What is Ecology?

Chapter 3-1CA Standards 6a-6f

• Ecology is the branch of biology dealing with interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment or surroundings. – In other words, the study of how living and

non-living things interact with each other.

• Biotic Factors: Living Organisms

• Abiotic Factors: Physical Factors or Non-Living Things

An ecosystem is a collection of all the organisms that live in a particular place, together with

their nonliving, or physical, environment. Within an

ecosystem, there are several levels of organization.

Our school and its grounds are similar to an ecosystem……..

Think It Over…..Quickly & Quietly write down an answer for each of these questions

1. What biotic things are found in and around your school?

2. What abiotic things are found in your school?

3. Into what large groups are the students in your school divided?

4. Into what smaller groups are these large groups divided?

5. Are these smaller groups ever divided into even smaller groups? If so, what are these groups?

1. What biotic things are found in and around your school?

Students, teachers, principal, assistant principals, clerical staff, custodians, lunch ladies, skunks, birds, lizards, grass, trees, shrubs, insects etc…..

2. What abiotic things are found in your school?

The building, furniture, desks, books, papers, and so on

3. Into what large groups are the students in your school divided?

9th, 10th, 11th, 12th grades4. Into what smaller groups are these large groups divided?

Classes, Advisories, Study Halls, Counselor Groups

5. Are these groups ever divided into even smaller groups? If so, what are these groups?

Students may say that science classes are divided into lab groups; other classes may be divided into groups for projects.

Earth’s Levels of Organization

BiosphereAll Parts of the Planet – EARTH!

Individual Organism

Biome

Community

Ecosystem

Population

A group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar communities

A collection of organisms that live in a particular place together with their non-living physical environment.

Populations living together in a defined area

Groups of individuals that belong to the same species (similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring) and live in the same area

Earth’s Levels of Organization

Biodiversity

Throughout each level or organization we can see biodiversity!!

• Biodiversity: The sum total of the variety of living organisms in the biosphere.– “Bio” = living things “Diversity”=variety

Turn over your PowerPoint notes and work on the “Biodiversity” worksheet to review what we have just covered!