Look at that dot

1. Look at that dot • All the other people, plants, animals you see on a daily basis are just a tiny fraction of the amount of planet-mates you have • How do such diverse organisms live together on that dot?

2. Ecology

3. What is Ecology? • The scientific study of ____________among organisms and between organisms and their environment • Based on the Greek word “oikos” (house) and “logos” (the study of)

4. Levels of Organization

5. Population • Groups of individuals that belong to the ____________and live in the same area at the same time

6. Community • ______________living together in a defined area

7. Ecosystem • All of the organisms in a community (_____factors) + the non-living physical environment (_____factors)

8. Biotic vsAbiotic Factors • Biotic factors: Producers, Consumers, Detritivores, Decomposers • Interact in the community as: Competitors, parasites, pathogens, symbionts, predators, herbivores

9. Abiotic Factors The physical factors: • ___________ (wind speed and direction, humidity, light intensity, air temperature, precipitation, etc) • ___________ (dissolved nutrients, pH and salinity, temperature) • __________ (nutrient availability, soil moisture and pH, composition, temperature)

10. Think-Pair-Share • What are some biotic and abiotic factors in a Pond Ecosystem? Biotic Abiotic

11. Each organisms or species in the community has its own niche.What is a niche? • An organism’s________________ • Includes habitat and interactions with other organisms (resources needed to meet energy, nutrient, survival and reproductive demands) • You can think of it like this: Habitat=address, niche=______

12. Biome • A group of ____________that have the same climate and similar dominant communities

13. Biosphere • Contains all of the_________________________________________________________ • Extends from the bottom of the ocean to the upper atmosphere

14. Which term can describe these? • All of the deer in Surrey? ___________________ • All of the organisms in Surrey? ___________________ • The air temperature in Surrey ___________________ • The entire forest ___________________

15. Ecological theory suggests that all species in an ecosystem contribute in some way to ecosystem function • Scientists estimate that human destruction of habitat is driving up to 100, 000 species to extinction every year • This has serious implications for the long-term stability of many ecosystems

16. To study Ecology involves… • For non-living (abiotic) • Climatology • Hydrology • Oceanography • Physics • Chemistry • Geology • soil analysis, etc. • For living (biotic) • animal behavior • Taxonomy • Physiology • mathematics (population studies) • etc.

17. What does an ecologist do? • Studies ___________between organisms and their surroundings • Calculates abundance and distribution of organisms • Uses a wide range of tools and techniques

18. Observing • simple and complex observations

19. Experimenting • in a laboratory and in the natural world

20. Modelling • often uses mathematics to make predictions which can be tested by experimentation and observation

21. Think, Pair, Share • Suppose you want to know if the water in a certain stream is safe to drink. • Which method would you use? What would this involve?