• Today I will study the components of an ecosystem because I need to understand how living things depend on one another.

Essential Question:

What would happen to an ecosystem if there were no

more bugs?S7L4

What is Ecology?

• Ecology is the study of how living things interact with one another and with their environment.

What is an ecosystem?

• All the living and nonliving things that interact in a particular area make up an ecosystem.

• Examples of ecosystems include: oceans, mountains, and forest

Ecosystems:

Organism:

• An organism obtains food, water, shelter, and other things it needs to live, grow and reproduce from its surroundings.

Organisms:

Habitats…..

• The place where an organism lives and provides its basic needs is its habitat.

• There can be many habitats in one ecosystem.• List at least 3 habitats that you seen outside

today.

Habitats:

Biotic Factors:

• Biotic factors are the living things found inside an ecosystem.• List at least 5 biotic factors found

in your environment.

Biotic Factors:

Abiotic Factors:

Abiotic factors are the nonliving parts of an ecosystem.

Examples include:

1. Sunlight2. Water3. Oxygen4. Temperature5. Soil

Abiotic Factors:

Question:

•How do biotic and abiotic factors differ?

Species:

• A species is a group of similar organisms that can mate with each other and produce fertile offspring.

Species:

Populations:

• All of the members of a species in a particular area are referred to as a population.

Populations:

Communities:

• All the different populations that live together in an area make up a community.• Most ecosystems contain more than

one type of organism.

Communities:

What are the levels of organization?

• Organisms make up populations.• Populations make up communities.• And communities make up

ecosystems.

• Our People Can Eat Bread• Organism, Population,

Community, Ecosystem, Biosphere

Question????

•Would all the insects in a forest be considered a population?•Why or Why not?

Limiting Factors

• Anything that restricts or controls the number of individuals in a population

Carrying Capacity

• The largest number of individuals of one species an ecosystem can support.

Competition

• All living things compete for– Food– Space

• Competition limits population growth.

Closing:

• “Minute Paper” –What is the most interesting thing you learned today.

VISTerm Definition Sentence Picture

Organism

Population

Community

Ecosystem

Biosphere