19.1 Ecology

1. 19.1 Ecology The study of interactions between organisms and the living and nonliving components of their environment. Oikos = house Logy = study of

2. Exploding Human Population • The worlds population since 1930 has tripled from 2 billion to 6 billion in 1999. • Projections estimate by 2050 a population of 7.8 and 12 billion.

3. The Sixth Mass Extinction • Due to this exploding human population scientists estimate that 1/5 of the species that exist today may disappear in the next century. • Scientist have found evidence of five previous mass extinctions. Ex. Ice ages, dinosaurs dying out.

4. Thinning ozone • The ozone layer protects organisms from ultraviolet (UV) light. • Due to the production of CFC’s (ChloroFloroCarbons) there is now a hole in the ozone over Antarctica

6. Climate Changes • The Greenhouse effect is when gasses trap solar radiation in the atmosphere of the earth. • If this effect is too strong it can become too hot • If the effect is too weak it can become too cold.

8. Levels of Organization • Biosphere • Ecosystem • Community • Population • Organism

9. Biosphere • All organisms live in the biosphere (earth)

10. Ecosystem • The biosphere is made of many ecosystems • Ecosystems include the living and non living things found in a particular place.

11. Community, Population, and Organism. • All these are living things. • Community is all the organisms living and interacting in an area • Populations include all the organisms of one type of species • Organisms are individuals

12. Key theme in Ecology • No organism is isolated. There is an interconnectedness of all organisms

13. Disturbances in Ecosystems • Due to interconnectedness if one species dies out this can affect other organisms.