Understanding Ecosystem Organization and Hierarchy

 
The branch of biology studying the relationships and
interactions between organisms and the environment
 
In order to study ecology, scientists look at how
organisms are related to one another and how they are
related to the environment in which they live – the
ecosystem
An ecosystem includes all 
living
 
organisms in a
defined area and their 
nonliving
 environment.
 
Ecosystems are made up of living and nonliving factors:
Biotic factors - living
Abiotic factors - nonliving
 
Think about the biotic and abiotic factors in your
environment!
Anything living:
Parts that make up the environment that are not
living:
 
Scientists have realized that life can be ordered in a
hierarchy of ecosystem organization
A hierarchy is a system of things ranked one above the
other
 
 
Let’s look at the ecosystem hierarchy going from 
simple
to complex
An 
organism
 is any living thing – a plant, a germ, a
human, a fish, a bird, etc.
 
One organism by itself is the simplest level of
ecosystem organization
An organism is classified as being a member of a
species – 
a distinct sort or kind of organism
 
Example:  whitetail deer
 
A 
population
 is made up of all the individuals of a
given 
species
 in a specific area or region at a certain
time.
A group of organisms of the same kind
 
Example: a herd of
whitetail deer
 
A 
community
 includes all organisms in a given area
Sizes of communities vary greatly
Populations within a community are 
interdependent
because of the 
food webs 
that bind them together
 
Example:
 
An ecosystem includes all organisms in a defined area and
their nonliving environment
When you study an ecosystem, you look at how the living and
nonliving parts interact and affect each other
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Earth is the largest of all ecosystems, called the
biosphere
 
The 
biosphere
 can be divided into smaller regions
that have distinct characteristics. These regions are
called 
biomes.
 
The major biomes include:
Desert
Rainforest
Grassland
Tundra
Taiga
Temperate forest
Aquatic
 
Starting at the bottom, the levels of ecosystem
organization are:
 
Organism
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biome
Biosphere
 
Can you give an examples of these levels, starting from the
bottom?  What does each level include?
 
Aspen trees can actually
clone themselves through a
method called 
asexual
propagation
. In this
picture, all of the aspens are
really one tree  sharing a
large root system!
 
This brain coral is actually a
colony
 of individual coral
polyps
.  All corals are
colonies of many
organisms!
 
Individual coral polyps
Occasionally there are examples of a level of
organization appearing to be a different level, such as
the aspen appearing to be multiple trees and brain
coral appearing to be one animal.
 
However, these occurrences are not common.
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Explore the intricate relationships within ecosystems through the study of organization and hierarchy. From individual organisms to complex communities, learn how biotic and abiotic factors shape these environments. Gain insights into the levels of ecosystem organization, from single organisms to interconnected populations and communities, highlighting the interdependence of living organisms and their environment.


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  1. Ecosystem Organization

  2. Ecology The branch of biology studying the relationships and interactions between organisms and the environment In order to study ecology, scientists look at how organisms are related to one another and how they are related to the environment in which they live the ecosystem

  3. Ecosystem An ecosystem includes all living organisms in a defined area and their nonliving environment. Ecosystems are made up of living and nonliving factors: Biotic factors - living Abiotic factors - nonliving Think about the biotic and abiotic factors in your environment!

  4. Biotic Factors Anything living:

  5. Abiotic Factors Parts that make up the environment that are not living:

  6. Order in Everything Scientists have realized that life can be ordered in a hierarchy of ecosystem organization A hierarchy is a system of things ranked one above the other Let s look at the ecosystem hierarchy going from simple to complex

  7. Level 1: Single Organism An organism is any living thing a plant, a germ, a human, a fish, a bird, etc. One organism by itself is the simplest level of ecosystem organization An organism is classified as being a member of a species a distinct sort or kind of organism Example: whitetail deer

  8. Level 2: Population A population is made up of all the individuals of a given species in a specific area or region at a certain time. A group of organisms of the same kind Example: a herd of whitetail deer

  9. Level 3: Community A community includes all organisms in a given area Sizes of communities vary greatly Populations within a community are interdependent because of the food webs that bind them together Example:

  10. Level 4: Ecosystem An ecosystem includes all organisms in a defined area and their nonliving environment When you study an ecosystem, you look at how the living and nonliving parts interact and affect each other The Earth is the largest of all ecosystems, called the biosphere

  11. The Biosphere The biosphere can be divided into smaller regions that have distinct characteristics. These regions are called biomes. The major biomes include: Desert Rainforest Grassland Tundra Taiga Temperate forest Aquatic

  12. Lets Review! Starting at the bottom, the levels of ecosystem organization are: Organism Population Community Ecosystem Biome Biosphere Can you give an examples of these levels, starting from the bottom? What does each level include?

  13. Guess which vocabulary word fits the picture the best: This mushroom is a single organism This is a population of jellyfish These animals are part of a community This is an ecosystem!

  14. How about these? Individual coral polyps Aspen trees can actually clone themselves through a method called asexual propagation. In this picture, all of the aspens are really one tree sharing a large root system! This brain coral is actually a colony of individual coral polyps. All corals are colonies of many organisms!

  15. Ecology is not always what you expect Occasionally there are examples of a level of organization appearing to be a different level, such as the aspen appearing to be multiple trees and brain coral appearing to be one animal. However, these occurrences are not common.

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