Transcript Ecology - science

Ecology:
an introduction
The study of the
interactions that take
place among
organisms and their
environment
Biosphere
 The part of Earth that supports
life
 Top portion of Earth's crust
(lithosphere)
 All the waters that cover Earth's
surface (hydrosphere)
 Atmosphere that surrounds Earth
Ecosystem
 All the organisms living in an
area and the nonliving features
of their environment
 Biotic – living
 Abiotic – nonliving
Biotic
 Biotic – living
 Plants
 Animals
 Single celled organisms
 Fungi
Abiotic
 Abiotic – nonliving
 Water
 Air
 Soil
 Temperature
 Sunlight
Parts of an
Ecosystem
Population
 All the organisms in an
ecosystem that belong to the
same species (biotic)
Community
 All the populations in an
ecosystem (biotic)
http://www2.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/texas_nature_trackers/black_
tailed_prairie_dog/images/lg_black_tailed_prairie_dogs.jpg
Habitat
 The place in which an
organism lives
 provides the kinds of food and
shelter, the temperature, and the
amount of moisture the organism
needs to survive
Niche
 The specific role that an organism plays
in its ecosystem
http://www.thinksimian.com/images/birds_2/nest.JPG
Competition
 Food
 Space
Competition
 Competition caused by
population growth affects many
organisms, including humans
 Limits population size
Limiting Factor
 Anything that restricts the
number of individuals in a
population.
 Includes living / biotic and
nonliving / abiotic features of the
ecosystem
Carrying Capacity
 The maximum number of individuals of
any species that can be supported by a
particular ecosystem on a long-term
basis
http://library.thinkquest.org/J002558F/carrying_capacity.JPG
Energy Transfer
 Food Chains
 Food Webs
 Energy Pyramids
http://www.arcytech.org/java/population/images/food_chain.jpg