Ecology, Ecosystems, and the Environment 
	Ecology, Ecosystems, and the Environment
		Ecology
			Study of natural living systems
		Ecosystem
			Includes all the living organisms and their non-living physical environment
			Matter and energy are recycled
			“Ecological Niche” refers to an organism’s particular way of obtaining matter and energy in an ecosystem
			“Homeostasis” refers to the balance that occurs in an ecosystem when the resources must be shared among all individuals 
	Ecology, Ecosystems, and the Environment
		Food Chain
			Recycling matter and energy
			Trophic level determined by how close organism is to sun (1st:: plants, 2nd: whatever eats the plant, 3rd: whatever eats the 2nd, etc.)
		Organisms categorized by food source
			Herbivore
				Eats plants
			Carnivore
				Eats meat
			Omnivore
 				Eats both
	Ecology, Ecosystems, and the Environment
		Biosphere
			Zone of Earth where life is found
				Terrestrial biomes – land areas
				Aquatic life zones – water based areas   
 
			Biomes (land): Determined by temperature and precipitation
				Trees present
					Rainfall is most important factor, minimal amount required
					Includes 
						tropical (rainforest)
						temperate (deciduous, but also rainforest and evergreens) 
						polar (evergreens)
				Without trees
					Too little rain for trees
					Includes
						Deserts
						Grasslands
						Tundra
						Chapparal
	Ecology, Ecosystems, and the Environment
		Aquatic life zones (water)
			Marine or Fresh
				Determined by presence or absence of salt

			Marine
				Includes
					Oceans
					Estuaries – occur where rivers empty into an ocean –mixture of salt and fresh water
			Fresh
				Includes
					Rivers, lakes, ponds streams, creeks
					Underground aquifers
	Ecology, Ecosystems, and the Environment
		Threats to environments
			Using up non-renewable resources
				Certain resources cannot be replenished within human timeframe
				Address by following the 3 R’s: Reduce / Reuse / Recycle
			Turning resources into solid waste
				Modern sanitary landfills not designed for biodegradation
				Create less solid waste &/or treat waste as a resource
			Creating pollution
				Depletion of ozone layer
				Acid rain
				Air pollution and smog
				Greenhouse gasses and global warming
	Ecology, Ecosystems, and the Environment
		POLLUTION
		CFC’S 
			Chemical primarily responsible for depletion of the ozone layer
			Developed in 1950’s – by 1986 it’s use was strictly regulated
		Solid and Hazardous Waste
			Byproduct of modern industrialized civilization
			Must find better methods for disposal or reuse
		Nitrogen oxides, sulfur compounds, and hydrocarbons
			Principal components of Acid Rain
			Primarily from the burning of fossil fuels
		Smog
			Urban air pollution in lower level of atmosphere
			Due to several compounds including those which produce acid rain, as well as ozone and others which interact close to the earth’s surface
			Originate from such human activities as transportation, industry
		Carbon dioxide, methane, CFC’s, water vapor
			“Greenhouse Gases” – hold heat from the sun in the atmosphere
			Natural greenhouse effect necessary to sustain life as we know it
			Human activity greatly increasing amount of CO2 in atmosphere
“Global Warming” is the increase in overall global temperature