<p>Ecology - The study of relationships and interactions of living things with one another and with their environment.</p><p>Environment - All of the living and nonliving things with which an organism interacts.</p><p>Biotic Factors - The living things in an environment.</p><p>Abiotic Factors - the nonliving things (soil, temperature, light, water)</p><p>Ecosystems - A group of organisms in an area that interact with each other, together with their nonliving environment.</p><p>Community - All the different organisms that live together in an area. (The living part of an ecosystem)</p><p>Population - A group of the same type of organism living together in the area.</p><p>Different ecosystems support different populations. In any ecosystem, the most successful organisms are those best adapted to their environment.</p><p>Habitat - The place in which an organism lives.</p><p>Niche - The role an organism has in its community or environment.</p><p>Organisms in an ecosystem can share the same habitat but they cannot share the same niche.</p><p>Producers also called Autotrophs - A self feeder@ Organisms that are able to make their own food. Photosynthesis - Process by which green plants take the energy of the sun and use it to make glucose, a simple sugar. </p><p>6CO2 + 6 H2O  C6H12O6 + 6O2 carbon dioxide and water yield glucose and oxygen</p><p>Consumers also called Heterotrophs - Aother feeders@ Organisms that must eat other organisms to get their energy.</p><p>A. Herbivores - Plant eaters, example Cow B. Carnivores - Meat eaters, example Lion C. Omnivores - Eat both plants and meat, example Bear D. Scavengers - Eat meat that is already dead, example Vulture Decomposers - Break down dead organic matter and return nutrients to the environment. Examples are bacteria and fungus. Food chain Shows how groups of Organisms within an ecosystem get their food and energy. example</p><p>Energy pyramid shows how energy is lost as it moves through the food chain</p><p>Food web includes all the food chains in the ecosystem</p><p>Limiting Factors: how large a population can grow. Limited by space food temp water competition.</p><p>Relationships in an ecosystem</p><p>1.Competition- When organisms struggle with one an other for the materials they need to live.</p><p>2. Predation- When one animal kills and eats another killer = predator eaten= prey</p><p>3. Symbiosis = living together. may benefit one or both</p><p> a. Commensalism- Symbiotic relationship in which only one organism benefits, the other is neither harmed nor helped. orchids, barnacles</p><p> b. Mutualism - Symbiotic relationship that is helpful to both organisms. honey guide bird and ratle, cleaner fish</p><p> c. Parasitism = Symbiotic relationship in which one partner benefits (parasite) at the expense of the other (host) mosquito tape worm sea lamprey</p><p>Balance in the ecosystem Disturbance in one part of the ecosystem will cause problems throughout</p><p>Ecological succession The process of gradual change within a community. This is a gradual change that happens over centuries.</p><p>Cycles in nature</p><p>Nitrogen Cycle nitrogen is 79% of the air Nitrogen fixation bacteria Take nitrogen from the air and form nitrogen compounds in the soil or in nodules in legumes such as beans and peas</p><p>Water cycle Precipitation - When water vapor in the air condenses and returns to the earth in liquid form. Evaporation - When liquid water changes to water vapor in the air.</p><p>Carbon dioxide & Oxygen cycle - Animals take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is taken in by plants to use in photosynthesis and plants release oxygen.</p><p>Ecological succession Carrying capacity Industrialization Renewable resource Nonrenewable resource Deforestation Fossil fuel Ozone layer Global warming Pollution Technology Recycle</p><p>ECOLOGY UNDRESTANDINGS An ecosystem is a group of organisms in an area that interact with each other together with their nonliving environment. The living part of an ecosystem is called a community. The place in a community in which an organ ism lives is its habitat. Its niche is its role in the community. Food and Energy in the Environment In an ecosystem, organisms are classified as either producers, consumers, or decomposers. Most producers conduct photosynthesis a process by which the energy of the sun is stored in the chemical bonds of complex molecules (Glucose) for later use by the cell. The balanced equation for photosynthesis happens in the chloroplasts in producers All living cells use a type of respiration to release the energy stored in the chemical bonds of complex molecules in a way that useful to the cell. That which organisms eat must first be broken down into simpler substances before the energy and nutrients can be released, this process is not efficient and much is lost in the process. The balanced equation for aerobic respiration happens in the mitochondria of autotrophs and heterotrophs. Photosynthesis and respiration represent a kind of cycle in which simple molecules are assembled into complex ones storing the energy of the sun and then are broken down later into simple molecules to release that stored energy. Living Things and Their Environment A population is a group of the same type of organisms living together in the same area. A food chain illustrates how groups of organisms within an ecosystem get energy. At each level in a food chain, energy is lost. Cycles in Nature Nitrogen, water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide flow in cycles through living and nonliving parts of the environment. Relationships in an Ecosystem Competition among organisms for food, water, and shelter exists in all ecosystems. Symbiosis is a relationship in which two organisms live together for the benefit of either one or both of the partners. Disturbances in one part of an ecosystem can cause problems in another part. Zonation: Zones are like micro biomes each zone within an ecosystem has plants and animals that are best suited for that zone. Some times a zone may be dominated by a species which can be called an indicator. </p>