Glue this side
into your
Science Journal
Ecology
Ecology is the study of organisms and their
interaction with the environment.
An organism is any living thing
Examples: Humans, animals, plant, bacteria
An Organism is any living thing that can carry out all
of the basic life activities.
Population is a group of individuals of the same
species that live together in the same area.
Living things in an ecosystem are called a
Community.
• Community
– Is composed of all of the populations of
different organisms living together in a given
are such as your lawn (contains grass, insects,
and worms)
Name the three members in every community:
1. Producers
2. Consumers
3. Decomposers
Example of a Producer: Green Plants
Example of a Consumer: Carnivores and Herbivores
Decomposers
Organisms that use the organic matter of dead plants and
animals are called decomposers. They release digestive
enzymes to break down organic matter and then absorb
the products of digestion. Decomposers include fungi and
bacteria
• The Ecosystem
– Is a self supporting area composed of living and
nonliving things such as the Rain Forest or the
Desert
– It produces energy, transfers energy,
decomposes, and recycles
– It made up of two (2) types of factors:
• Biotic and Abiotic
• Biotic Factors
– The living parts of the environment such as
plants, bacteria, and animals
Producer to Consumer to Decomposer
Food Web:
The interrelationship between many food chains
is called a food web.
Adaptations
All organisms have adaptations that help them to
survive. Organisms that are adapted to their
environment are able to:
• obtain air, water, food and nutrients
• cope with physical conditions such as temperature,
light and heat
• defend themselves from their natural enemies
• reproduce
• respond to changes around them
What makes ecosystems different?
1. Amount of water
2. Amount of sunlight
• Abiotic Factors
– are non living parts of the environment such as
rocks, the sun, and temperature
All energy in a food web comes from the…
Sun!
Draw a food Chain:
3. Type of soil