1. Ecology

2. Ecology = study of the interactions between
Ecology = study of the interactions between organisms and their environment.
Environment = living and non-living things which organisms interact.

3. Parts of the environment
Biotic = living factors in the environment (plants, animals, bacteria, etc)
Abiotic = non-living factors in the environment that have an impact on the organisms in that environment (rocks, water, air temp, precipitation, etc.)

4. Abiotic factors
Sunlight-source of almost all energy on Earth. Provides warmth and light. (plants/animals use)
Climate-describes the average weather conditions in an area over time.
Temperature-Hot or cold depending on where you live…(ex: polar bears in rainforest?)

5. Abiotic Factors
Water-all life on Earth requires water! Most organisms on earth are made mostly of water! Important for life processes such as growing and reproducing
Atmosphere-Made of gases in which you breathe.
Soil-Bits of rocks, water, minerals and remains of once living things.

6. Factors Depend on each other
Biotic factors and abiotic factors depend on one another. If just one factor-either biotic or abiotic- is disturbed, other parts of the ecosystem are affected.
Ex: severe droughts…fish and other animals died.
Water=abiotic
Animals-biotic

7. Organization in the environment
Organism = an individual of a species
Population = a group of same species in a given area
Community = all the populations in a given area
Ecosystem = community and its abiotic environment
Biosphere = part of earth where life exists

8. Organisms are producers, consumers, or decomposers
Producers = organisms that make their own food from energy from the sun (plants, algae, protists)
Consumers = organisms that eat producers or other organisms for energy (animals)
Herbivores = plant eaters
Carnivores = eats animals
Omnivores = eats both plants and animals
Scavengers = animals that feed on bodies of dead animals

9. Organisms are producers, consumers, or decomposers
Decomposers = organisms that get energy by breaking down the remains of dead organisms (bacteria, fungi)

10. Unicellular – single celled organisms (bacteria, protists, some fungi)
Multicellular – many celled organisms (plants, animals, some fungi)

11. Autotroph- “self-feeders”
They make their own food
Ex: plants, algae
Producers
Heterotroph- “different-feeders”
Eat food for nutrients
Ex: Animals
consumers