1. Ecology

2. WHAT IS ECOLOGY? Eco/ logy Housestudy of (or habitat) From Greek Oikos meaning house Ecology is the scientific study of organisms and their interactions with their habitats or environments.

3. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY ENVIRONMENT? The environment is made up of two factors: Biotic factors- all living organisms inhabiting the Earth Abiotic factors- nonliving parts of the environment (i.e. temperature, soil, light, moisture, air currents)

4. Why should we care about ecology? BIG IDEA: Everything in nature is interconnected. So if you affect one thing, that affects others. Eventually that affects us.

5. So what do ecologists actually study? Different levels of nature from a single organism to the entire planet (biosphere)

6. Organism Population Community Biosphere Ecosystem

7. Any unicellular or multicellular form exhibiting all of the characteristics of life, an individual. The lowest level of organization ORGANISM

8. POPULATION a group of organisms of one species living in the same place at the same time that interbreed Produce fertile offspring Compete with each other for resources (food, mates, shelter, etc.)

9. Community - several interacting populations that inhabit a common environment and are interdependent.

10. Ecosystem - populations in a community and the abiotic factors with which they interact (ex. marine, terrestrial)

11. Biosphere - life supporting portions of Earth composed of air, land, fresh water, and salt water. The highest level of organization