This powerpoint describes the levels of which ecologists study organisms interacting with their environments. Also includes a review of heterotrophs, autotrophs, and ecological pyramids.

1. Catalyst:
 Write down your answer in the Monday
Catalyst box.
 Write your definition of ecology and what is
entails as a science.

2. Ecology
I will be able to identify the
different levels of
organization in Ecology and
identify what shapes an
ecosystem.

3. Interactions and Interdependence
 Ecology is the study of the interactions of
organisms with their physical environment
and with each other.
 The study of ecology ranges from the study of
an individual organism to populations,
communities, ecosystems, biomes, and to the
entire biosphere.

4. Levels of Organization-from
smallest to largest
 Organism: an individual.
 Organisms belong to a species. Species are
groups of organisms so similar to one another
that they can breed and produce fertile
offspring.
 Population: groups of individuals that belong
to the same species and live in the same area
(throwback to last unit!)
 Ex: pod of whales, pride of lions

5. Levels of Organization-from
smallest to largest
 Community: consists of all the organisms
living in one area.
 Ex: Pride of lions, hyenas, antelope, grass, etc.
What do all of these things have in common?
 Ecosystem: includes all of the organisms in a
given area as well as the abiotic factors
(nonliving) with which they interact.
 Ex: pride of lions, rocks, water, grass, antelope,
soil, sunlight, wind, etc.

6. Levels of Organization-from
smallest to largest
 Biomes: a particular physical environment that
contains a characteristic assemblage of plants
and animals.
 Ex: tropical rain forest, tundra, desert, etc.
 Biosphere: contains the combined portions of
the planet in which all of life exists. Includes
the land, water, and atmosphere.

7. Let’s put it into practice!

8. You try!

9. Brain Break!
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMuJxd2G
pxo
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH6WDJB
5uxg&index=3&list=PL3wgUsES99dWz2Mz2
4YgczQPfYotqJ4hk

10. Memory Monday
 At the very core of EVERY organisms
interaction with its environment, is its need for
energy.
 Where does it come from?
 Autotrophs!
 What are they?
 Organisms that capture sunlight and use that
energy to produce chemical compounds for
food.

11. Memory Monday! Continued…
 Who gets the energy next?
 Heterotrophs!
 They rely on other organisms for their energy
(Consumers)
 3 kinds!
 Herbivores, Omnivores, and Carnivores.

12. Memory Monday continued!
 Energy flows one way in a ecosystem. From the sun, to
autotrophs, to heterotrophs.
 Food chains: very simple chain of organisms showing the
flow of energy.
 Food Webs: More complex, consist of several food
chains, even include decomposers-detritivores
 Ecological Pyramids: 3 kinds!
 Energy pyramids: Shows the relative amount of energy
available at each trophic level.
 Biomass pyramid: represents the amount of living organic
matter at each trophic level.
 Pyramid of numbers: shows the relative number of individual
organisms at each trophic level.