Ecology The study of interactions between organisms and their environment .

Levels of Organization Ecologists have organized the interactions an organism takes part in into different levels according to complexity. copyright cmassengale

1st Level of Organization Organism: An individual living thing that is made of cells, uses energy, reproduces, responds, grows and develops, etc. copyright cmassengale

2nd 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. copyright cmassengale

3rd Level of Organization Community: All the populations of different species that live in the same place at the same time. copyright cmassengale

4th Level of Organization Ecosystem: Populations of plants and animals that interact with each other in a given area with the abiotic components of that area. (terrestrial or aquatic) copyright cmassengale

Ecology ecosystem community population individual

What level of organization? Organism copyright cmassengale

What level of Organization? Ecosystem copyright cmassengale

What level of Organization? Community copyright cmassengale

What level of Organization? Population copyright cmassengale

Organism- any living thing Individual- one single organism Population- organisms of one species living together in the same place at the same time Community- populations of different species living in the same place at the same time Ecosystem- interaction of organisms and nonliving factors in a specific area

Biotic- living organisms in an environment Ex: plants, animals, bacteria Abiotic- nonliving parts of an environment Ex: soil, water, temperature, light, wind Producer- organisms that make their own food, autotrophs Consumers- organisms that rely on other organisms for food, heterotrophs

Decomposers- organisms that uses dead material as a food and energy source and return nutrients to soil, saprophyte ex: fungus bacteria Scavenger- organisms that uses dead material as a food and energy source but do not return nutrient to soil ex: vulture Food Chain- how energy in food moves through a community Primary (10) consumer- organism that eats a producer Secondary (20) consumer- organism that eats a primary consumer Tertiary (30) consumer- organism that eats a secondary producer Food Web- series of food chains that represent energy flow through an ecosystem

Adaptation- structures, characteristics, and behaviors that increase an organisms’ chance of surviving and reproducing in an environment Structural Adaptation- physical characteristic that increases survival, ex: hawk’s talons Behavioral Adaptation- way organism acts toward environment Ex; bears hibernate, birds migrate for winter

Climate- average weather in an area, determined by rainfall, temperature, and sunlight Biome- large geographical areas that have similar climates and communities Habitat- place where an organism lives in a community Niche- role of a species within a community Ex; what it eats, how it gets its food, interaction with others

5th Level of Organization Biosphere: The portion of Earth that supports life. copyright cmassengale