Explore the Interconnected World of Living Things

1. Chapter 16 NotesInteractions of Living Things

2. 16.1 NotesEverything is Connected • ecology – the study of the interactions between organisms and their environment • An environment has two parts: • biotic –living organisms • abiotic –nonliving, the physical factors that affect living organisms such as water, soil, light, & temperature

3. 16.1 NotesEverything is Connected • 6 levels of environmental organization: • individual – a single living thing • population – two or more organisms of the same species that live together in the same area at the same time • community – two or more populations of different species that live and interact in an area • ecosystem – two or more populations in their abiotic environment (water, soil, light, temperature) • biome – the climate affects the plant community which affects the animal community (rainforest, desert) • biosphere – the part of the Earth where life exists

4. 16.2 NotesLiving Things Need Energy • 3 types of consumers: • herbivore – a consumer that eats only plants (koala) • carnivore – a consumer that eats only animals (lion) • omnivore – a consumer that eats both plants and animals (humans/bears)

5. 16.2 NotesLiving Things Need Energy • A food chain includes: • producer – plants that use energy in sunlight to make food (plant) • consumer – animals that eat plants and/or other animals (animal) • scavenger – animals that eat the dead body of another animal (vulture, hyena, fox) • decomposer – an organism that gets energy from the remains of an animal and absorbs the nutrients (bacteria)

6. 16.2 NotesLiving Things Need Energy • primary consumer – first consumer to eat the energy from the plant (cow) • cow eats grass • herbivore • secondary consumer – second consumer to eat the energy (lion) • lion eats the cow • carnivore • tertiary consumer – third consumer to eat the energy • vulture eats what’s left of the cow • scavenger

7. 16.2 NotesLiving Things Need Energy • food chain – a chain of energy in food molecules that flows from one organism to the next • food web – many food chains connected that makes energy flow from one organism to the next • energy pyramid – a diagram that shows the loss of energy at each higher level

8. 16.2 NotesLiving Things Need Energy • habitat – an environment where an organism lives • niche – an organisms way of life in its habitat

9. Questions • How do animals get energy? • Eating (consuming food) • Pandas and koalas eat plants. What do pandas and koalas have in common? (vocab word) • They are both herbivores

10. Questions • What are the 4 abiotic factors in an environment? • Water, soil, light, temperature • If the amount of producers went down, what would happen to the amount of carnivores? • Go down also

11. 16.3 NotesTypes of Interactions • limiting factor – one or more resources become scarce (food/water) • carrying capacity – the largest population that an environment can handle • competition – two or more organisms or populations try to use the same limited resources such as food, water, shelter, space, or sunlight

12. 16.3 NotesTypes of Interactions • prey – animal that gets hunted (hunted) • predator – animal that hunts other animals (hunter) • coevolution – two or more species have adapted to each other

13. 16.3 NotesTypes of Interactions • symbiosis – a close long term association between two or more species • 3 types of symbiotic relationships: • mutualism – a symbiotic relationship which both animals benefit (coral & algae) • commensalism – a symbiotic relationship which one animal benefits and the other is unaffected (shark & remora) • parasitism – a symbiotic relationship which one animal benefits and the other is harmed (dog & tick)

14. 16.3 NotesTypes of Interactions • parasite – an organism benefiting by harming another organism (tick) • host – an organism being harmed by a parasite (dog)

15. Questions • True/False Insects and rabbits play the same role in different food chains. • True because both are herbivores • Which would cause the most destruction of a food chain? • Killing the producer

16. Questions • Write for each animal below if they are a herbivore or a carnivore: • Panda – herbivore • Grizzly bear - carnivore • Koala - herbivore • Bullfrog - carnivore • Kangaroo - herbivore • Bison - herbivore • Cow - herbivore • Cougar - carnivore