Ecology

Organisms depend on other organisms and nonliving factors in their environment for survival
Ecologists observe, experiment, and model using a verity of tools and methods.
A model allows scientist to visualize or simulate a process or system.
Scientists use physical models, mathematical models, and computer models.
Organisms depend on other organisms and nonliving factors in their environment for survival
Ecology is the scientific discipline in which the relationships among living organisms have with their environments are studied.

The Biosphere is the portion of earth that supports life
It includes landmasses, freshwater, salt water, lower portions of the atmosphere, and areas beneath the Earth’s surface.

Biotic Factors

Biotic factors are living factors in an organisms environment.
Interactions among organisms are necessary for to survival of species in the same geographic location.

Abiotic Factors

Abiotic factors are the non-living factors in an organisms environment.
Organisms adapt to survive in the abiotic factors present in their natural enviroment.
A Limiting factor is any abiotic factor that restricts the numbers, reproduction, or distribution of organisms.
Te ability of any organism to survive when subjected to biotic and abiotic factors is Tolerance
For any environment, a range of tolerance is defined by the upper and lower limit of conditions in which an organism can survive

The biosphere is too large and complex to study as a whole.
Ecologists divide the biosphere into levels of organization to study.
The levels increase in complexity as the numbers and interactions between organisms increase.

The lowest level of organization is an individual organism organism.
Organisms of a single species tat share the same geographic location at the same time make up a population.
A biological community is a group of interacting populations that occupy the same geographic area at the same time.
An ecosystem is a biological community and all of the biotic factors that effect it.
A biome is a large group of ecosystems that share the same climate and have similar types of communities.

The levels of organizations are:

The interactions among organisms are important in an ecosystem. A community of organisms increase the chances for survival of any on species by using the available resources in different ways.
A habitat is an area where an organisms lives.
A niche is the role or position that an organism has in its environment.