The study of the interactions between organisms and their environment.

1. Ecology Environmental Science: Chapter 18 The study of the interactions between organisms and their environment.

2. vocab fluency chart

3. Section 1Everything is Connected

4. Biotic factors: • All the organisms that live together and interact with one another.

5. Abiotic factors: • All of the physical factors (non-living things) that affect organisms • Examples: water, air, soil , light, temperature, wind, humidity, waves, currents, gravity, etc.

6. Organism- • An individual form of life • Anything that can carry out life processes independently

7. Population- • A group of individuals of the same species that live together in the same area at the same time.

8. Community- All of the populations of different species that live and interact in an area. Ex. Fawn Lake:

9. ecosystems • An ecosystem is made up of a community of organisms and it includes its ABIOTIC environment • Example: the ocean, tropical rain forest, salt marsh, river, etc.

10. Biosphere The part of the earth where life exists.

11. 5 Levels of Environmental Organization: biosphere ecosystem community population organism

12. Salt Marsh Ecosystem: Cape Cod

13. Section 2 LIVING THINGS NEED ENERGY! 99.9% of living things get their energy from where?

14. the sun !

15. exception... deep sea vents Black smokers….feed clams and tube worms…energy here comes fromsulfurchemicalsinside the earth

16. These exist on average at depths of 6,890 feet below the surface of the oceans ! (over a mile deep!) water temps are close to 750 dgrees F !

17. Submersible : Alvin

19. A producer A consumer or A decomposer All organisms are either:

20. What’s a Producer? • Organisms that use sunlight directly to make food… Ex. plants, algae, some bacteria

21. Producers do this by the process of… photosynthesis

22. A Consumer • Is an organism that eats other organisms • They eat producers (like plants) or • They eat other animals

23. What are the four types of Consumers?

24. Decomposers • Organisms that get energy by breaking down the remains of dead organisms • Ex. Bacteria, Fungi • Known as“nature’s recyclers”

25. What are the 2 main decomposers? • Bacteria ! • Fungi !

26. This chain of energy transferring from one species to another can continue several more times, but it eventually ends. It ends with the dead animals that are broken down and used as food or nutrition by bacteria and fungi. As these organisms, referred to as decomposers, feed from the dead animals, they break down the complex organic compounds into simple nutrients. Decomposers play a very important role in this world because they take care of breaking down (cleaning) many dead material. There are more than 100,000 different types of decomposer organisms! These simpler nutrients are returned to the soil and can be used again by the plants. The energy transformation chain starts all over again.

27. Cycle of Life… Names and word definitions

28. What’s the difference between a Food Chain and a Food Web?

29. Food Chain-shows how energy in food molecules flows from oneorganism to the next • Food Web-a complex diagram showing many energy pathways in a real ecosystem

30. In a food chain or Food Web: • The arrow shows the direction of energy movement. • Which is correct? • A) Worm Robin • B) Robin Worm

31. What two things does an Energy Pyramid show? • Number of organisms • Amount of energy available at each level:

32. Ocean

33. Pond

34. Field

35. Deciduous Forest

36. WolvesCanus lupis • Used to be common throughout the country • They are predators that prey on large animals such as elk, deer, moose, buffalo, bison • Considered at the top of the Energy Pyramid in their ecosystem • Almost wiped out as the wilderness was settled • Results of their disappearance to the ecosystem?

37. Complete change of the food web: Cervus americanus • Elk populationsincreased… • Overgrazing (by elk) • Grasses became wiped out • Populations of animals dependant on grasses were wiped out (hares, prairie dogs, skunks, chipmunks, and other small mammals) • Wipe-out of animals like foxes that eat the small mammals

38. In 1995 • Wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park:

39. Habitat- (where it lives) Niche- (its rolewithin the ecosystem) How’s a habitat different from a niche?

40. Spider Habitat? Niche?

41. Dog • Habitat? • Niche?

42. Maple Tree • Habitat? • Niche?

44. Section 3… Types of Interactions…

45. Interactions in the environment… • Limiting Factors-things that slow the growth of a population such as food, water, or space, sunlight • Carrying Capacity

46. Carrying Capacity • The largest population that an environment can support over a long period of time.

48. Carrying Capacity Example in Bedford?… The deer population !

49. Oh Deer Game !

50. Interactions with Other Organisms: • There are 4 main ways that species and individuals affect each other: • Predators and Prey • Competition • Symbiosis • Coevolution