1. Environmental Science Chapter 4: The Organization of Life

2. The Organization of Life Big Ideas
In an ecosystem, the biotic and abiotic components interact to form an interconnected system.
Species adapt to their environment through the process of evolution by natural selection.
Humans classify the diversity of life on Earth in order to better understand their relationships.

3. Section 1: Ecosystems GOALS
Distinguish between biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem
Describe how a population differs from a species
Explain the importance of habitats

4. What is Ecology?
The study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment.

5. What is an ecosystem?

6. Defining an ecosystem
Ecosystem: all the organisms living in an area together with their physical environment
Forest Ecosystem
Pond Ecosystem
Vacant Lot Ecosystem
Desert Ecosystem

7. All Ecosystems are connected
How does your ecosystem impact the Atlantic Ocean?

8. Parts of an ecosystem

9. Parts of an ecosystem
In order for an ecosystem to survive it needs five basic components:
Energy
Mineral Nutrients
Water
Oxygen
Living Organisms

11. What are some parts of this ecosystem?

12. If your are conducting a study of the interactions of vegetation, animals, mineral composition of the soil, and water levels in a saltmarsh. You are studying the saltmarsh ___.
ECOSYSTEM

13. Biotic and Abiotic Factors
Biotic: living & once living parts of an ecosystem
Plants, animals, bacteria, dead organisms, wastes
Abiotic: nonliving parts of an ecosystem
Air, water, soil, sunlight, temperature

14. What are some biotic AND abiotic parts of this ecosystem?

15. Pair and Share Activity:
With a partner of your choice, create a table that lists the abiotic and biotic things in this classroom.
Abiotic
Biotic

16. Organizing Biotic Parts

18. Smallest Unit
Organism: an individual living thing like you, a tree, a fox, a rose
Species: groups of closely related organisms that can mate & produce fertile offspring like red foxes or black widow spiders, or grizzly bears

19. Species
Species: groups of organisms that resemble each other in appearance, behavior, chemistry and genetic makeup…able to reproduce
3.6 to 100 million species (1.4 identified)
Mostly insects/micro
Tropical forests

20. Insects 751,000
Known species 1,412,000
Plants 248,400

21. Population
Population: all the members of the same species that live in the same place at the same time
Field mice living in a corn field, grizzly bears of Yellowstone Park
Members breed with one another, rather than with other populations

23. Community
Community: a group of various species that live in the same place and interact with each other
Pond Community
Pineland Forest Community

25. Giraffes, lions, zebras, hyenas, and all the other living things of the Serengeti make up a(n) ___
COMMUNITY

26. Habitat Habitat: the place where an organism lives
Organisms are well suited for their habitat

27. Habitat
Habitats provide an organism with resources—anything an organism needs to survive and reproduce, including food, shelter, and mates

29. Biosphere
All parts of the Earth where life is found

30. Section 1 Review Biotic are living factors in an ecosystem
Abiotic are non-living factors in an ecosystem
Biosphere is composed of ecosystems, ecosystems are composed of communities, community is made up of populations, populations are composed of species, species are composed of individuals
Habitats provide organisms with the resources they need to survive

31. Section 2: Evolution GOALS
Explain the process of evolution by natural selection
Explain the concept of adaptation
Describe the process of resistance

32. How have you changed (not just physically) since you were a child?

33. Change is one thing that is certain in life.
Change occurs in many ways
-cultures change
-individuals change
-species change

34. Essential Question: How did they get here?
You’ve read about the diversity of living organisms on Earth (plants, animals, protists, fungi, bacteria)
How did they get here?

35. Change in the genetic characteristics of a population over time!
What is Evolution?
Change in the genetic characteristics of a population over time!

36. - the best suited (most fit) organisms survive and reproduce
- biologists say that the environment exerts a strong influence over which individuals survive to produce offspring
- the best suited (most fit) organisms survive and reproduce
- individuals with certain traits are more likely to survive and reproduce

37. “Survival of the Fittest”
Natural Selection
aka
“Survival of the Fittest”
- the unequal survival and reproduction that results from the presence or absence of particular traits

38. Evolution by Natural Selection
1-Organisms produce more offspring than can survive
2-The environment is hostile and contains limited resources
3-Organisms differ in the traits they have
4-Some inherited traits provide organisms with an advantage (ADAPTATION)
5-Each generation contains proportionately more organisms with advantageous traits

39. Natural Selection
Hammer Orchid

40. Coevolution
Process of 2 species evolving in response to long term interactions with each other

41. Question:
If natural selection concludes that all dogs are closely related through a common ancestor, then how come this Chihuahua and this Great Dane are so different?

42. Artificial Selection:
Artificial selection refers to the process where humans select organisms with certain traits to breed.

43. Resistance:
Resistance occurs when humans expose organisms to certain conditions/chemicals, and those organisms become tolerant or “immune” to the conditions over time.
Examples:
Insects can become resistant to pesticides
B. Bacteria can become resistance to antibiotics

44. Section 2 Review
Evolution by natural selection is the unequal survival and reproduction that results from the presence or absence of particular traits
Adaptation increase an organism’s chance of survival and reproduction in a certain environment
Resistance is the ability of an organism to tolerate a particular chemical or condition designed to kill it

45. Question: What is your favorite organism(s) of all time? Why?
This cat’s favorite organism is a frog.

46. Section 3: The Diversity of Living Things
GOALS
Name the five kingdoms of organization and identify characteristics of each
Explain why bacteria and fungi are important
Describe the importance of protists in the ocean environment
Describe the interdependence of angiosperms and animals
Explain why insect animals are so successful

47. -single-cell, no nucleus
Bacteria:
-single-cell, no nucleus
-cell wall
-reproduce by division
-two types
Archaebacteria (extremophiles)
Eubacteria
-most diverse & common
organisms on Earth
-many important roles
decomposers, recyclers, assist in digestion
Examples?
- E. coli, cyanobacteria

48. Video: Bacteria - The Good and The Bad
Link to video

49. Video: How Bacteria Talk
Link to video

50. Airborne Bacteria Lab
-Bacteria are so important, that humans (and many other organisms) would be extinct without them.
-The point of this lab is to review the scientific method, and gain an appreciation for how much bacteria we are surrounds by.

51. Fungi: -single cell, nucleus, cell wall, no chlorophyll
-absorb food from around them
decomposers: feed on dead organisms
Examples?
(Athlete’s foot, cheese, yeast)

52. Protists: -many single-celled -very diverse, most live in water
-important role (algae/phytoplankton)?
Examples?
Diatoms, dinoflagellates, amoeba, paramecium, amoeba, kelp

53. Plants: -many cells, cell wall -photosynthesize -most land dwellers
-supply oxygen and food to much of the world
-gymnosperms (conifers)
-woody plants
-seeds not enclosed in fruits
-angiosperms (flowers/fruits)
-flowering plants
-produce seeds in fruit
-important role?
Most land animals depend on flowering plants for food

54. Animals: -many cells -no cell wall -must take in food
-live on land or water

55. Animal Types:
-Invertebrates
-no backbone
-Vertebrates
-have backbone

56. Insect Success: -waterproof external skeleton -move quickly
-reproduce quickly
-most can fly
-small size
-little food needed
-hide
-insects & plants coevolved
-pollination
-eat plant pests

57. Section 3: Review
The five kingdoms are bacteria, fungi, protists, plants, animals
Bacteria and fungi are decomposers, recyclers and help release nutrients
Protists in the ocean are the primary source of food
Most animals rely on angiosperms for food
Insect animals are so successful because of their exoskeleton, size, agility, capacity to fly and hide

58. The Organization of Life Big Ideas
In an ecosystem, the biotic and abiotic components interact to form an interconnected system.
Species adapt to their environment through the process of evolution by natural selection.
Humans classify the diversity of life on Earth in order to better understand their relationships.