Communities

• What is an ecosystem?

  Interaction of a community of living organisms (biotic) with the non living (abiotic) parts of their environment
• What does the term 'habitat' refer to?

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

  Total number of the same species in an area
• How is a community defined in ecology?

  Populations of different species in the same habitat
• What do living organisms compete for to survive?

  Resources
• What do plants compete for?

  • Light
  • Space
  • Water
  • Mineral ions from the soil
• What do animals compete for?

  • Food
  • Water
  • Mate
  • Territory
• What is the term for the dependence of different species in a community on each other?

  Interdependence
• How do different species in a community interact?

  • They depend on each other for food
  • They provide shelter for one another
• What happens when a species disappears from a community?

  It can affect the whole community
• What characterizes a stable community?

  • Populations of organisms are balanced
  • Interactions among species are stable