Organization of the Environment

NAME ______HR______

Organization of the Environment Outline

Ecology

The study of

An Ecologist is a scientist

Ecology Involves

Collecting ______about ______and their ______.

Looking for ______.

Seeking to ______these ______.

Environmental Organization

In Ecology, organisms and the environment are studied at various ______.

Each level includes different factors.

______

______

______

______

Population

A population includes all the ______found in ______.

The dandelion ______in your lawn is an example of a ______.

Community

A community includes all the ______.

Your lawn has ______of dandelions, grasses, earthworms, and other living things. These populations together make up a lawn ______.

Ecosystem

A community (______) and the ______(air, water, soil) ______and ______.

Examples of ______include your lawn, a balanced aquarium, ponds, vacant lots, woodlots, salt marshes, and forests.

Biosphere

The biosphere is the ______.

It is very large and includes many ______.

Stable Ecosystem Requirements

An ecosystem can support itself and is ______when the following ______are met.

oThere must be a ______.

oThe ______is the primary source of ______for life on Earth.

oThere must be living organisms that can ______

oThere must be a ______

Ecosystem Components

Abiotic Factors

The ______parts of the ______.

They directly affect the ability of organisms to ______and ______.

These factors vary from one place to another.

______factors may act as ______.

______determine the numbers and kinds of organisms that can ______.

o

o

o

o

o

o

o

Biotic Factors

All the ______that directly or indirectly affect the ______.

______factors interact with ______and with the ______.



oAny ______that ______.

o______are producers.



o______eat ______and/or ______.

oAll ______are consumers.



o______and ______.

o______and ______are examples of decomposers.

Ecosystem Characteristics

______components combine to define the environmental ______of the ______.

______components interact with ______to determine the success of ______.

______components interact with ______components to determine the overall ______.

Habitat



An organism’s ______is determined by ______and ______factors.

The factors an organism needs to survive determine ______.

Example: An earthworm’s habitat is ______.

Niche



Includes ______, where it ______, ______, and ______to its ______.

Example: In a pond, a snail scrapes algae from the leaves and stems of plants.

Biome

A ______area described by its ______, ______, and ______.

The ______and ______in a biome determines which ______will grow there.

Biomes may be ______or ______biomes.

Land (terrestrial) Biomes

______and ______groups are determined by the major ______of the ______.

They are sometimes modified by local ______and ______conditions.

The presence or absence of ______is a major ______.

______conditions and ______are affected by both latitude (______) and altitude (______).

Tundra (Polar)



Animals:

Plants:

Taiga (Coniferous Forest)



Animals:

Plants:

Temperate Deciduous Forest



Animals:

Plants:

Tropical Rain Forest



Animals:

Plants:

Grassland (Savanna)



Animals:

Plants:

Desert



Animals:

Plants:

Water (aquatic) Biomes

Include ______(______) and ______biomes.

Make up the ______on earth.

More than ______of the earth’s surface is covered by ______, and more ______live in ______than live on ______.

Water biomes are typically more ______than land biomes.

The temperature varies ______because of the ability of water to ______.

Factors Affecting Water Biomes







Aquatic (water) Biomes





Marine (saltwater)

______

Hold large quantities of ______

Help to stabilize the earth’s ______

Contain a constant supply of ______and ______

Much of the ______on earth is carried out by ______near the surface of the oceans and coastal waters.

Light penetrates through water to a depth of ______. ______does not occur at greater depths.

Freshwater

Less than ______of the Earth’s ______is ______.

______, ______, ______, ______, and ______will vary by:

oSize

oSpeed of current

oTemperature

oConcentration of dissolved gasses and suspended particles

oRate of change

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