The Organization of Life
Ch4, Section 1: EcosystemsEverything is Connected
Standards: SCSh.7.c, SEV2a, SEV2b
What are the components of an
ecosystem?
1. Habitat
• Place where an organism
lives
• Animals and plants are
well adapted for the
habitat in which they live
• How many habitats are
in this picture?
What are the components of an
ecosystem?
2. Biotic factors
• Living & once living parts
of an ecosystem.
• Ex: plants, animals,
dead organisms & parts
of organisms
3. Abiotic factors
• Non-living parts of an
ecosystem
• Ex: air, water, rocks,
sand, light, temperature
What is the relationship between
biotic & abiotic factors?
• Biotic & Abiotic factors
influence each other.
• Ex: The temperature of
water will affect the
survival of coral.
• Ex: Fish excrete
nitrogen waste into a
pond increasing nitrate
levels.
What are the levels of life that are
studied by ecologists?
What are the levels of life that are
studied by ecologists?
• Organism
– An individual living thing.
– Ex: A caribou, a fire ant;
a bacterium; a human
What are the levels of life that are
studied by ecologists?
• Population
– All the members of the
same species that live in
the same place at the
same time.
– Ex: all the caribou in
eastern Alaska, all fire ants
that live in an ant mound
in your backyard. All E. coli
that live in your intestine.
What are the levels of life that are
studied by ecologists?
• Community
– Group of various species
that live in the same
place and interact with
each other.
– Only consists of biotic
components
– Ex: all the trees, moss,
caribou, moose, bobcats,
beaver, owls, rabbits in
this area of the Taiga
(Boreal forest)
What are the levels of life that are
studied by ecologists?
• Ecosystem
– Interactions between all
biotic AND abiotic
components.
– Ex: The interaction
between the stream,
oxygen levels in the
stream, fish, grizzly bears,
plants, moose, eagles,
atmosphere, soil
What are the levels of life that are
studied by ecologists?
• Biome
– Collection of similar
ecosystems.
– All areas that have low
precipitation, low
temperatures, dominated
by evergreen trees and
acidic soil are characterized
as Taiga/Boreal forest.