Unit 8: Ecology

Do Now:

Objective:

1. Define ecology, ecosystem, abiotic factor, biotic factor, biosphere, ecosystem,

community, and population

2. Identify four major impacts humans have had on the biosphere

TASK:

1. What is ecology? What do you know about it already?

What is Ecology?

• the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment.

Ecosystems• An ecosystem is a combination of all of

the living and non-living things in a place.– Examples:

• Chesapeake Bay• Baltimore City• A forest• Earth• A teaspoon of soil

Ecological Factors

• Things in an ecosystem are classified as biotic or abiotic factors– Abiotic factors: non-living chemical or

physical parts of the environment.– Biotic factors: living parts of an ecosystem

(organisms and groups of organisms)

Arctic Marine Ecosystem

Earth at Night

Drill: In 2007, a United Nations report completed by 2,000 scientists from over 100 countries made the following statement:

“changes in climate are now affecting physical and biological systems on every continent.”

How can this be proven scientifically?

New Era of Earth’s History?

Ecology is the study of organisms and how theyinteract with the environment in which they exist.

Humans are global organisms that are having aserious effect on ecosystems around the world.

Humanity’s Impact

The human population hasgrown EXTREMELY largeover past several hundredyears.

It only makes sense that asThe number of peopleincreases, so does the effectwe have on Earth’s environments.

Major Effects Humans Have Had on the Biosphere

• 1: Changing the atmosphere, land, and ocean’s abiotic factors:

Major Effects Humans Have Had

• 2: Destroying ecosystems for human use.

• WARNING: THE PLANET YOU ARE LIVING ON IS EXPERIENCING MASS EXTINCTIONS

Species are becoming extinct at a rate faster now than any timeIn the last 65,000,000 years, when the dinosaurs died off.

Normal extinction rate from fossil record:

10 – 100 species per year

Current extinction rate:

10,000 – 100,000 species per year

100 to 10,000 times faster than normal

3: Mass Extinction

4: Global Warming

4: Global Warming

Effects of Global Warming

Ecology Example

Walrus

Odobenus rosmarus

The Abiotic parts Global Warming is

changing the environmentof the walrus by reducingthe amount of arctic sea

ice it lives on.

It’s Up to You.

Will your childreninherit a worldwithout polarbears and manyother species?

Knowledge is power, and fixingthese problems will be tough.

What can you do?