1. Ecosystems
An ecosystem is a combination of all the living and non-living elements of an area. It is made up of all the living (such as plants, animals, and people) and non-living (such as topography, climate, and water) elements in a particular area.

2. ECOLOGY
ECOLOGY is the study of the natural environment and of the relations of organisms to each other and to their surroundings.
In this topic we will all be ecologists!

3. Types of ecosystems Desert Rainforest Bushland Coral reefs Mangroves
Rivers
Cave
Pond
Sand dune
Grasslands
Alpine

4. Ecosystems are made up of biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors.

5. Biotic factors
Plants
Animals
Fungi
Micro-organisms. E.g. bacteria,

6. Abiotic factors
Abiotic factors in an ecosystem can determine which organisms can live there. They include:
Sunlight
Wind
Temperature
Availability of water
Soil nutrients
Rocks

7. Desert

8. Rainforest

9. Bushland

10. Coral Reefs

11. Mangroves

12. Rivers

13. Cave

14. Pond

15. Sand dune

16. Grassland

17. Alpine

18. Major Ecosystems of the World

19. Australia’s major ecosystems

20. Population
A population is a group of organisms of the same kind living in the same place at the same time e.g. The Bream population in the Shoalhaven River. When all of the populations in an ecosystem interact and form a community.
If the population's needs are not met, it will move to a better habitat. Two different populations can not occupy the same niche at the same time, however. So the processes of competition, predation, cooperation, and symbiosis occur.

21. Community
A community is a number of different populations interacting with each other.
The community of living things interacts with the non-living world around it to form an ecosystem.

22. Habitat
Within each ecosystem, there are habitats which may also vary in size.
A habitat is the place where a population lives. For example, a population of ants has its own habitat.
A micro habitat is a habitat within a habitat e.g. a rock pool on a rock platform.
The habitat must supply the needs of organisms, such as food, water, temperature, oxygen, and minerals.

23. Interactions
Populations of animals interact with each other and their environment in a variety of ways:
Feeding behavior e.g. herbivores & carnivores, predation.
Competition e.g. food (intra) & space (inter)
Relationships e.g. parasitism

24. Human Impacts on the environment
Global Warming
Use of CFC's and impacts on the Ozone Layer
Overuse of Pesticides
Use of PCB's
Deforestation Destruction of Wetlands
Urban Encroachment
Endangered Species
Acid Rain
Water Contamination
Use of Fossil Fuels
Dams for Hydro Electricity
Disposal of Radioactive Wastes
Oil Spills
Smog Air Pollution
Soil Erosion
Introduction of Invasive Species
Heavy Metals
Salting Roads
Crop Irrigation
Irrigation, land erosion and pesticide run off