Exciting and Excellent Ecology!

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Exciting and Excellent Ecology!
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What do you think of when you hear ECOLOGY?
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What is Ecology?

• Ecology is the scientific study of interactions
  between organisms and their environments.
• Scientists study the relationships between the
  living and nonliving parts of the world.

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The Living Environment Biotic Factors

• The BIOSPHERE is the portion of Earth that
  supports life!
• It extends from the atmosphere to the bottom of
  the oceans!
• If you shrank the Earth down to the size of an
  apple, the biosphere would be thinner than the
  apples peel!

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The Living Environment Biotic Factors

• All the living factors that inhabit an
  environment are BIOTIC FACTORS!
• Think BIO from BIOLOGY (the study of life) must
  mean living things!
• Different organisms are adapted to different
  parts of the biosphere.
• EX Fish, Mountain Goats, Moles

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The Nonliving Environment Abiotic Factors

• Ecologists study how nonliving factors in the
  environment affect living things.
• ABIOTIC FACTORS are the nonliving parts of the
  environment.
• Examples air currents, temperature, moisture,
  light, and soil.
• Abiotic factors can determine which species can
  survive in a particular environment!

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Think of some BIOTIC Factors at PALATINE
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Think of some ABIOTIC Factors at PALATINE
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Levels of OrganizationThe Hierarchy of Life!

• ORGANISMS
• POPULATIONS
• COMMUNITIES
• ECOSYSTEMS
• BIOSPHERE

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What are ecosystems?

• Interactions among living things and abiotic
  factors form ecosystems.
• Ex Terrestrial ecosystems on land are forests,
  meadows, and deserts.
• Ex Aquatic ecosystems in water are fresh or salt
  water environments.
• What does your ecosystem consist of?

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Where and How Organisms Live

• Every species has a particular function in its
  community-this is called its NICHE.
• A HABITAT is the place where an organism lives
  out its life.
• What is your HABITAT and NICHE right now?

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Species Relationships!Whos HOT and Whos NOT!

• FEEDING RELATIONSHIPS
• -AUTOTROPHS-make their own food
• Ex Plants
• -HETEROTROPHS-rely on autotrophs
• Ex Rabbits, Cows, etc.
• -SCAVENGERS-Feed on carrion, refuse, and dead
  organisms
• Ex Vultures, hyenas

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Species Relationships!Whos HOT and Whos NOT!

• MORE FEEDING RELATIONSHIPS
• -DECOMPOSERS-break down and absorb nutrients from
  dead organisms
• Ex Bacteria, Fungi, etc.

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SYMBIOSIS-Living TogetherNot always happily
ever after!

• COMMENSALISM-one species benefits and the other
  is not harmed or benefited
• Ex Peregrine Falcon Red-breasted Goose
• MUTUALISM-both species benefit! ?
• Ex Ant Acacia Tree
• PARASITISM-one species benefits at the expense of
  the other ?
• Ex Ticks/Fleas Dogs

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Think of someCommensalistic relationships,Mutual
istic relationships,and Parasitic relationships
at Palatine