Adaptations & Competitions

• Describe the levels of organisation in an ecosystem?

  • Individuals
  • Species
  • Habitat
  • Population
  • Ecosystem
• What is a community and an ecosystem?

  • Community: Different populations interacting in the same habitat
  • Ecosystem: Interactions of community with non living things in their environment
• What are the resources organisms can compete for?

  • Plants: Light, space, water, mineral ions
  • Animals: Food, mates, territory
• What is interdependence and some examples?

  • How organisms in a community depend on each other for vital services
  • This can be for food, shelter and reproduction; For example birds take shelter in trees, flowers are pollinated with the help of bees
• What happens when species are removed or added to a community?

  • Can affect the numbers of other populations greatly as it changes prey/predator numbers
  • A stable community is one where all biotic and abiotic factors are balanced .. Population size stays roughly constant and it is difficult to replace lost species( tropical rain forests, oak woodlands, coral reefs)