Introduction to Ecosystems and Food Webs

📋 Course Outline

1. Ecology definition
2. Abiotic and biotic factors
3. Ecosystem components
4. Energy exchange in ecosystems
5. Food chains and webs

📖 1. Ecology definition

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Ecology: the scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environments.
• Abiotic environment: non-living chemical and physical factors such as light, temperature, water, and nutrients.
• Biotic environment: living components like plants, animals, bacteria, and viruses.

📝 Essential Points

• Ecology focuses on how organisms interact with both living and non-living parts of their surroundings.
• The abiotic environment includes factors like climate, water, minerals, and sunlight, which are non-living.
• The biotic environment comprises all living components, including other organisms and microorganisms.

💡 Key Takeaway

Understanding ecology begins with grasping the fundamental distinction between living and non-living components and their interactions.

📖 2. Abiotic and biotic factors

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Abiotic factors are non-living elements like climate, water, minerals, and sunlight that influence ecosystems.
• Biotic factors are living components including other plants, animals, and microorganisms that interact within an ecosystem.