Introduction to Ecology
PAGES 359-365
Ecology: The study of homes
•Study the relationships of animals, plants, and their
environment (interdependence)
Interdependence
•Organisms rely on interactions
with their environment for survival
(living and non-living things)
•Changing one part of the
environment affects all things it is
connected to
Levels of Organization
Levels of Organization
•Biosphere: portion of the Earth & atmosphere supporting life
•Ecosystem: all the living & non-living things in a particular
environment
•Community: all the living things in an area
•Population: all the same species living in the same area
•Organism: an individual in the area
Ecosystem Components
•Biotic Factors: living parts of
an environment
•Abiotic Factors: non-living
parts of an environment
(physical & chemical)
Organism’s Home and Role
•Habitat: place where an organism lives
•Niche: the organism’s role in the environment
(usually based on what they eat)
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Based on resources it uses, methods by which it gets resources, time of
reproduction, # of offspring
Plants and animals are able to share the same habitat because they have
different niches
If two organisms share the same niche, competition for the niche occurs
Broad Niche
◦Generalist: broad niche with a wide tolerance for
changes
◦Able to use a variety of resources. Ex: Rats
Narrow Niche
◦Specialists: narrow niche with small tolerance level to
changes
◦Uses specific resources. Ex: Koala
Dealing with the ecosystem
•Tolerance Curve: a graph showing the range of conditions
an organism can survive
Outside the curve performance decreases drastically.
Conditions can include temp, pH, salinity, etc.
Dealing with the ecosystem
•Acclimation: some living things can adjust their tolerance to
abiotic factors in their environment
• Ex: Goldfish raised in different temperatures of water
• Ex: Humans adjusting to lower levels of oxygen at higher
altitudes
Dealing with the ecosystem
•Control of Internal Conditions (2 ways)
• Conformer: organisms that do not control their
internal conditions
◦ they conform to the environment – cold blooded
◦Regulator: organisms that use energy to
control their internal conditions
◦ regulate despite the environment – warm blooded
Dealing with the Ecosystem
Escaping Unsuitable Conditions
◦ Dormancy: hide and reduce activity for the duration of
the conditions
◦ Ex. bear hibernates for the winter
◦ Migration: relocate away from the conditions
◦ Ex. birds fly south for the winter