral zones. Polar ice zones surround the north and south poles. They have extremely cold temperatures, and appear lifeless. Penguins live here! Chaparral- are coast areas that have mild and rainy winters and long dry summers. Ex.) California and Mediterranean

30. 11-7 What are natural resources? Key Terms Natural resource- material found in nature that is used by living things Renewable resource- natural resource that can be reused or replaced Nonrewable resource- natural resource that cannot be reused or replaced. Conservation- wise use of natural resources

31. Natural resources Living things use materials found in nature to survive. These materials are called natural resources. Ex. Air and water Other natural resources that people use are known as oil, coal, and gas as fuels. Can you name any more?

32. Renewable Resource Some natural resource can be reused or replaced. These are renewable. Water, soil and lumber are examples are renewable resources Water is replaced through the water cycle, trees can be replanted. These process due take years to complete.

33. Nonrewable resource Nonrewable resources are resources that cannot be used or replaced. Ex.) oil, coal, natural gas and minerals They take millions of years to form, and once existing supplies are used up they cannot be replaced.

34. Conservation The wise use of these resources is known as conservation. We must be careful not to use these resources faster than they can be replaced (even renewable resources!) How can we be more conservative? Buy recycled products Use energy efficient appliances and cars