ECOLOGY: Cornell Notes

6th grade Life Science

1. What is Ecology?

What does an ecologist study?

Ecologythe study of the interactions between organisms and their environment.

Ecologist- a person who studies…

2. How are biotic and abiotic environmental factors different?

Abiotic vs. BioticAbiotic factors are parts of the environment that includes physical features that affect an organism (nonliving…weather, temperature, soil, water, light, buildings, & etc.).

Biotic factors are parts of the environment that live and interact with one another (living…animals, plants, bacteria, protists, & etc.)

3. How does an organism interact with both abiotic and biotic factors?

Abiotic vs. Biotic

water

soil/dirt

dead plants

bird/emu

offspring

trees/plants

ABIOTIC

Climate, temperature,sunlight

BIOTIC

5 Levels of Environmental Organization Groups & Interactions

Organism to Biosphere

Glencoe, Chapter 24Holt, Chapter 18

4.What is an organism? Give an example of an organism …not a zebra.

Organism – one living thing

5.What is a population? Give an example of a population of organisms …not zebras.

Population – group of the same species together in an area

6. What is a community? Give an example of a community of organisms …not zebras.

Community – all the biotic factors in an area-groups of species living together

7. What is an ecosytem? Give an example of an ecosystem for organisms.

Ecosystem – all the abiotic and biotic factors together in an area-organisms and the habitat

8. What is the biosphere? Give an example of the biosphere.

Biosphere – part of Earth where life exists-all the ecosystems together – the Earth-

ARE ALL PART OF ….

9. What is a solar system?Give an example of our system.

Solar System – a group of planets orbiting a star (the sun)

POOR, Pluto!!!!Scientific evidence changes as we learn more.

Milky Way system– a spiral galaxy consisting of 200-400 billion stars

Universe – All of the galaxies together