1. 1 What is Ecology?

2. 2 Organisms and Their Environment

3. 3 What is Ecology?? The study of interactions that take place between organisms and their environment.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.It explains how living organisms affect each other and the world they live in. The study of interactions that take place between organisms and their environment.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.It explains how living organisms affect each other and the world they live in.

4. 4 Levels of Organization

5. 5 Ecologists have organized the interactions an organism takes part in into different levels according to complexity.Ecologists have organized the interactions an organism takes part in into different levels according to complexity.

6. 6 1 st Level of Organization Species (Individual): Group of organisms so similar to one another that they can breed and produce fertile offspring.Species (Individual): Group of organisms so similar to one another that they can breed and produce fertile offspring.

7. 7 2 nd 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.Population: A group of organisms, all of the same species, which interbreed and live in the same place at the same time.

8. 8 3 rd Level of Organization Communities: All the populations of different species that live in the same place at the same time.Communities: All the populations of different species that live in the same place at the same time.

9. 9 4 th Level of Organization Ecosystem: Collection of organisms that live in a particular place, with their nonliving (abiotic) or living (biotic) environment.Ecosystem: Collection of organisms that live in a particular place, with their nonliving (abiotic) or living (biotic) environment.

10. 5 th Level of Organization Biome : Group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar dominant communities. Biome : Group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar dominant communities. 10

11. 11 6 th Level of Organization Biosphere: The portion of Earth that supports life.Biosphere: The portion of Earth that supports life.

13. 13 What level of organization?

14. 14 What level of Organization?

15. 15 What level of Organization?

16. Walking outside you notice seagulls eating trash left from lunch, worms crawling up through the moist soil, the warm sun on your face, and many students roaming without a pass. What level (s) of organization are you witnessing? 16

17. How is a community different from an ecosystem? Name the abiotic and biotic factors in the below ecosystem. How is a community different from an ecosystem? Name the abiotic and biotic factors in the below ecosystem.