Interactions of Living ThingsMay 2012

Living or Not Living?

• Biotic – any living thing in an ecosystem– Examples: (list our

class examples)

• Abiotic – any nonliving parts of the environment– Examples: (list our

class examples)

• Weigand took Vance and Reed to school on the court!!!

Organization in the Environment

• Organism - one member of a species

Organization in the Environment

• Population - a group composed of the same species

Organization in the Environment

• Community - all the populations in an area; includes plants

Organization in the Environment

• Ecosystem - community of organisms plus their abiotic environment

Organization in the Environment

Biosphere - where life exists on Earth

One yellow reef fish = organism

all yellow reef fish = population

all fish types, sea anemone, tube worms, coral, sea weed

= community

all fish types, sea anemone, tube worms, coral, sea weed

= community

the coral reef, water, sunken ship,….

= ecosystem

Whole Earth = Biosphere

Organization in the Environment

Example:

• Organism - yellow reef fish

• Population - all yellow reef fish

• Community - all fish types, sea anemone, tube worms, coral, sea weed

• Ecosystem - the coral reef, water, sunken ship,….

• Biosphere - Earth

Living things use energy!

Living things are divided groups by how they get their energy.– Producers: gets energy from sunlight– Consumers: gets energy from other things

• Herbivore: eats only plants• Carnivore: eats only animals• Omnivore: eats plants and animals

– Decomposers: get energy from dead things

Living things use energy!

• Food Chain - shows energy flow from one organism to another

Living things use energy!• Food Webs – interconnecting food

chains in an ecosystem

Living things use energy!

• Energy Pyramid – a triangular diagram that shows the loss of energy as it moves between organisms

In an energy pyramid, a producer is ALWAYS on the bottom, with a predator on top.