1. Earth Systems Project
Ecology I
Mr. Nettles

2. Class Motto
 Discipline fuels character!
 Character builds hope!
 Hope assures your future!

3. Announcements
 All Presentations Must Be Given On Thursday!!
(No Exceptions!!)
 If not submitted Thursday, five points will be deducted from your
grade every school day until you give the presentation.
 Today will be your FINAL whole class day to work on
projects.
 I will give you 30 minutes of class time tomorrow after the lecture
to wrap put the final touches on projects.

4. Agenda- Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Final Whole Day for Projects
f A-Plus (if project completed)

5. Today’s Objectives
 Students will create PowerPoint presentations
reflecting their in-depth analysis of the Earth’s four
major systems.

6. Ecosystems
Ecology I
Mr. Nettles

7. Class Motto
 Discipline fuels character!
 Character builds hope!
 Hope assures your future!

8. Announcements
 All Presentations Must Be Given On Thursday!!
(No Exceptions!!)
 If not submitted Thursday, five points will be deducted from your
grade every school day until you give the presentation.

9. Agenda- Wednesday, February 22, 2012
y Warm-Up
y Ecosystems Lecture
r Wrap-Up
r Projects

10. Today’s Objectives
 Define ecosystem, biotic factor, abiotic factor,
organism, species, population, community, habitat.
 Distinguish between the biotic and abiotic factors
in an ecosystem.
 Describe how a populations differ from species.
 Explain how habitats are important for organisms.

11. Warm Up (Feb. 22)
1. What are two of the most interesting facts
that you’ve learned from the research
information gathered for your project?
3. How does your system relate to one of
the other three?
5. What’s one of the most valuable skills
you’ve learned while completing your
project?

12. Defining an Ecosystem
• Ecosystems are communities of organisms and their
abiotic environment.
– Examples are an oak forest or a coral reef.
– Ecosystems do not have clear boundaries.
– Things move from one ecosystem to another.
• Pollen can blow from a forest into a field, soil can
wash from a mountain into a lake, and birds migrate
from state to state.

13. What Does an Ecosystem Need To
Survive?
• In order to survive, ecosystems need five
basic components: energy, mineral
nutrients, water, oxygen, and living
organisms.
• Most of the energy of an ecosystem comes
from the sun.

14. Biotic and Abiotic Factors
• Biotic factors are environmental factors
that result from the activities of living
organisms such as plants, animals, dead
organisms, and the waste products.
• Abiotic factors are environmental factors
that result from nonliving features such as
air, water, rocks, and temperature.

15. Quick Exercise
 Take 2 minutes to two list of all the abiotic and biotic features
that you see in this picture.

16. The 4 Major Levels of Ecological
Organization
• The four major levels of
ecological organization
are:
 organisms
 species
 populations
 communities

17. The 4 Levels of Ecological Organization
• Organisms are living things that can carry
out life processes independently.
• Species are groups of organisms that are
closely related and can mate to produce
fertile offspring.

18. The 4 Levels of Ecological Organization
• Populations are groups of organisms of the
same species that live in a specific
geographical area and interbreed.
• Communities are groups of various species
that live in the same habitat and interact with
each other.

19. What is a Habitat?
• Habitats are places where an organism usually lives.
• Every habitat has specific characteristics that the
organisms that live there need to survive.
• In fact, animals and plants usually cannot survive for long
periods of time away from their natural habitat.

20. Wrap Up (Feb. 22)
) List the correct order of the 4 levels of
ecological organization.
i How are habitats important for
organisms?
Where does most of the energy in an
ecosystem come from?

21. Ecosystems
Ecology I
Mr. Nettles

22. Class Motto
 Discipline fuels character!
 Character builds hope!
 Hope assures your future!

23. Agenda- Mon., February 27, 2012
b Warm-Up
b Presentations
b Make-Up
b A-Plus

24. Warm Up (Feb. 27)
) List the four major levels of ecological
organization in the correct order.
t Give two examples of both biotic and
abiotic factors that you noticed this
morning on your way to school.
w List three of the five components
necessary for ecosystems to survive.