I.Organization in the Biospherea.Biospherei.The portion of the Earth in which all living things existb.Since many living things occupy the biosphere, they interactc.The study of the interactions among organisms and their environment is called ECOLOGYd.Studying ecology requires knowledge ofi.ABIOTIC FACTORS (non-living)ii.BIOTIC FACTORS (living)e.Most important abiotic factor is LIGHTi.Source of energy for almost all living things (directly or indirectly)f.Temperature, Water, Soil and minerals are all important abiotic factorsII.Organization in the Living Environmenta.To make it easier to study organism interactions, you must group them and label them appropriatelyi.Populationall the organisms of a single species in a given areaii.Communityall the organisms (populations) within a given areaiii.Ecosystemall the communities and the physical environmentb.Population Dynamicsi.Population numbers always are changingii.Under ideal conditions population numbers are always increasing because the number of births is always greater than the number of deathsiii.Under real life conditions, growth is limited1.MAXIMUM population is called the CARRYING CAPACITY

c.Autotrophs vs. Heterotrophsi.Autotrophsproduce own food1.Photosynthesis2.Chemosynthesisii.Heterotrophsobtain food from other organisms1.Herbivore, Carnivore, Omnivore, Decomposerd.Symbiotic Relationshipsi.Relationships in which 2 different organisms live in close association with each other to benefit at least one of themii.3 types1.Mutualism ( + / + )2.Commensalism ( + / 0 )3.Parasitism ( + / - )e.Competition in Ecosystemsi.Habitat1.Particular part of the environment where an organism livesii.Niche1.The role of the species in its ecosystem2.Each species occupies its own niche (cant have more than one)f.Producers, Consumers, and Decomposersi.Producersproduce organic compounds from inorganic ones (autotrophs)ii.Consumersconsume organic compounds (heterotrophs)iii.Decomposersbreakdown remains of dead plants and animals, recycling materials (saprobes)g.Food Chain and Food Websi.Food Chain

1.A series of organisms through which food energy is passedii.Food Web

1.Multiple interconnected food chainsh.Pyramids of Energy and Biomassi.

ii.Rule of 10i.Cycles of Materialsi.Nitrogen Cycle1.ii.Carbon and Oxygen Cycle1.iii.Water cycle1.j.Maintenance in an Ecosystemi.Ecosystems are always changingii.Process by which a new community replaces another is called ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION

iii.CLIMAX COMMUNITY1.Remains stable until some catastrophic event

I.Human Ecologya.Deals with the relationship between humans and their environmentb.Human Population Growthi.Most of todays environmental problems are the result of the dramatic growth of the human populationii.Limiting factoriii.Any factor that halts any further growth in populationiv.Example = lack of foodv.Carrying capacityvi.The size of the population the environment can supportvii.When the birth rate and death rate are equal, the population does not change; however, advances in technology have allowed the birth rate to increase dramatically over the death rate.c.Disruption of Existing Ecosystemsi.Urbanization has destroyed countless amounts of farmland, and other ecosystems such as wetlands and rainforests.ii.The destruction of natural habitats of other organisms has led to their downfall.iii.Destroying one population in an area will have an effect on all the other populations in that area!!d.Poor Farming Practicesi.Over-farming and overgrazing has made soil less fertile, which allows it to erode quicker which leads to desertification (formation of desert).ii.Misuse of pesticides has also contaminated the environment.e.Pollutioni.Adding anything to the environment or affecting the environment in a way that makes it less fit for living thingsii.Types of Pollution1.Noise pollution2.Water pollution3.Oil Spills4.Air pollution5.Aerosols (CFCs)a.Destroy the ozone layer!!

6.Land pollutionII.Restoring the Environmenta.Controlling pollutioni.Governing exhaust from automobile emissionsii.Treating sewage that is dumped into the waterb.Conserving Natural Resourcesi.Renewable resources1.Air, water, soil, sunlight and living thingsii.Nonrenewable resources1.Coal, oil, natural gas, metals and minerals2.RECYCLINGiii.Conserving Soil1.Cover cropsa.Protect soil from erosion2.Crop rotation

a.Growing different crops at different times to reduce the consumption of soil nutrients3.Fertilizersiv.Conserving Forests1.Reforestationv.Conserving Wildlife1.An attempt to preserve animals whose habitats have been destroyed by human actionsc.Controlling Pests Biologicallyi.Instead of spraying pesticides, release a natural predator of the insect into the areaii.Pheromones have been used to make more effective insect trapsd.Key to the Futurei.People must be well-informed to ensure that the Earth is not damaged in a way that could result in our own demise