Competition and Interdependence

• What does competition in an ecosystem refer to?

  Organisms competing for limited resources
• What is meant by interdependence in an ecosystem?

  Species relying on each other for survival
• What is the definition of a habitat?

  The environment where an organism lives
• What is a population in ecological terms?

  Total number of same species in an area
• What is a community in an ecosystem?

  Populations of different species in a habitat
• What does the term biotic refer to?

  Living parts of the environment
• What does the term abiotic refer to?

  Nonliving parts of the environment
• What is an ecosystem?

  Both biotic and abiotic parts interacting
• Why do living organisms require materials from their surroundings?

  To survive and grow
• What resources do plants compete for?

  Light, space, water, and minerals
• What resources do animals compete for?

  Food, water, mating partners, and territory
• What is interdependence in a community?

  Species relying on each other for resources
• How do lions depend on other organisms?

  Lions eat animals like zebras and gazelles
• How do zebras and gazelles obtain food?

  By eating grass and shrubs
• What role do some living organisms play in providing shelter?

  They protect animals from the Sun
• How do plants depend on animals?

  For pollination and seed dispersal
• What happens if a species disappears from a community?

  It can affect the entire community
• What is a stable community?

  Populations remain constant and balanced
• What do scientists call the populations of different species in a stable community?

  They remain fairly constant
• What is the relationship between populations and abiotic resources in a stable community?

  They are in balance with each other