Ecology Notes

Essential Question How do organisms and populations in an ecosystem compete for biotic and abiotic factors? (Such as quantity of light, water, range of temperatures, or soil composition)

Biotic Environment includes all the other living organisms in the environment. All plants, animals, protists, fungi and bacteria living in the area are part of the biotic system.

Abiotic Environment Physical environmental factors such as sunlight, rainfall, soil type, and temperature make up the non-living components of an environment.

Organism: An individual form of life, such as a plant, animal, bacterium, protist, or fungus

Populations: all the organisms that belong to the same species living in a community.

Communities: refers to all the populations in an ecosystem.

Ecosystem: consists of all the organisms living in an area and the nonliving features of their environment.

Biosphere: The part of Earth that supports life.

Habitat: the place in which an organism lives.

Symbiosis: any close relationship between species

Mutualism: in which different species have a cooperative or mutually dependent relationship. A clown fish gets a safe haven and the sea anemone kills and feeds on fish that are eyeing its tenant!

Commensalism: A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is not affected. Barnacles and whales: Barnacles attach to whales and get transportation, plankton to eat as they move, and protection. The whales are not harmed and get no benefit.

Parasitism: A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits but the other is harmed. The tick feeds off of the dog. The dog gets eaten and may get sick.

Niche: The place or function of a given organism within its ecosystem. For example, in a forest there may be a niche for an organism that can fly and eat nectar from blossoms. This niche may be filled by some sort of bird or insect.

Consumers Mutualism Plant eater Meat eater Eats both Omnivores Commensalism Mutualism Plant eater Meat eater Eats both