1. Intro to Ecology

2. What is ecology?
Ecology is the study of how organisms interact with one another and with the environment.

3. What is an ecosystem?
An ecosystem is a community of organisms and their non-living environment.

4. Biotic: living things that are part of the ecosystem, like plants and animals
Abiotic: non-living parts of the ecosystem like soil, water, and sunlight

5. Your turn!!
Turn to the person next to you and tell them one example of a biotic factor, and one example of an abiotic factor.

6. What is a Limiting Factor?
Limiting Factors are…
Biotic and abiotic factors of the environment that limit the growth of a species.

7. What is a Limiting Factor?
Populations would continue to increase if they had all of the resources they require in unlimited amounts, but there are always factors that limit their increase.
Limiting factors control
population growth.

8. The picture to the right shows an animal living in its environment.
TALK ABOUT IT!!
With the people at your table, discuss what factors in the environment may limit the population of the animal pictured.

9. What is Carrying Capacity?
Because of these limiting factors, each ecosystem has a finite (limited) capacity for growth connected to its carrying capacity.

10. What is Carrying Capacity?
Carrying capacity is the number of individuals of a species that an ecosystem can support.

11. What are the levels of organization in an ecosystem?

12. Organism: one single living thing
(individual)
Population: a group of interbreeding organisms in the same area
Community: ALL organisms living in one area

13. YOU TRY IT!!! In your notes, fill in the Ecosystem Pyramid for the Florida ecosystem that you live closest to.

14. Take out a sheet of paper.
Create an inverted pyramid that shows individual through ecosystem. The pyramid will be of the savanna in Africa. (Think Lion King)

15. Savannah Challenge
Write a paragraph explaining what would happen if a wildfire limited the growth of grass in the savannah.
Now turn to your partner and read theirs. Give them two positive remarks and two helpful remarks about their paragraph.
Circulate the papers and read the rest of the tables
Grade you own work out of 5pts

16. Bell work 10-1
EXPLAIN how predators would be considered a limiting factor.
Use each scenario below to explain what would happen if the predator population increased and what would happen if it decreased.
Use the savanna
Use Ravenwater Pond

17. Limiting Factors Foldable
Food
Predators
Shelter
Disease
Soil
Water
Space

18. Inside Foldable How is it a limiting Factor on one tab
Ravenwater pond example on another
Limiting Factor tab – book definition one tab and in your own words on another.

19. Bellwork
Explain how space is a limiting factor and then give an example using five biotic and three abiotic factors in Ravenwater pond.

20. Grab an Ipad when I call your table
Log in to canvas
Modules
Limiting Factors Web Quest
Click Grey Bar
Start
Write answers on a sheet of paper to be turned in.