ECOLOGY The study of the interactions between organisms

ECOLOGY The study of the interactions between organisms & the environment.

Review basic Ecology vocabulary: • organism = a living thing extinct = species that is no longer living • energy = ability to do work endangered = species at risk of becoming extinct • food = substance an organism needs for energy bio- = prefix that means “life” • habitat = home for an organism biology = the study of life • predator = organism who hunts & eats another one hierarchy = ranking in order • prey = organism who is hunted & eaten by another • photosynthesis = process when plants make their own food using sunlight for energy *Activity = for 60 seconds, review these terms with a partner *If you don’t understand any of the basic terms on this slide, please come to Knight Time or tutoring!

Review basic Ecology vocabulary: • Producers = (also called autotrophs) make their own food using sunlight; plants, algae, & some bacteria • Consumers = (also called heterotrophs) eats other organisms for energy; animals & fungi • carnivore = only eats animals (cat, dog, lions, crocodiles, T-rex) • herbivore = only eats plants (cows, bees, pandas, deer, termites, lemurs) • omnivore = eats both plants & animals (humans, bears, squirrels, turtles, fish) • Decomposers = (process called rotting) breaks down dead organisms into soil; bacteria & fungi *optional activity = review these terms with a partner *optional activity = make a drawing of these 3 functional groups in your notes

Biotic = living components of an ecosystem Abiotic = nonliving components of an ecosystem Place the following terms on the Venn diagram in your notes: grass rotting tree sun living sunlight spiders climate air fish water dead frog temperature squirrel soil flowers U. V. light nonliving

Organization Biosphere - areas of planet earth that support life (air, land, water, volcanic thermal vents…what? ) Biome - an ecosystem that occupies a particular climate zone Ecosystem - all the living & nonliving things that interact in a particular area Community - different groups of populations in the same area Population - group of one type of organism Organism - individual living thing

i o m e Where would a biome fit into this hierarchy?

Climate Long term temperature & weather conditions in a particular area. Biome Plants, animals, & ecosystems adapted to a particular climatic condition. Essential question: What are some specific ways climate affects a biome? • Cacti must conserve water in the desert because of dry conditions. • Fish have gills to breathe dissolved oxygen in the water they live in. • Polar bears have large amounts of fat to store energy to survive arctic conditions.