Transcript Ecology
Ecology Can’t we all just get along? Ecology Ecology is the study of organisms and how they interact with their environment. Levels of Organization Populations: a particular species within a community (they are similar and can reproduce) Communities: many different types of organisms living together in an ecosystem Ecosystem: consists of all the living and non-living things in a given area that interact with one another. Biome: a collection of ecosystems with similar climates Food and Energy Producers are the plants that take energy from the Sun and turn it into food. Consumers get their energy by eating plants or organisms that eat plants. Decomposers get their energy by breaking down dead organisms into simpler substances. Chains and Webs Food Chains are strings of organisms that link up together by what they eat GrassAntelope Lion Bacteria When food chains overlap they are referred to as Food Webs (It’s never as simple as the example above because there are more producersconsumers-and decomposers involved) A marine life food web The Battle Begins! Habitat: The place in which an organism lives Organisms Compete for their resources They compete with members of their own species They compete with other species for food, water, and even things like sunlight They even compete for mates and the resources needed for reproduction Predation A predator is any organism that kills and eats another organism The prey is the organisms that are killed and eaten How might it benefit a species to be hunted by predators? Symbiosis Organisms in a close relationship that benefits at least one of them Commensalism – One organism benefits and the other is not affected Commensalism Mutualism – Both organisms benefit from the relationship Parasitism – One organism benefits and one is harmed by the relationship Adapting to the Environment Adaptation: Evolutionary changes that make organisms better suited to their environment Natural Selection: Individuals that are best suited to the environment survive and flourish to successfully reproduce The peppered moth theory What are some Adaptations? How have organisms adapted to their climate? To predators? To Competition?