The study of
interactions among
organisms and between
organisms and their
environment.
Ecology: the study of
how living organisms
interact with each
other and their
nonliving environment
Ecology studies
how all of these
living and
nonliving things
interact
 Ecosystem: all the organisms




living in an area together
with their physical
environment
Forest Ecosystem
Pond Ecosystem
Vacant Lot Ecosystem
Desert Ecosystem
How does your
ecosystem
impact the
Atlantic Ocean?
In order for an ecosystem to
survive it needs five basic
components:
 Energy
 Mineral Nutrients
 Water
 Oxygen
 Living Organisms
ECOSYSTEM
Biotic: living & once living
parts of an ecosystem
 Plants, animals, bacteria,
dead organisms, wastes
Abiotic: nonliving parts of an
ecosystem
 Air, water, soil, sunlight,
temperature
What are some biotic AND abiotic parts of this ecosystem?
Organism: an individual
living thing like you, a
tree, a fox, a rose
Species: groups of closely
related organisms that
can mate & produce
fertile offspring like red
foxes or black widow
spiders, or grizzly bears
Species: groups of
organisms that
resemble each other in
appearance, behavior,
chemistry and genetic
makeup…able to
reproduce
 3.6 to 100 million
species (1.4 identified)
 Mostly insects/micro
 Tropical forests
Insects
751,000
Known
species
1,412,000
Plants
248,400
Population: all the
members of the same
species that live in the
same place at the same
time
 Field mice living in a corn field,
grizzly bears of Yellowstone Park
 Members breed with one another,
rather than with other populations
Community: a group of
various species that
live in the same place
and interact with each
other
 Pond Community
 Pineland Forest
Community
 All parts of the
Earth where life
is found
Habitat: the place
where an organism
lives
 Organisms are well
suited for their
habitat
 Habitats provide an
organism with
resources—
anything an
organism needs to
survive and
reproduce,
including food,
shelter, and mates
 Influenced by temperature and precipitation
 Weather – current
condition of the
atmosphere
 Climate – the general
weather conditions
prevailing in an area over
a long period