Ecosytems

• Ecosystem


  Consists of all the organisms living in a particular habitat and the non-living components with which the organism interacts
• Equation for an ecosytem is?

  Habitat/ community
• Biodiversity


  The variation of animals and plants found within an area
• Organisms

  All living things
• Species


  A group of organisms with similar characteristics which can interbreed and produce fertile offspring
• Habitat


  The place an organism lives
• Community


  All organisms living in a habitat
• Population


  Members of species living in a defined area of habitat
• Food chain


  A diagram which shows a simple feeding relationship between individuals
• Producers


  Are organisms which produce their own food
• Consumers


  Are organisms which consume other organisms for food
• Herbivores


  Organisms that only eat plant matter
• Carnivores


  Organisms that only eat animal matter
• Omnivores


  Organisms that eat both plant and animal matter
• Predators

  Are animals which hunt other animals for food
• Prey


  Are animals which are hunted and killed by predators
• Food web


  Is a diagram which shows the detailed feeding relationship between organisms in an ecosystem
• What do the arrows show in a food chain/web?

  The flow of chemical energy
• Niche


  Is the role an organism plays within a community
• Competition


  Occurs when the resources an organisms require are in short supply
• What do animals compete for?

  Food, territory and mates
• What do plants compete for?

  Light, space and soil nutrients
• What are the two types of competition?

  Interspecific and Intraspecific competition
• Interspecific competition


  Competition between different species for one or a few of the resources they require
• Intraspecifc competition


  Competition between the same species and is for all resources required
• Which competition is more intense?

  Intraspecifc competition