What is ecology? Agenda for Friday Dec 20 th 1.Go over test 2.Ecology Notes 3.Poster Grades posted on the wall.

Ecology Definition: The study of the interactions between organisms & their environment

Levels of Organization - Macroscopic

1) Organism   An individual organism (just 1!).

Habitat vs. Niche  Habitat - a place where a plant or animal can get the food, water, shelter and space it needs to live.  Niche (Job): -  Niche (Job): - entire role that the organism plays the ecosystem   what it eats and what eats it   # of offspring

2) Population   All the organisms of the same species in an area.

3) Biological Community Interacting populations living in same area

4) Ecosystem A biological community and all the abiotic factors that affect it – Biotic – living – Abiotic – not living

5) Biome A group of ecosystems that share the same climate and have similar types of biological communities

Minnesota Biomes:

6) Biosphere The parts of Earth that support life: 1. 1.Earth's crust/land 2. 2.All the waters that cover the surface Atmosphere that surrounds Earth.

So how can we simplify these levels of organization? 1)Organism = A single student 2)Population = All students in the eleventh grade class 3)Biological Community = The entire student body (9-12 th graders) & staff 4)Ecosystem = The school AND the entire student body 5)Biome = All of the high schools in the school district 6)Biosphere = Earth

Levels of Organization: Activity Directions: Work in groups of Develop your own system of the levels of organization and write AND draw them on the poster paper Cannot be the same as the examples just given by Novak Presentations tomorrow!