Levels of Ecological Organizations

Communities

1. A community is: all of the living organisms found in particular area 2. In the pond ecosystem used as an example above, the fish, plants, algae, bacteria and protists make up a community 3. A community may contain thousands of species 4. A scientist who studies the interactions between these living organisms

Population

1. A population includes: all the members of a single species that live in an area 2. Communities are composed of many different populations

From Broadest to most specific

1. Biosphere 2. Ecosystem 3. Communities 4. Population 5. Organism

Ecosystem

1. The biosphere is composed of smaller units called ecosystem 2. An ecosystem is a collection of: all the organisms that live in a particular place, together with their nonliving, or physical 3. Living things that live in this ecosystem are ducks, fish, frogs, worms, bacteria,algae and protists 4. Nonliving components of this ecosystem are rocks, soil, water and sunlight

Biosphere

1. The biosphere is the broadest level of ecological organization and includes all other levels. 2. The biosphere contains the combined portions of: the plant in which all life exists, including land, water and air 3. All organisms are found within the biosphere 4. It extends 5 to 6 miles above the Earth's surface to the deepest parts of the ocean

Organisms

1. This the simplest level of organization in ecology 2. An organismal scientist would concentrate on the adaptation that allow organisms to overcome the challenges of their environment