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What is Ecology?
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Organisms and Their Environme
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What is Ecology??What is Ecology??•The The study of interactionsstudy of interactions
that take placethat take place between between organisms and their organisms and their environmentenvironment..
• It explains how living It explains how living organisms affect each other organisms affect each other and the world they live in.and the world they live in.
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Habitat & NicheHabitat & Niche•HabitatHabitat is the is the place a plant place a plant or animal livesor animal lives
•NicheNiche is an is an organismorganism’’s s total way of total way of lifelife
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The Nonliving The Nonliving EnvironmentEnvironment
• Abiotic factorsAbiotic factors- the - the nonliving parts of an nonliving parts of an organismorganism’’s s environment.environment.
• Examples Examples include air include air currents, temperature, currents, temperature, moisture, light, and soil.moisture, light, and soil.
• Abiotic factors affect an Abiotic factors affect an organismorganism’’s life.s life.
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The Living EnvironmentThe Living Environment•Biotic factorsBiotic factors- all the - all the
living organisms that living organisms that inhabit an environment.inhabit an environment.
•All organisms depend All organisms depend on others directly or on others directly or indirectly for food, indirectly for food, shelter, reproduction, or shelter, reproduction, or protection.protection.
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Abiotic or Biotic?Abiotic or Biotic?
BioticBiotic
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Abiotic or Biotic?Abiotic or Biotic?
AbioticAbiotic
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Abiotic or Biotic?Abiotic or Biotic?
AbioticAbiotic
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Abiotic or Biotic?Abiotic or Biotic?
BioticBiotic
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Levels of Organization
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What are the Simplest Levels?
•AtomAtom•MoleculeMolecule•OrganelleOrganelle•CellCell•TissueTissue•OrganOrgan•SystemSystem
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Levels of OrganizationLevels of Organization• EcologistsEcologists have organized have organized
the interactions an organism the interactions an organism takes part in into takes part in into different different levels according to levels according to complexitycomplexity..
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11stst Level of Organization Level of Organization•Organism:Organism:
An individual An individual living thing that living thing that is made of cells, is made of cells, uses energy, uses energy, reproduces, reproduces, responds, responds, grows, and grows, and developsdevelops
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22ndnd Level of Organization Level of Organization•Population:Population:
A group of A group of organisms, all organisms, all of the same of the same species, which species, which interbreed interbreed and live in the and live in the same place at same place at the same the same timtime.e.
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33rdrd Level of Organization Level of Organization•Community:Community:
All the All the populations populations of different of different species that species that live in the live in the same place at same place at the same the same time.time.
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44thth Level of Organization Level of Organization•Ecosystem:Ecosystem:
Populations of Populations of plants and animals plants and animals that interact with that interact with each other in a each other in a given area with the given area with the abiotic components abiotic components of that area. of that area. (terrestrial or (terrestrial or aquatic)aquatic)
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5th Level of Organization• Biome: A group of ecosystems
that share similar climates and typical
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66thth Level of Organization Level of Organization•Biosphere:Biosphere:The The portion of portion of Earth that Earth that supports supports lifelife..
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The BiosphereThe Biosphere
• Life is found in air, on Life is found in air, on land, and in fresh and land, and in fresh and salt water.salt water.
• The BIOSPHERE is the The BIOSPHERE is the portion of Earth that portion of Earth that supports living things.supports living things.
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What level of What level of organization?organization?
OrganismOrganism
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What level of What level of Organization?Organization?
CommunityCommunity
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What level of What level of Organization?Organization?
PopulationPopulation
Producers & Consumers
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Energy• Organisms need energy to
survive• No organism can create their
own energy– Only use energy from other sources– Where does the energy come from?
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The sun is the ultimate source of energy
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Autotrophs• Algae, some bacteria, and plants
can harness energy from the sun or chemicals and convert it into chemical energy
• They are autotrophs– “self feeding”
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Producers• Autotrophs
– store energy in forms that make it available to other organisms
– They are known as primary producers•First producers•Essential to flow of
energy
Energy from Sun• Primary producers
use solar energy through the process of photosynthesis– Plants– Algae– Cyanobacteria
• Photosynthesis– Captures light
energy
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Life Without Light• Chemosynthesis:
– Chemical energy is used to produce sugars
• Chemosynthetic organisms are found in the deepest, darkest oceans, hot springs, and tidal marshes.
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Photosynthesis & Chemosynthesis
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Heterotrophs• Many organisms cannot directly use
energy from the environment.• They must acquire energy from other
organisms – They are known as heterotrophs
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Consumers• Organisms that rely on other
organisms for energy and nutrients are called consumers
• There are different classes of consumers
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Consumers• Decomposers:
– “feed” by chemically breaking down organic matter
– Ex: fungi, bacteria• Detritivores:
– Feed on detritus particles (waste, trash)
– Ex: earthworms, beetles
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Consumers• Omnivores:
– Diet naturally includes a variety of different foods.
– Both plants and animals
– Ex: humans, bears, pigs
• Scavengers:– Consume the
carcasses of other animals
– Ex: vultures,
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Consumers• Herbivores
– Eat plants, roots, seeds, or fruits
– Ex: cows, caterpillars, and deer
• Carnivores– Kill and eat other
organisms– Ex: snakes, cats,
dogs, etc
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