Ecology Overview

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A series of free High School Biology Video Lessons. An overview and definition of ecology. Climate Definition. Biosphere. Terrestrial and Aquatic Biomes.

Ecology Overview
Ecology is the study of the interactions between organisms and the environment. There are various scales of study in ecology, the largest being at the level of the ecosystem, the next being at the level of the community and the smallest is at the population level.

An overview and definition of ecology. Climate Definition
Climate is defined as the long term patterns of temperature, humidity, wind, etc. in an area. People often confuse climate with weather. Weather is considered a temporary state while climate is the overall set of patterns. Climate can be influenced by latitude, altitude, terrain and nearby bodies of water. Examples of climates include Mediterranean, tundra and subarctic. Biosphere
The biosphere is the zone of air, land and water where organisms exist. It is commonly known as the global sum of all ecosystems and consists of several layers including the atmosphere, the lithosphere and the hydrosphere. Terrestrial Biomes
A biome is a type of ecosystem with similar life forms and environmental conditions. Terrestrial biomes can be affected by factors like plant types and spacing, rainfall and humidity, soil type, latitude and altitude. Examples of common terrestrial biomes include tundra's, taigas and tropical rainforests.


Aquatic Biomes
A biome is a type of ecosystem with similar life forms and environmental conditions. Biomes can be affected by factors like rainfall, humidity and latitude. Aquatic biomes are often classified into freshwater ecosystems (lakes, rivers and ponds), salt water ecosystems (seas, oceans and coral reefs) and wetlands (marshes and swamps).