Ecology

Ecology: study of relationships among living organisms and the interaction the organisms

have with their environment

Biotic vs. Abiotic

Environments contain two types of factors:

Biotic: living factors

Examples: fish, trees, grass, rabbit

Abiotic: nonliving factors

Examples: rocks, soli, air, water

Levels of Organization

Organism

Population

Community

Ecosystem

Biome

Biosphere

SMALLEST

LARGEST

Using the handout provided – label the levels of

organization from smallest to largest.

Provide a description of each level of organization.

Add a few drawings to represent each level of

organization.

Cut out the diagram and glue into notebook under Level

of Organization notes!

Ecosystem Interactions

Habitat: an area where an organism lives

Niche: the role or position that organism has in its environment

Community Interactions

Organisms interact with one another through

specific interactions:

Competition

Predation

Symbiosis

Competition

Occurs when more than one organism uses

a resource at the same time

Example: water is scare for many

organisms during a drought – organisms

compete with one another to get enough

water for their own survival

Predation

The act of one organism pursuing and

consuming another organism for food

Example: a cat catching a bird – cat is the

predator and the bird is the prey

Symbiosis

The close relationship that exists when two or

more species live together

Three types:

Mutualism

Commensalism

Parasitism

Mutualism

Two or more organisms that live closely

together and benefit from each other

+/+ relationship

Example: algae and fungi – algae provide

food for the fungi and the fungi provide a

habitat for the algae

Commensalism

One organism benefits and the other organism

is neither helped nor harmed

+/neutral relationship

Example: clownfish and sea anemones –

clownfish receive food and protection from

the sea anemones they live inside of, but the

sea anemones are neither helped nor harmed

Parasitism

One organism benefits at the expense of the

other organism

+/- relationship

Example: heartworms and dogs – the

heartworm lives inside the dog and

benefits from the dog, but the dog

becomes sick

Classwork:

Complete the “Types of Interactions”

worksheet and glue into your notebook

under evidence #4

Due tomorrow!