1. THE BIOSPHERE IS THE GLOBAL ECOSYSTEM

2. ECOLOGY STUDY OF THE INTERACTIONS AMONG ORGANISMS AND BETWEEN ORGANISMS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS

3. BIOTIC FACTORS (LIVING) EXAMPLES: PROKARYOTES, PROTISTS, ANIMALS, FUNGI AND PLANTS

4. ABIOTIC FACTORS NONLIVING PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CONDITIONS

5. ABIOTIC FACTORS A. SUNLIGHT B. WATER C. TEMPERATURE D. SOIL E. WIND F. SEVERE DISTURBANCES

6. FIVE INCREASING BROAD LEVELS A. INDIVIDUAL ORGANISMS B. POPULATIONS C. COMMUNITIES D. ECOSYSTEMS F. BIOSPHERE

7. Go to Section: Levels of Organization

8. PATCHINESS OF BIOSPHERE NOT UNIFORM ACROSS THE EARTH DUE TO DIFFERENCES IN ABIOTIC FACTORS- UNEVEN HEATING FROM SUN VARYING CLIMATES

10. UNEVEN HEATING OF EARTH’S SURFACE RESULTS IN THREE DIFFERENT TEMPERATURE ZONES:

11. TROPICS REGION BETWEEN 23.5°N LATITUDE AND 23.5°S LATITUDE WARMEST AREA

12. POLAR ZONES REGION NORTH OF ARCTIC CIRCLE- 66.5 °N LATITUDE AND REGION SOUTH OF ANTARCTIC CIRCLE-66.5 °S LATITUDE COLDEST AREAS

13. TEMPERATE ZONES REGIONS BETWEEN THE POLAR ZONES AND TROPICS SEASONAL CHANGES LESS SEVERE COLD AND LESS SEVERE HEAT

15. BIOMES TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS THAT COVER LARGE AREAS OF EARTH A. CHARACTERIZED BY COMMUNITIES OF PLANTS AND OTHER ORGANISMS ADAPTED TO ITS CLIMATE AND OTHER ABIOTIC FACTORS B. LANDSCAPES APPEAR SIMILAR BUT SPECIFIC ORGANISMS VARY IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD