Section 13-1 & 13-2

“Introducing

Ecology”

13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships / 13.2 Biotic & Abiotic

Objectives

Students will be able to:

1.Summarize the levels of organization

that ecologists study by completing a

graphic organizer and writing a short

paragraph in their own words.

13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships / 13.2 Biotic & Abiotic

Section 13.1 KEY CONCEPT:

Ecology is the study of the relationships

among organisms and their environment.

• Ecology is the study of the

interactions among living things,

and between living things and

their surroundings.

Organism

Organism

• An organism is an

individual living thing

(such as an alligator)

Organism

Organism

Population

Population

• A population is a group

of the same species

that lives in one area.

13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships / 13.2 Biotic & Abiotic

Organism

Organism

Population

Population

Community

Community

• A community is a group

of different species that

live together in one area.

13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships / 13.2 Biotic & Abiotic

What level of organization

describes a flock of pigeons in a

park? Population

Organism

Organism

Population

Population

Community

Community

Ecosystem

Ecosystem

• An ecosystem includes all of

the organisms as well as the

other nonliving things in a

given area. (such as climate,

soil, water, rocks)

13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships / 13.2 Biotic & Abiotic

Can you list the nonliving things

in this ecosystem?

Organism

Organism

Population

Population

Community

Community

Ecosystem

Ecosystem

Biome • A biome is a major regional or global

community of organisms

characterized by the climate

conditions and plant communities

that thrive there.

Organism

Organism

Population

Population

Community

Community

Ecosystem

Ecosystem

Biome • Fill in the power notes 13.1

• Levels of Organization

13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships / 13.2 Biotic & Abiotic

BIOMES

13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships / 13.2 Biotic & Abiotic

Tundra Desert

Tropical Grasslands

Temperate

Taiga

13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships / 13.2 Biotic & Abiotic

Summarize the levels of organization

by completing the graphic organizer

using your Power Notes.

Organism Population

Community

Ecosystem

Biome

• Fill in the power notes 13.1

• Levels of Organization

Page 2

13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships / 13.2 Biotic & Abiotic

Practical Application

Follow Mr. Benitez.

13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships / 13.2 Biotic & Abiotic

Section 13.2 KEY CONCEPT:

Every ecosystem includes

both living and nonliving

factors.

13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships / 13.2 Biotic & Abiotic

Objectives

Students will be able to:

1.Identify biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem by

completing a graphic organizer and writing a short

paragraph in their own words.

2.Describe how a change in one factor in an ecosystem

can affect others by completing a graphic organizer and

writing a short paragraph in their own words.

• Biotic factors are living things.

• Remember, BIO means LIFE! (like

Biology)

–plants

–animals

–fungi

–bacteria

• Abiotic factors are nonliving things.

• Remember, “A” means NOT (like

Asymmetrical means not symmetrical)

–sunlight

–temperature

–wind

–Moisture –Water, rain, clouds

–soil

Keystone

• Changing one factor in an ecosystem

can affect many other factors.

• A keystone species is a species that

has an unusually large effect on its

ecosystem.

If you moved this stone the

whole arch would fall down

13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships / 13.2 Biotic & Abiotic

A keystone species is a plant or animal that plays a

unique and crucial role in the way an ecosystem

functions.

Without keystone species, the ecosystem would be

dramatically different or cease to exist altogether.

Example: Wolves: Being a top predator, wolves are

important in many habitats. Wolves keep deer

populations in check and too many deer will eat

small trees, which leads to fewer trees. In turn, there

would be fewer birds and beavers and the whole

ecosystem would change.

creation of

wetland

ecosystem

increased waterfowl

Population

increased

fish

population nesting

sites for

birds

keystone species

• Keystone species form and

maintain a complex web of

life.

a species that plays a

critical role in

maintaining the

structure of an

ecological community

the variety of

living things in

an ecosystem

• Listen, look fill in as we go – there will be a check

your answer slide at end of section

Biotic

(living things)

plants animals

Abiotic

(non-living)

sunlight moisture

temperature soil

13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships / 13.2 Biotic & Abiotic

include

Research Methods

Listen and fill in

as we go… there

will be a check

your answers

place at the end.

• Listen, look fill in as we go – there will be a check

your answer slide at end of section