Ecosystems

Ecosystems All the living AND nonliving parts of an environment, plus how they interact.

Terrestrial Ecosystems On land. Examples: Forests, deserts, grasslands. N.C.’s main ecosystem: temperate deciduous forest.

Freshwater Ecosystems Rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands. N.C. has many river ecosystems home to: Fish, otters, alligators, algae, plants, moss.

Marine Ecosystems Salty water; oceans.

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

Populations 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.

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

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

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

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

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