Organisms and Their Environment

1. Organisms and Their Environment Science Foundations

2. Environment and Ecology • Everything that surrounds a living thing makes up its environment. • Living things are affected by their environments, and also have an impact on their environments. • The study of the interaction between organisms and their environment is called ecology.

3. Ecosystem An ecosystem is composed of all living and nonliving things in a particular location. Examples: • Forest • Pond • Meadow • Any place where living things interact with the nonliving environment.

4. Biotic Factors The living things are called biotic factors. (bio = living) Examples: • Microorganisms • Plants • Animals

5. Abiotic Factors The nonliving things are called abiotic factors. Examples: • Climate • Soil • Rocks • Wind • Rain

6. Species A biological species is a group of organisms having a genetic makeup that is similar enough that they can mate and produce fertile offspring.

7. Populations A population is made up of all members of a particular species living in a particular area at the same time. Example: All of the deer living on Kennesaw Mountain

8. Another Example: All the ducks of a certain species living in a pond would be a population. Within that population, individual ducks may vary in many traits, such as size. However, most members of the duck population could be described by an average size.

9. Community All of the populations living in the same area make up a community. It includes all the different kinds of living things, which all live together. Example: The frogs, lizards, birds, ducks, spiders, mosquitoes, flies, etc., that live in your backyard.

10. Habitat A habitat is the physical surroundings, or the place, in which an organism lives.

11. Niche A niche includes all aspects of an animal’s lifestyle, especially its feeding patterns. A niche also refers to the job or role that each organism has in the community. Animals that live in the same place, but do not feed in the same way, do not fill the same niche and do not compete with each other.

12. Biosphere The biosphere is the part of the Earth where life exists. It consists of the thin envelope around the Earth made up of atmosphere, land and water. The biosphere has elements that are constantly used and reused in the ecosystems.

13. The Elements The elements used and reused in the biosphere are Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen and Nitrogen. They are provided in cycles so they can be used and then reformed to keep the elements constant in our environment.

14. Water Cycle The water cycle provides water which is necessary for organisms to live. Water evaporates from the surface of the earth, whether from water sources or moist land. As much as 2/3 of all precipitation evaporates into the atmosphere. Water vapor condenses and clouds form. Precipitation in the form of snow, ice, or rain falls to the earth. Eventually that precipitation will again evaporate.

15. Water Cycle

16. Nitrogen Cycle The nitrogen cycle is needed to supply amino acids which are the building blocks of proteins. Nitrogen gas is 80% of our atmosphere. Some organisms can only use nitrogen in the form of ammonia. When nitrogen in the air is converted to ammonia it is called Nitrogen Fixation. Some bacteria convert nitrogen on plant roots so that nitrogen is eaten in the plant and the consumers use it to make protein. Nitrogen is also found in our waste products and in decaying matter. When organisms die,

17. Nitrogen Cycle

18. Carbon Cycle The carbon cycle provides carbon, an element present in every living organism. Carbon is in our atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide. In organisms carbon dioxide is breathed out in respiration and is released in the decomposition of matter. Plants use carbon dioxide in photosynthesis and make sugars and oxygen.

19. Carbon Cycle

20. Biomes of North America Biomes are parts of the biosphere characterized by large regions that can be identified by the types of plants and animals that live there. Biomes: • Tundra • Desert • Grassland • Tropical Rain Forest • Temperate (Deciduous) Forest • Taiga (Coniferous Forest)

21. Biomes A number of climatic factors interact in creating a biome. • Temperature • Precipitation • Length of growing season

22. Tundra Regions – Arctic/Antarctic areas Plant life – grass and wildflowers Animal life – reindeer, caribou Description – thin soil, permafrost

23. Taiga Regions – Northern forests Plant life – conifers Animal life – wolves, rabbits, elk Description – long, cold winters

24. Deciduous Forest Regions – NE/mideastern US; Western Europe Plant life – deciduous trees Animal life – deer, birds, small animals, bears Description – average precipitation, warm summers, cold winters

25. Grassland Regions – Mid-western US; Eurasia, Africa Plant life – grasses Animal life – prairie dogs, ferrets, snakes Description – hot summers, cold winters, rainfall unpredictable

26. Desert Regions – Western US; N. and SW Africa Plant life – cacti, succulents Animal life – jackrabbits, lizards, rats Description – arid; extreme daily temperatures

27. Tropical Rainforest Regions – Central America, Central Africa, SE Asia Plant life – diverse plants Animal life – monkeys, leopards Description – high rainfall and temperature