Ecology Study Guide

Welcome to the exciting world of ecology! Ecology is the study of how living organisms interact with each other and their environment. Let's explore some key concepts in ecology:

What is Ecology?

Ecology is the study of the relationships between living organisms and their environment. It examines how organisms interact with each other and with the non-living components of their environment.

Ecological Levels of Organization

Organism: A single living individual.
Population: A group of organisms of the same species living in the same area.
Community: All the populations of different species that live and interact in the same area.
Ecosystem: A community of organisms and their physical environment.
Biome: A large area characterized by its climate, soil, and distinctive plant and animal communities.
Biosphere: The global ecological system integrating all living beings and their relationships.

Ecological Relationships

Organisms interact with each other in various ways, including:

Competition: When two or more organisms compete for the same resources, such as food, water, or shelter.
Predation: The act of one organism consuming another, such as a lion hunting a zebra.
Mutualism: A type of symbiotic relationship where both species benefit from the interaction, such as the relationship between bees and flowers.
Parasitism: A type of symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of another, such as a tick feeding on a dog.

Ecological Concepts

Ecologists study various concepts to understand how ecosystems function:

Food Chains and Webs: The transfer of energy and nutrients through feeding relationships in an ecosystem.
Energy Pyramid: A graphical representation of the trophic levels of organisms in an ecosystem, showing the flow of energy from producers to consumers.
Biogeochemical Cycles: The pathways through which elements and compounds are recycled in the environment, including the water cycle, carbon cycle, and nitrogen cycle.
Succession: The gradual process by which ecosystems change and develop over time.

Human Impact on Ecosystems

Human activities can have a significant impact on ecosystems, including habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change. It's important for us to understand these impacts and work towards sustainable solutions for a healthy planet.

Now that you have a basic understanding of ecology, you can explore these concepts in more detail and discover the amazing complexity of the natural world!

◂Science Worksheets and Study Guides Second Grade. What is science?

Vocabulary/Answer key

What is science?

The resources above cover the following skills:

LIFE SCIENCE

Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Obtain information from literature and other media to illustrate that there are many different kinds of living things and that they exist in different places on land and in water (e.g., woodland, tundra, desert, rainforest, ocean, river).

EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE

Earth’s Systems

Make observations from media to obtain information about Earth’s events that happen over a short period of time (e.g., tornados, volcanic explosions, earthquakes) or over a time period longer than one can observe (e.g., erosion of rocks, melting of glaciers).

Collect and evaluate data to identify water found on Earth and determine whether it is a solid or a liquid (e.g., glaciers as solid forms of water; oceans, lakes, rivers, streams as liquid forms of water).