Ecology

8.L.3.1 Explain how factors such as food, water, shelter, and space affect populations in an ecosystem. 8.L.3.2 Summarize the relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers including the positive and negative consequences of such interactions including: coexistence and cooperation competition (predator/prey) parasitism mutualism 8.L.3.3 Explain how the flow of energy within food webs is interconnected with the cycling of matter (including water, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and oxygen).

Ecosystem Organization

Ecology Is the study of how organisms interact with each other and with their physical environment

Ecosystem Organization While you watch the video define each level Inside the pyramid draw a representation of each level http://Levels Individual Population Community Ecosystem Biome Biosphere

Ecosystem Organization Organism – a single living thing Population – all of the organisms of the same species that share a habitat Community – all of the different populations in a particular area interact Ecosystem – the living community as well as the physical environment in which the organisms live Biome – major regional or global communities Biosphere – the total area of Earth where living things are found

Environmental Factors Biotic Factors – the living components It has cells; grows or changes; reproduces; use energy Abiotic Factors – the non-living components; the physical & chemical components Temperature, Light, Soil, Water

Habitat vs. Niche Niche – the role a species plays in a community; its total way of life Habitat – the place in which an organism lives out its life

Food Web Food Chain Shows feeding relationships between many different consumers and producers in an ecosystem Describes the feeding relationship between a producer and an single chain of consumers in an ecosystem

Trophic Levels Food Pyramid Is a layer in the structure of feeding relationships in an ecosystem a model representing the numbers of organisms consumed at each successive level of the pyramid

Producer (Autotroph) Consumer (Heterotroph) Decomposer Ones that produce usable energy for the rest of the living organisms on earth an organism that obtains food and energy by eating other organisms grow on or in the dead or waste matter, absorbing the nutrients directly into their cells, which are then recycled back into the environment

Symbiotic the close relationship of two dissimilar organisms

Competition Two individuals vie for the same resources

Commensalism One species benefits, one is not affected.

Predation One individual feeds on another

Mutualism Both species benefit. Relationship may not be essential for either.

Parasitism One species benefits, one is harmed.

Carrying Capacity Limiting Factors the maximum population size of a particular species that a given ecosystem can sustain The factor that has the greatest effect on limiting population growth