1. 10T2K©
Ecology

2. Thing 1: What is ecology?
Ecology is the study of how living things interact with each other and their physical environment.

3. Thing 2: Ecosystems
Ecosystems are made up of biotic factors and abiotic factors.
Biotic factors are the communities of living things. Each community is made up of different populations of species.
Abiotic factors are the non-living parts: water, air, soil, rock, etc.

4. Thing 3: A biome is a class of ecosystem
Some land biomes
Desert
Grassland
Rainforest
Deciduous forest
Coniferous forest
Tundra
Some aquatic biomes
Deep ocean
Intertidal
Lake
Swamp
Marsh
River
ESTUARY

5. Thing 4: Symbiosis
Symbiosis is a close ecological relationship between organisms
Mutualism is when each organism needs the other (plant and pollinator, for example).
Commensalism is when one organism is helped and the other isn’t affected (sparrow and tree, for example).
Parasitism is when one organism benefits and the other is harmed, but not usually killed (mosquito and human, for example).

6. Thing 5: Exponential population growth
Exponential growth: population grows quickly because of abundant resources (J curve).

8. Thing 6: Carrying capacity
As resources become scarce, growth slows and reaches a steady state (S curve).
Resources that limit population growth are called limiting factors.
The maximum population size that an ecosystem can support is called the carrying capacity.

10. Thing 7: Succession and pioneer communities
Ecosystems can change over time. This is called succession.
The first living thing in an area make up the pioneer community.
On land, pioneer communities often include lichens.
In water, pioneer communities often include photosynthetic prokaryotes and algae.

11. Thing 8: Succession and climax communities
Pioneer communities change the environment, allowing other organisms to live there
Break down rock
Add organic material to soil
Eventually, a climax community can form, after which little change occurs.

12. Thing 9: Ecological cycles
Water cycle
Oxygen cycle
Carbon cycle
Nitrogen cycle

13. Thing 10: Ecological pyramids
Numbers pyramid
Biomass pyramid
Energy pyramid