1.1 biotic and abiotic factors in ecosystems (sec 2.1 pg 21-24)
TRANSCRIPT
1.1 Biotic and Abiotic Factors in Ecosystems
(sec 2.1 pg 21-24)
• The study of how organisms interact with each other and with their physical environment is called ecology.
• For practical reasons, ecologists divide the environment into different levels:
• The environment is divided into different levels:• Level 1: organism = single living thing.
• The environment is divided into different levels:• Level 2: population = all of the organisms of the
same species that share a habitat.
• The environment is divided into different levels:• Level 3: community = all of the different
populations in a particular area that interact.
• The environment is divided into different levels: Level 4: ecosystem = includes the living community as well as the physical environment in which the organisms live
• The environment is divided into different levels:• Level 5: Biosphere = is the total area of Earth where
living things are found.
• Each environment has two kinds of factors:– Abiotic = non-living factors– Biotic = living factors
ABIOTIC FACTORS BIOTIC FACTORS
• A limiting factor is the most critical factor in determining the types of organisms that exist in an ecosystem.
• Many organisms compete for the same limiting factor(s).
• Many ecosystems are in a state of dynamic equilibrium, where there is a balance between the abiotic and biotic factors and their connection to each other, but there is also continuous change.
• Most ecosystems experience continuous change, but the overall system is still stable.