ECOLOGY

THE STUDY OF HOW ORGANISMS INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH THEIR PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT.

ENVIRONMENT ORGANIZATION• INDIVIDUAL – One organism of a species.• POPULATION- All of the organisms of the

same species that live in the same area.• COMMUNITY- All of the living organisms

that live in the same area.• ECOSYSTEM- All of the living organisms

and nonliving factors in the same area.• BIOSPHERE- Anywhere life is found on the

planet.

INDIVIDUAL POPULATION COMMUNITY

ECOSYSTEM BIOSPHERE

BIOTIC FACTORS- The living or once living factors in an ecosystem. Ex. human, hawk, plants, fish, turtle

ABIOTIC FACTORS- All of the nonlivingfactors in an ecosystem.

Ex. land, water, air, temperature, rocks, sunlight

HABITAT - The place where an organism lives.

NICHE - The role an organism has in its ecosystem.

FEEDING RELATIONSHIPS• Most energy that moves through an ecosystem

starts with the sun.

PRODUCERS can make their own food.

PHOTOSYNTHESIS - Chemical process by which plants use light energy to make sugar from waterand carbon dioxide.

ConsumersObtain energy by eating other organisms.

HERBIVORES (CONSUMERS) obtain energy by eating plants.

CARNIVORES (CONSUMERS)obtain energy by eating other animals.

SCAVENGERS (CONSUMERS) obtain energy by eating the dead remains of animals.

OMNIVORES (CONSUMERS)obtain energy by eating both plants and animals.

DECOMPOSERS (CONSUMERS) are organisms that feed on waste or on dead organisms.

Models of Feeding RelationshipsFood ChainsFood Webs

A FOOD CHAIN traces the path ofenergy as it moves from one organism to the next in an Ecosystem.

A FOOD WEB contains several overlapping food chains.

Feeding Relationships Between Different SpeciesPredator/PreyParasite/Host

Predator/Prey

• A PREDATOR (CONSUMER) captures and eats other consumers.

• A PREY (CONSUMER) is the organism that is captured by a predator.

• Ex. The lynx is a predator. Her prey is the rabbit.

Parasite/Host• A PARASITE (CONSUMER) is an organism that lives in

or on another organism to obtain energy.• A HOST (PRODUCER or CONSUMER) is the organism a

parasite lives in or on and obtains energy from.

• Ex. Cowbird and warblers, roundworms and dogs.