Ecosystems Essential Question: How do organisms interact with and respond to components of their environment?

Vocabulary Species Competition Population Coexistence Community Cooperation Ecosystem Symbiosis Habitat Commensalism Niche Parasitism Biotic Mutualism Abiotic

Concept How populations are affected in ecosystems; Relationships among populations.

Species Group of organisms that share characteristics and can breed with one another. Example: white-tailed deer.

Population All the members of a species living in a certain area. Example: white-tailed deer in a forest.

Community All the populations of different species living in an area. Example: white-tailed deer, chipmunks, trees, fungi, insects living in a forest.

Ecosystem All the living AND nonliving parts of an environment, plus how they interact. Terrestrial – land (forest, desert, grassland.) NC’s main ecosystem – temperate deciduous forest. Aquatic - Freshwater – rivers, lakes, wetlands. Aquatic - Marine – salty ocean water.

Habitat The place/home where an organism lives. Example: a rotting log is a habitat for insects, worms, and fungi.

Niche How an organism acts (the role it plays) in an ecosystem.

Biotic Factor The LIVING factors in an ecosystem. Example: all the plants, fungi, and animals in a forest.

Abiotic Factor All the NONliving factors in an ecosystem. Example: light, temperature, weather, soil, water.

Ecological Relationships How and why do organisms interact with one another?

Vocabulary Competition Coexistence Cooperation Predation Symbiosis Mutualism Parasitism Commensalism

Competition Members of a population & community compete for what they need to survive: Water, space, sunlight, food.

Coexistence Members of a community living together, but not affecting the other’s survival in the ecosystem.

Cooperation Members of a population working together for survival.

Predation One animal attacks and preys on another. Predator and prey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffcyVpqn9ng

Symbiosis A close relationship between two species that benefits at least one of them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTGcS7vJqbs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSmL2F1t81Q

Commensalism One species benefits; the other is not affected. Example: egret & cattle

Parasitism One organism lives in/on another organism and harms it. The parasite lives in/on the host. Example: fleas, ticks, leeches.

Mutualism Both species benefit from the interaction.