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Human Activity that changes Abiotic and

Biotic Factors

Cold Snowy Weather

Unit 3: Ecology

What is Ecology?

The scientific study of the interactions among organisms and between their environments.

Where do we fit in?What is our environment?

The Biosphere

What is the organization of

Ecological Study?IndividualPopulationCommunityEcosystemBiomeBiosphere

Levels of Organization

Individual- one organism (living)

Ex a moose

Levels of Organization

Population- groups of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area. (living-living same species)

Ex many moose

Levels of Organization

Community- groups of different populations (more than one population or different groups of species)

Ex many groups of moose beavers, trees, grass (all living)

Levels of Organization

Ecosystem- all organisms in a particular area along with the nonliving. (living and nonliving)

Ex many groups of moose beavers, trees, grass, rocks, water, mountains

Levels of Organization

Biome- group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar dominant communities

Biomes: tropical rain forest, tropical dry forest, tropical savannah, temperate grassland, desert, temperate woodland and shrubland, temperate forest, northwestern coniferous forest, boreal forest (taiga), tundra, mountains and ice caps

Levels of Organization

Biosphere- all of the planet where life exists, includes land, water, and, air

Life extends 8 km up and 11 km below the surface

Factors that affect an ecosystem

Biotic – Living or once livingAbiotic – Never living

Biotic FactorsLiving factors of an ecosystem

All plant and animal lifeIncludes even microscopic organisms

Abiotic factorsAny non-living factor of an ecosystem

List the abiotic and biotic factors found in:Ecosystem: School

Ecosystem: pond

Please provide your own example Ecosystem: Biotic Factors: Abiotic Factors:

Is it biotic or abiotic?Birth rate?Predator / prey relationship?Soil?Decomposing matter?Temperature?Wind?Disease?

List 3 biotic things and 3 biotic things

-- ecological pyramid drawing-pick one organism to begin

Your pyramid must include :Label all 6 levelsInclude a drawing for each levelAnd a brief description of each picture/levelDUE TOMORROW

Carrying CapacityThe size of the population that an environment can support with its resources

• This is created by the interaction of many different factors, both biotic & abiotic

Carrying Capacity Graph

This is the generic carrying capacity graph

Each peak represents too manyEach trough represents lower than supported

Inquiry ActivityUse the smartboard activity to figure out how carrying capacity is determined

Limiting FactorsAny condition that limits growth of a population

Can be biotic or abiotic

Surplus population is reduced by limiting factors

Habitat & NicheHabitat – where an organism lives in an ecosystemNiche – The role of an organism in its habitatThink of habitat like the address where an organisms lives and niche as the job that an organism does

Ecosystem Interactions

(Biotic)When organisms live and interact in a community

3 basic typesCompetition – organisms fight for limited suppliesPredation – one organism hunts and eats anotherSymbiosis – 2 organisms live closely together (usually one directly impacts the other)

CompetitionOrganisms fight for survival due to limited resources

Resource - anything used to keep an organism alive

Food, water, shelter, etc…

Competitive exclusion principle

No 2 species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time

Interspecific competition

Competition between species2 or more species compete for the same limited resources

Food sourcesShelterWater source

Intraspecific Competition

Competition within a species2 or more members of a species competes for limited resources

FoodWaterShelterMates Social hierarchy

Critical thinking activity

Think, Pair, ShareDo humans engage in interspecific competition? How?

Do humans engage in intraspecific competition? How?

PredationPredator / Prey relationship

Predator – organism that hunts and eats another organismPrey – organism that is hunted and eaten by another organism

• How is the predator a limiting factor on the prey population?

• How is the prey population a limiting factor on the predator population?

Symbiosis3 main types

Mutualism – both species benefitCommensalism – one benefits, the other is unharmedParasitism – one benefits, the other is

harmed

MutualismLichens

Made of a mutualistic relationship between fungus and algaeFungus provides home and some nutrientsAlgae provides energy through photosynthesis

This patch is the lichen

CommensalismBluebird holes

Bluebirds use woodpecker holes made in trees after they are done looking for food in themBluebirds get a free homeWoodpeckers are neither helped nor hurt by the bluebirds using their old holes

ParasitismTapeworm

Tapeworms live in the intestine and absorb the nutrients instead of the hostThe parasite harms the host by stealing nutrients

Identify the relationship

Think, Pair, ShareIdentify the following relationships…

1)2)

3)