1. Living Earth

2. Ecology
The study of interactions that occur among organisms and their environments

3. habitat The place in which an organism lives
An organism’s habitat provides the kinds of food and shelter, the temperature, and the amount of moisture the
Trees are a woodpecker’s habitat
The forest floor is a salamander’s habitat

4. population
Made up of all organisms of the same species that live in an area at the same time

5. community All the populations of all species living in an ecosystem
The prairie community is made of populations of bison, grasshoppers, cowbirds, and all other species in the prairie community

6. ecosystem
Consists of all the organisms living in an area, as well as the nonliving parts of that environment
Example ~ Prairie ecosystem
Living ~ bison, grass, birds, insects
Nonliving ~ water, temperature, sunlight, soil, air

7. biosphere The part of Earth that supports life
Includes the top portion of Earth’s crust, all the waters that cover Earth’s surface, and the atmosphere that surrounds Earth