What is Ecology? (Miller & Levine Chapter 3.1)
Biosphere
All life on earth, and all parts of the earth on which life exists, including land, water, and the atmosphere
Ecosystem
All the organisms that live in a place, together with their physical environment
Biotic may influence Abiotic factors
An abiotic factor may be strongly influenced by living organisms: leafy tree canopies affect wind and sunlight received below, bacteria and fungi live in the mud of a shoreline, etc.
Community
An assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area
Biotic factor
Any living part of the environment with which an organism might interact, including animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria
Abiotic factor
Any nonliving part of the environment, such as sunlight, heat, precipitation, humidity, wind, water currents, soil type, and so on
Ecological methods of study
Observation: Field work Experimentation: modify environmental conditions Modeling: computer calculations using mathematical formulas from experimental data
Biome
A group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms
Population
A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area
Species
A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring
Ecology
The scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their physical environment
Biology
The scientific study of living organisms and the circumstances in which they live.