Ecology ppt Worksheet Answers
- the study of how organisms (animals and plants) interact with the natural world.
Life builds upon the physical properties and chemical reactions of matter
Levels of Ecological Organization
- the organism is the most fundamental unit of ecology
o similar organisms that breed to produce fertile offspring in their natural environment are members of the same species
- many organisms of the same species together makes up a population – the total number of A species living in a defined region
- many populations of different species living in the same place makes up a community
- groups of organisms together with their physical and chemical environments make up an ecosystem. Ecosystems may be natural or human-made
- ecosystems with similar climate and soil type are linked together to form biomes
- all biomes are linked together in a single biosphere that includes the land, water, and atmosphere at surface of the earth that supports life
Ecosystems
- functional unit of a biome that ecologists study
- natural ecosystems tend to be self-sustaining systems
o contains all resources needed to support its organisms
What may interrupt an ecosystem’s stability?
- natural disasters
- human activity
What are some examples of human-made ecosystems?
- farms
- cities
- gardens
- aquariums
What is the difference between a terrestrial and an aquatic ecosystem?
Within ecosystems, organisms live in their habitat, or “home”
Habitat- the place in an ecosystem where an organism prefers to live. It meets all the needs of an organism. Each living organism requires a certain set of physical and chemical conditions. The biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem are dependent upon one another. “Nothing can live alone.”
Biotic- living components of an ecosystem
i.e. plants and animals
Abiotic- nonliving components of an ecosystem
i.e. air, water, soil, rocks
Each organism occupies its own niche. An organism’s niche is its role, or job, in the ecosystem.