Unit 2 Ecology - the study of interactions among living and non-living parts of the earth Chapter 4 The Organization of Life

Section 4-1: Ecosystems

What kind of interactions take place within an environment? All parts are connected Changes to the environment effect the organisms living within it Changes in populations of organisms effects the environment (wolves, coyote, deer, plants)

What is an ecosystem? All of the organisms living in an area together with their physical environment Ecosystems do not have clear boundaries but are connected with each other Migration of life from one to the next Erosion of soil from one to the next

What are the components of an ecosystem? Essential basic components – energy, minerals, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and life Biotic factors – anything living or once living (animals, insects, vegetation) Abiotic factors – non-living (soil, water, rocks, air)

What are the levels of organization within an ecosystem? From smallest to largest Organism – individual living thing Population – all members of a species living in the same place at the same time Community – a group of various species that live in the same place and interact with each other (made of only biotic components) Habitat – the place an organism lives Ecosystem

Section 4-2: Evolution

Describe the process of evolution within an ecosystem. Evolution – change over time in the genetic characteristics of a population Natural selection – Charles Darwin – survival and reproduction of organisms with particular traits Survival of the fittest, individuals with genetic traits that make them more likely to survive and reproduce See Table 1 pg 104 Adaptations – inherited trait that increases an individual’s chance of survival and reproducing Coevolution – 2 species evolving in response to long term interactions

Evolution and… Artificial Selection – selective breeding of organisms by humans for specific characteristics Wolves to dogs Veggies, crops, plants Resistance – ability of organism to tolerate a particular chemical designed to kill it Caused by humans Antibiotics and bacteria, pesticides and insects

Vocabulary Activity KEY TERMS Ecosystemnatural selection Speciesevolution Communityadaptation Artificial selection Explain an ecosystem using 5 of the words above:

Section 4-3: The Diversity of Living Things

Reflection “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.”John Muir – founder of the Sierra Club, naturalist, writer In a paragraph, complete the following. Explain what John Muir might have meant with this statement. Explain to what extent are humans “hitched to everything else.”

The Diversity of Living Things 6 different kingdoms Classified according to the way they get their food and the type of cells How are you classified scientifically?

Kingdom – Animalia Phylum – Chordata Class – Mammalia Order – Primates Family – Hominidae Genus – Homo Species –Sapiens

Archaebacteria and Eubacteria (pp ) List characteristics of each Describe why they are important

Archaebacteria and Eubacteria 2 similar kingdoms Microscopic, single-celled Reproduce by cell splitting in half No nuclei Eubacteria: Aka = bacteria Archaebacteria – extreme environments like hot springs Environmental roles: break down remains and wastes of organisms, recycle nutrients through the earth system, help with digesting food Plasmodium that Causes malaria. E. Coli in the intes- tines to help with digestion

Fungi (p.109) List characteristics Describe why they are important

Fungi mushrooms Cells have nucleus and cell wall Absorbs food from decaying organisms in soil Environmental role: nature’s decomposers of dead things, used in cooking, can cause disease

Protists (p. 110) List characteristics Describe why they are important

Protists Diverse group of one-celled organisms ie. Amoeba, diatoms, kelp, algae Environmental role: algae, plant like protists that makes it own food – provides the bases of most aquatic food chains

Plants: Lower Plants, Gymnosperms, and Angiosperms (pp ) List characteristics of each Describe why they are important

Plants Multi-celled with cell walls Produce food using sunlight Uses root system to gather minerals and nutrients from the ground Uses leaves to capture energy from the sun Vascular tissue gives the plant support and structure Types Lower plants – mosses and ferns, damp places Gymnosperms – evergreen trees with needle like leaves and seeds inside cones Angiosperm – flowering plants that produce seeds in a fruit

Animals: Invertebrates and Vertebrates (pp ) List characteristics of each Describe why they are important

Animals Comsumers – cannot make their own food Cells without cell walls Mobile Types Invertebrates – no backbone Vertebrates – backbone