What do terms like biosphere, ecosystem, population, and
ecology make you think of?
Work with 3-4 partners and quickly sketch a concept map.
SBI4U RHSA
http://teachers.saschina.org/dbister/files/2010/11/Biology_Biosphere1.jpg
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Ecology is the study of the abundance of
plants, animals, bacteria, fungus and other
organisms as well as their distribution and
environmental interactions with each other.
The environment consists of all the biotic and
abiotic components that surround an
organism.
Name biotic and abiotic factors in this ecosystem.
Describe some interactions between the biotic and
abiotic factors.
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Biotic or living parts of the environment
include plants, animals and other organisms.
Abiotic or non living parts include physical
and chemical parts of the environment such
as temperature, light, water, nutrients or
concrete.
AGAIN - Name biotic and abiotic factors in this ecosystem.
Describe some interactions between the biotic and abiotic factors.
Ecologists focus their research on one of four
categories:
1. Organism - individuals of a species (e.g. fish)
2. Population –a group of individuals of the same
species living in the same geographical area
e.g. a school of fish
3. Community -all the organisms in all the
interacting populations in a given area e.g. all
the fish, plants, algae, coral in a reef
4. Ecosystem - a community of living organisms
together and the abiotic factors that surround
and affect it. e.g. wind, water, sunlight around
the reef community
Use the grade 9 terms organism, population,
producer, consumer, autotroph, heterotroph,
community and ecosystem while describing this
photo of the Asian steppes.
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Biomes are generalized
ecosystems with
specific climate and the
species evolved to
succeed there.
Example: cacti in a
desert biome. Name the
other biomes shown.
Choose one organism inferred in the picture
and describe its’ habitat and its’ niche.
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A habitat is a specific set of biotic and abiotic
characteristics in which individuals of a
species can thrive.
This is different than an ecological niche
which is the task an organism plays in the
habitat. For example a beaver lives in a
boreal forest habitat but it’s niche is to be a
consumer of trees and to modify the habitat
to convert rivers to ponds for other
organisms.
Succession
Change is a major factor in ecology.
Populations change due to predation,
competition for food or rainfall changes. The
change in a population of grass will affect the
population of sparrows in the community.
Ecological succession is the process of
successive change in species composition.
Types of Succession
Primary Succession occurs where no living species were
previously found. e.g. a new island. The first species to
arrive are pioneer species like lichen which form soil
from rock.
Secondary succession occurs when patches of a
community are disturbed by fire, flood or logging.
Colonizers are the species that thrive in open disturbed
areas and their growth gives shade for other species.
A stable self perpetuating community is called a climax
community.
How lichen work – symbiosis! A fungus and an algae or
photosynthetic bacteria work together.
What
What
What
What
happened in picture 1?
evidence supports your hypothesis?
changes can be seen in picture 2?
type of succession is occurring?
Describe the type of
succession that is
occurring – where,
when , why and how
does this happen?