Ecology Notes 1 Whale Book Chapter 2.1

What living things are found in and around your school? What nonliving things are found in your school? Into what large groups are the students in your school divided? Into what smaller groups are these large groups divided? Are these groups ever divided into even smaller groups? If so, what are these groups?

What is ecology? Ecology is the study of the relationships between living things and their environments.

What is the organization of living things? tissues organs organ systems molecules cells groups of cells organism population community ecosystem biome biosphere

What is the organization of living things?

population A group of the same species of organism living in the same place at the same time ex.- tree frogs living in the woods behind the school ex.- mockingbirds in my neighborhood

community The different populations that live in the same place at the same time ex. frogs, rabbits, squirrels, & mockingbirds in the woods behind the school

ecosystem An ecosystem is a collection of all the organisms that live in a particular place, together with their nonliving, or physical, environment. Within an ecosystem, there are several levels of organization. The school and its grounds are similar to an ecosystem. Ex. frogs, rabbits, squirrels, mockingbirds, water, & rocks in the woods behind the school

biosphere all ecosystems on Earth Includes the land, water, & air where life exists (from 11 km below sea level up to 8 km above it)

What kinds of factors affect ecology? abiotic factors and biotic factors

Abiotic factors nonliving factors in an ecosystem ex. temperature, water, light, minerals

Biotic factors living factors in an ecosystem ex. intraspecific & interspecific interactions between organisms Intraspecific- between members of the same species Interspecific- between members of different organisms

Abiotic Factors Biotic Factors ECOSYSTEM

How does an abiotic factor affect food production How does an abiotic factor affect food production? Green plants carry out the process of photosynthesis. Glucose, a sugar, is one of the products produced during this process. Thus, glucose production can be used as a means for judging the rate at which the process of photosynthesis is occurring. Examine the following graph of a plant called salt bush. It shows how this plant’s glucose production is influenced by temperature. Name the abiotic factor influencing photosynthesis and describe the influence of this factor on photosynthesis. Name the biotic factor being influenced. Based on the graph, describe the type of ecosystem this plant might live in. Explain. Does the graph tell you how the rate of photosynthesis might vary for plants other than the salt bushes? Hypothesize why the formation of glucose drops quickly after reaching 30°C.

What is a habitat? The area where an organism lives is called its habitat. A habitat includes both biotic and abiotic factors.

What is a niche? A niche is the full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses those conditions. (its job, or way of life) type of food the organism eats, how it obtains this food, and which other species use the organism as food when and how it reproduces Summary video clip 1 and 2

Symbiosis Any relationship in which two species live closely together; “living together.” Ex- mutualism, parasitism, commensalism Video clip Ecological Relationships handout

Community Interactions Mutualism Commensalism Parasitism + -