Living Things and The Environment

Ch. 1.1

Nebraska Plains

• Describe Life on the Nebraska plains for the Prairie Dog.

• Digging burrows• Searching for food• Younger prairie dogs are at play• Hiding from the hawk• Interacting with each other and their

environment

I. Habitats

• A. An organism is a living thing.• B. An organism obtains food, water, shelter

and other things it needs to live, grow and reproduce from its environment.

I. Habitats

• C. An environment that provides the things the organism needs to live, grow and reproduce is its habitat.

• D. One area may have many habitats.• E. Why do different organisms live in

different habitats? Different kinds of organisms have different needs. Their habitats must meet those needs for live.

II. Biotic Factors

• A. An organism interacts with both the living and nonliving parts of its habitat.

• B. The living parts of a habitat are Biotic factors.

• C. Name a biotic factor in your habitat.• People• Plants• Animals

III. Abiotic Factors

• A. Abiotic factors are the nonliving parts of an organism’s habitat.

III. Abiotic Factors

• B. Abiotic Factors include:• 1. WATER all living things need water to carry

out their life processes.• 2. Water is required for the process of

photosynthesis.

III. Abiotic Factors

• B. Abiotic Factors include:• 3. Most living things require Oxygen to carry

out their living processes.

III. Abiotic Factors

• B. Abiotic Factors include:• 4. The temperatures that are typical of an

area determine the types of organisms that can live there.

III. Abiotic Factors

• B. Abiotic Factors include:• 5. Soil is a mixture of rock fragments,

nutrients, air, water and decaying material.

III. Abiotic Factors

• C. How do Abiotic Factors differ from Biotic Factors?

• Biotic factors are living and Abiotic factors are nonliving.

• Living = Plants and Animals• Nonliving = Water, Sunlight, Oxygen,

Temperature and Soil

IV. Levels of Organization

• A. Organism is the smallest level of organization.

• 1. A species is a group of organisms that are physically similar, can mate with each other and produce offspring that can mate and reproduce.

IV. Levels of Organization

• B. All the members of one species in a particular area are a Population.

IV. Levels of Organization

• C. All the different populations that live together in an area are a Community.

IV. Levels of Organization

• D. The community of organisms that live together in a particular area, along with the nonliving surroundings, make up an Ecosystem.

• E. What is Ecology?• It is the study of how Living things interact witheach other and their Environment.