Ecology: Day 1 notes Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/druclimb/56763994/in/photostream/

ECOLOGY - the study of interactions between organisms and with their environment

BIOSPHERE - portion of planet where life exists BIODIVERSITY – sum total of all the different kinds of organisms living in an area. It is affected by changes in habitats Habitat- place where a particular population of species lives e.g. top of a tree for some birds, Bottom of a tree for other birds, Ayala High is the habitat of Bulldogs

LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION Organism  individual living thing Species - individuals that can breed with one another and produce fertile offspring e.g. horse with horse = horse; horse with donkey = mule, which is NOT fertile (so horse & donkey not in same species Population - all the individuals of the same species (e.g. ducks) in a given area

A population is always composed of the same species of organisms e.g. Rubber duckies

Community - all the populations that live together in an area e. g Community - all the populations that live together in an area e.g. water plants, fish, turtle, grasses, insects, birds, racoons, etc.

An ecosystem includes both biotic and abiotic factors in an area Biotic factors are  things that live (e.g. plants, animals, fungi, bacteria) Abiotic factors are  nonliving things (e.g. water, wind, temperature, amount of sunlight, soil type, etc.) e.g. (Examples): Rotting Log Koi Pond Lake Clump of Dirt A field An old maple tree

An ecosystem includes both biotic & abiotic factors Biotic factors are living things (plants, animals, bacteria, etc.) Abiotic factors are nonliving things (how much water, temperature, wind, sunlight, soil type, etc.)

Biome - large area that has a particular climate, and particular types or species of plants and animals that live there (e.g. tundra, desert, etc)

Biosphere - the part of the earth that supports life

Levels of Organization Biosphere Label these levels of Organization in their correct sequential order Ecology: Levels of Organization (Organisms, Communities, Biomes, biosphere) Biome Ecosystem Community Individual organism Population Species