Name: ____________________________________ Date: ___________________ !

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Chapter 3 Notes – The Biosphere Section 3-1 What is Ecology? (p. 63-64) Ecology = the scientific study of interactions among _______________________

and between organisms and their ____________________________(surroundings).

The ______________________ contains the combined portions of the planet in

which all life exists, including:

• ______________

• ______________

• ______________ (atmosphere)

Within the biosphere, there are many _________________________ between

organisms and the environment in which they live.

• The biosphere is always _______________________.

What different levels of organization do ecologists study?

The levels of organization that ecologists study include: • ___________________________ • ___________________________ • ___________________________ • ___________________________ • ___________________________

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Level of Organization Definition Example (come up with

your own!)

Individual/ species

Population

Community

Ecosystem

Biome

Section 3-2 Energy Flow (p. 67-73) Where does the energy from life processes come from?

_______________________ is the main energy source for life on Earth. • But some types of organisms rely on the energy stored in inorganic

___________________ compounds. Producers

Autotrophs = organisms such as __________________, some _____________, and

certain bacteria that capture energy from ____________________ or chemicals

and use that energy to produce ______________.