Ecology

• Ecology is the study of organisms and their interactions with their environment.  The popular meaning of ecology is more accurately called conservation.  Conservation is the protection, management, and renewal of natural resources. 

• Natural resources can either be living or non-living.  The living parts of the environment are called biotic factors.  Biotic factors include things such as plants, animals and other organisms.  Water, soil, light, living space, and temperature are non-living factors.  The non-living parts of the environment are called abiotic factors. 

• The abiotic factors determine what types of organisms can live in a particular environment. One example of this is the desert where there is very little water, and the temperature can vary from very hot to cold on a daily basis. Only plants that are adapted to conditions such as these can survive in a desert. Other plants like corn, oak trees and roses can not live under these conditions. Plants like cactus and sagebrush can survive.

The Physical Environment

 Key Terms: Climate, erosion

• Climate is the typical weather of a region over a period of time.

• Climate  is determined by temperature and precipitation (rain, sleet, snow, hail).

• Latitude (distance north or South of te equator) and Altitude (an area's height above sea level) both affect temperature.

 Ecological Succession

When new populations replace existing ones, a community undergoes ecological succession.

Land biomes

Biomes are defined as the world's major communities classified based on their climate.

• The importance of biomes cannot be overestimated. Biomes have changed and moved many times during the history of life on Earth. More recently, human activities have drastically altered these communities. Thus, conservation and preservation of biomes should be a major concern to all.

• Land biomes include:

1. Tropical rain forests

2. Desert

3. Chaparral

4. Grasslands

5. Temperate Forests

6. Taiga

7. Tundra

 Aquatic biomes

• Aquatic biomes consists of 2 categories: 1) Marine biomes and 2) Freshwater Biomes

• Marine biomes are divided into: 1) Oceans, and 2) estuaries

• Freshwater biomes are divided into: 1) Moving water (streams and rivers), 2) Standing water (Lakes and ponds) and 3) Wetlands (Swamps, marshes)

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