ECOLOGY

Notes

ECOLOGY **Ecology** is the study of living organisms, their environment, and how they interact with each other and with non-living things. --- ## LEVELS OF ECOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION (from smallest to largest) 1. **Organism** – one living thing 2. **Population** – same species living together 3. **Community** – different species living together 4. **Ecosystem** – living organisms and their environment 5. **Biome** – large regions with similar climate 6. **Biosphere** – all life on Earth --- ## ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ### **Biotic factors** Living things: * Plants * Animals * Fungi * Bacteria ### **Abiotic factors** Non-living things: * Water * Sunlight * Temperature * Air * Soil --- ## TYPES OF SPECIES IN ECOLOGY ### 🌿 **Producers** * Make their own food * Use photosynthesis * Example: plants ### 🐾 **Consumers** * Eat other organisms Types of consumers: * **Herbivores** – eat plants * **Carnivores** – eat animals * **Omnivores** – eat plants and animals ### 🍄 **Decomposers** * Break down dead organisms * Return nutrients to the soil * Example: fungi and bacteria --- ## FOOD CHAIN & FOOD WEB * **Food Chain**: shows a simple flow of energy * **Food Web**: many...