1. Topics 3.1 and 3.2
By: Alejandro Gutiérrez
& Alejandro Garza

2. What is Ecology?
 Greek origin
 OIKOS = household
 LOGOS = study of…
 Study of the “house/environment” in which we live.

3. Ecology is study of interactions between
 non-living components in the environment…
 light
 water
 wind
 nutrients in soil
 heat
 solar radiation
 atmosphere, etc.
AND…

4.  Living organisms…
 Plants
 Animals
 microorganisms in soil, etc.

5. To study Ecology involves…
 non-living (abiotic)
 Climatology
 Hydrology
 Oceanography
 Physics
 Chemistry
 Geology
 soil analysis, etc.
 living (biotic)
 animal behavior
 Taxonomy
 Physiology
 mathematics (population
studies)
 etc.

6. Ecology…
 views each locale as an integrated whole of
interdependent parts that function as a unit.
Tundra Caribou

7.  Nonliving
 dead organic matter
 nutrients in the soil and
water.
 Producers
 Green plants

8.  Consumers
 herbivores and carnivores
 Decomposers
 fungi and bacteria

9. Levels of organization -
Terms Biosphere
 Surface of the earth
 Composed of many ecosystems
 Ecosystem
 Large or small as we decide
 Backyard, O’Melveney Park, Hedge along Room 110, etc.

10. Levels of organization - Terms
 Population – one species live in one
place at one time
 Community – All populations (diff.
species) that live in a particular area.

11. Levels of organization - Terms
 Habitat – physical location of
community
 Organism – simplest level of
organization

12.  Ecosystem: Very complex
 Can contain 100’s to 1000’s
of interacting species.