Ecology

Links: Virtual Lab    Ecosystems   Cell Game Bacteria, Animal, Plant   Cell Structure
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Ecosystem: All of the living or biotic and non-living or abiotic things that interact and make up a particular area. An organism obtains food, water, shelter, and other things it needs to live, grow, and reproduce from its surroundings.  
Ecology: The study of how living things interact with each other and with their environment. 

Biotic Factors: The LIVING parts of an ecosystem.
Abiotic Factors: All of the NON-LIVING factors that make up an ecosystem. Water! Sunlight, Oxygen, Temperature, Soil

Plants produce food using abiotic factors through photosynthesis! Photosynthesis: When plants use water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide to produce food (by product of photosynthesis is oxygen).

Levels of organization in an ecosystem.
Habitat: The place where an organism lives and that provides the things the organism needs.
Species: A group of similar organisms, and can reproduce and make offspring.
Population: All the members of one species in a particular area. 
Community:  All of the populations that live together in an area.

In order of smallest to largest:
organism, population, community, ecosystem.  
Biotic and Abiotic Factors in an Ecosystem 

Watch the Video Here

Observing Seasonal Changes Walk

Do forest organisms shut down, stick it out, take off, or snooze to deal with cold winters? Use some cool tools to observe and record seasonal changes and the process of growth in the forest.