Relationships, Biomes &

Population Growth
Unit 6
Relationships
What is Ecology?

Ecology: Scientific study of interactions

among organisms and between organisms
and their environment.
Abiotic Factors:
non - Living factors

Biotic Factors: living factors

 What are the levels of organization?
To understand relationships within the biosphere, ecologists ask
questions about events and organisms that range in complexity from a
single organism to the entire biosphere.
What are the levels of organization?
1) Species: Group of similar
organisms that can breed and
reproduce fertile offspring.

One
Zebra
What are the levels of organization?
2) Populations: Group of
individuals of the same species
that live in the same area.

Herd of zebra
What are the levels of organization?
3) Communities: Assemblage of
different populations that live
together in a defined area.

Herd of
animals on
the Serengeti
 What are the levels of organization?
4) Biome: Group of ecosystems that have the
same climate and similar dominate
communities.

Rainforest Desert
What are the levels of organization?

5) Biosphere: Part of Earth in which

life exists including land, water, and
air or atmosphere.
 What are ecosystems composed of?
• Ecosystems are influenced by biological and physical factors.

• The biological influences on organisms within an ecosystem are

called biotic factors.

• Includes; all biological creatures which an organism may interact

or, it’s community. Mushrooms, birds, trees, bacteria
 What are ecosystems composed of?
• Physical, or non-living factors that shape ecosystems are
called abiotic factors.
• Includes: the climate like—temperature, precipitation,
humidity, wind, nutrient type, soil type, sunlight etc.
 What is an ecosystem composed of?

Mountain,
clouds, water &
rocks
Non-Living ONLY

Abiotic Factors

Biotic Factors
Living ONLY
Trees, bird, grass,
rabbit, & moose
ECOSYSTEM
Living & Non-Living
Together
 What is a habitat?
Habitat: An area where organisms live

Provides:
* Food
* Water
* Space
* Shelter
 What is a niche?
• Is the organisms occupation...Its job...What it does.
• A niche is the full range of physical and biological
conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which
the organism uses those conditions.
 What is symbiosis and what are the different types?

• Any relationship in which two species live closely

together is called symbiosis or “living together”
• Examples: mutualism, commensalism, parasitism
 What is symbiosis and what are the different types?

Mutualism: Both species benefit. Neither one is

harmed or helped.
(Ex.: Bee and flower & Cleaner fish/other fish)
 What is symbiosis and what are the different types?

Commensalism: One member benefits and the other

is neither helped nor harmed.
(Example: bird nest in a tree, barnacle on a whale)
 What is symbiosis and what are the different types?

Parasitism: One organism lives on or inside another

organism and harms it.
• A host is the organism in which a parasite obtains
its nutritional needs.

The cuckoo bird

is a parasite!
Parasite Example

Cuckoo Egg!
The cuckoo lays eggs in
other species of bird’s
nests. It hatches first and
pushes out the other bird’s
eggs. Then the mother bird
raises the cuckoo rather
than her own babies!
Parasite Example • This is a tapeworm. If
your dog/cat ingests a
flea, and the flea has a
tapeworm egg in it, this
is born in the animals
intestinal tract and feeds
off of the animals food.
THE END OF NOTES FOR TODAY! ☺

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