Ecology is the study of interactions between organisms and their environment. It examines how living things affect each other and the world they inhabit. Ecologists organize these interactions into different levels of organization based on complexity, from organisms and populations, to biological communities, ecosystems, and ultimately the biosphere - the portion of Earth that supports life in air, water and land. Abiotic factors like temperature and biotic factors such as other living things both impact organisms and their environment.

1. What is Ecology? copyright cmassengale

2. Organisms and Their Environment copyright cmassengale

3. What is Ecology?? The study of interactions that take place between organisms and their environment . It explains how living organisms affect each other and the world they live in. copyright cmassengale

4. Habitat & Niche Habitat is the place a plant or animal lives Niche is an organism’s total way of life copyright cmassengale

5. The Nonliving Environment Abiotic factors - the nonliving parts of an organism’s environment. Examples include air currents, temperature, moisture, light, and soil. Abiotic factors affect an organism’s life. copyright cmassengale

6. The Living Environment Biotic factors - all the living organisms that inhabit an environment. All organisms depend on others directly or indirectly for food, shelter, reproduction, or protection. copyright cmassengale

7. Abiotic or Biotic? Biotic copyright cmassengale

8. Abiotic or Biotic? Abiotic copyright cmassengale

9. Abiotic or Biotic? Abiotic copyright cmassengale

10. Abiotic or Biotic? Biotic copyright cmassengale

11. Levels of Organization copyright cmassengale

12. What are the Simplest Levels? Atom Molecule Organelle Cell Tissue Organ System copyright cmassengale

13. Levels of Organization Ecologists have organized the interactions an organism takes part in into different levels according to complexity . copyright cmassengale

14. 1 st Level of Organization Organism: An individual living thing that is made of cells, uses energy, reproduces, responds, grows, and develops copyright cmassengale

15. 2 nd Level of Organization Population: A group of organisms, all of the same species , which interbreed and live in the same place at the same time . copyright cmassengale

16. 3 rd Level of Organization Biological Community: All the populations of different species that live in the same place at the same time. copyright cmassengale

17. 4 th Level of Organization Ecosystem: Populations of plants and animals that interact with each other in a given area with the abiotic components of that area. (terrestrial or aquatic) copyright cmassengale

18. 5 th Level of Organization Biosphere: The portion of Earth that supports life. copyright cmassengale

19. The Biosphere Life is found in air, on land, and in fresh and salt water. The BIOSPHERE is the portion of Earth that supports living things. copyright cmassengale

20. What level of organization? Organism copyright cmassengale

21. What level of Organization? Community copyright cmassengale

22. What level of Organization? Population copyright cmassengale

23. copyright cmassengale