Ecosystems Notes

ecology - the study of organisms in their natural habitat

The study of all living things would be a huge task so we break things down into smaller pieces

1.       biosphere - the thin layer of the planet which supports life. The biosphere consists of three parts

          a.       lithosphere - all the land

          b.       hydrosphere - all the water

          c.       atmosphere - all the air

2.       biome - a large geographic area with similar climate and soil type. Climate is the long term pattern of temperature range and precipitation. Remember that weather describes the day to day conditions.

3.       ecosystem - a group of organisms living together and their environment. Ecosystems have two parts

          a.       biotic - all living things in the ecosystem

          b.       abiotic - all nonliving things in the ecosystem

Natural ecosystems are self-sustaining. All they need is sunlight and a source of water. Everything else in them is recycled.

4.       community - a group of populations in an area

5.       population - a group of the same organism

6.       individual - one single organism

Every organism has it’s own special needs. The habitat is the place where the organism prefers to live. A good habitat provides food, water, living space, and protection from predators and weather.