Ecosystems

• Species - Individuals who can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
• Biodiversity - This is the variety of living organisms within an area.

  
  

  a high biodiversity means there are many different species

  
  

  a low biodiversity means there are not many different species
• Population - The number of individuals within a species living in a particular area.
• A community is all of the living organisms living in a particular area.
• An ecosystem consists of all the organisms (the community) living in a particular habitat and the non-living components with which the organisms interact.
• A niche is the role an organism plays within a community.
• Competition in ecosystems will occur between organisms when resources are in short supply.
• Animals are in competition for:

  • food
  • space
  • water availability
  • mates
• Plants are in competition for:

  • nutrients
  • water
  • space
  • light/sunlight
• Intraspecific competition occurs from individuals of the same species for all of the resources they require.
• Interspecific competition occurs from individuals of different species for one or a few of the resources they require.
• Producer - An organism that can produce its own food using light energy from the sun.

  Consumer - An organism who has to consume food to gain energy.

  Predator - An animal which hunts other animals for food.

  Prey - An animal that is hunted by another animal.
• Herbivore - An animal that only eats plants.

  Carnivore - An animal that eats other animals.

  Omnivore - An animal which eats both animals and plants.