Ecological+Levels

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Ecology Unit : Lesson #1 - Ecological Levels
 * **Ecology** is the study of how things interect with each other and their environment.
 * There are 7 **ecological levels** that most scientists agree on. They are:
 * =====**Organism** - one individual living thing (ex: a robin) =====
 * =====**Population** - ALL of the organisms of the same species in a particular area (ex: all robins in Rockwood Park) =====
 * **Species** - ALL of the individuals of a particular type of organism (ex: all robins in the world)
 * **Community** - several populations living in a particular area (ex: all robins, foxes and oak trees in Rockwood Park)
 * =====**Ecosystem** - a set of relationships between many populations of organisms and their environment (ex: a tidal pool is a small ecosystem; a forest is a large ecosystem) =====
 * =====2 main components of an ecosystem: =====
 * =====//__biotic factors__// - living things in an ecosystem (birds, flowers, trees, algae, even bacteria!) =====
 * //__abiotic factors __// - non-living things in an ecosystem (air, water, temperature, rocks, sand)
 * Ecosystems include **ecotones **, which are the "gray" area that lies between two ecosystems. In ecotones, organisms from the two ecosystems __<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS",cursive; font-size: 120%;">will __<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS",cursive; font-size: 120%;"> interact with each other. An example of an ecotone is a field that lies between a forest and a pond.
 * **<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS",cursive; font-size: 120%;">Biome **<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS",cursive; font-size: 120%;"> - a collection of ecosystems that cover a large geographic area that contain many similar plant and animal species. Scientists agree that there are between 9 and 15 biomes in the world. **<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS",cursive; font-size: 120%;">The biomes of the world: **




 * <span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS",cursive; font-size: 120%;">**Bios****phere -** a thin layer of life that covers the Earth. It extends for several kilometers into the Earth's crust and atmosphere

=Videos to watch:= media type="youtube" key="EdKhQVHc3Ao" height="315" width="420" This video has everything from "Organism" to "Ecosystem", explained very well!

=Please download the following file and answer the questions. You may choose to type your answers OR hand write your answers on paper. This must be emailed or turned into Ms. Harris to be marked no later than the end of class on //__Monday, March 19th, 2012__// .=

=Are you ready for a quiz? Practice studying the terms for this lesson by going to Quizlet (click here). The password to access the games/flashcards is "nyerocks".=