High school ecology class introduction presentation

1. Ecology - Mr. Burnham
What is Ecology?

2. Bellwork
• Make a list of all living and non-living things in the
classroom
Daily Objective: I will understand the relationship
between living and non-living things.
Essential Quesiton: What is ecology?

3. Studying our living planet
• How is Earth, in a
scientific sense, a
“living planet”?

4. Studying our living planet
• Ecology is the
scientific study of
interactions among
organisms and
between organisms
and their physical
environment.

5. Studying our living planet
• The biosphere
consists of all life on
Earth and all parts of
the Earth in which life
exists, including land,
water, and the
atmosphere.

6. The science of Ecology
• Ecology is the scientific study of interactions
among and between organisms and their physical
environment.
• Interactions within the biosphere produce a web
of interdependence between organisms and the
environments in which they live.

7. Levels of organization
• Ecologists study environments at
different levels of organization

8. Levels of organization
• An organism is an individual living
thing, such as an alligator.

9. Levels of organization
• A population is a group of the
same species that lives in one area

10. Levels of organization
• A community is a group of different species that
live in one area

11. Levels of organization
• An ecosystem includes all of the
organisms as well as abiotic factors

12. Levels of organization
• A biome is a major regional or global area defined
by the climate and plant communities

13. Biotic factors
• Biotic factors are any living part of the environment with which an organism might interact
• Biotic factors relating to a bullfrog might include algae it eats as a tadpole, the herons that eat
bullfrogs, and other species competing for food or space

14. Abiotic factors
• Abiotic factors are any nonliving part of the environment, such as sunlight, heat, precipitation, humidity, wind or water currents, soil type, etc.
• For example, a bullfrog could be affected by abiotic factors such as water availability, temperature, and humidity.

15. Biotic and abiotic factors
together
• The difference between abiotic and biotic factors is not always clear. Abiotic factors can be influenced by the activities of organisms and vice versa
• For example, pond muck contains nonliving particles, and also contains mold and decomposing plant material that serve as food for bacteria and fungi

16. Biotic and abiotic factors
together
• Also, trees and shrubs affect the amount of sunlight the shoreline receives, the range of
temperatures it experiences, the humidity of the air, and even the chemical conditions of the soil.
• A dynamic mix of biotic and abiotic factors shapes every environment.

17. Next Steps
• At the bottom of your notes summarize what
you’ve learned in 3-4 sentences.
• Levels of organization triangle

18. Closure
Consider the following organisms:
• Honeybees
• Sunflowers
• Earthworms
• Black-birds
• Mice
Draw a possible ecosystem using these and label at least
three interactions.