living together

• Organism


  A living thing. It can be a plant, an animal, fungi or bacteria
• Population


  A group of organisms of the same kind that live together and reproduce in a particular place
• Population


  • Increases when the organisms reproduce or when organisms of the same kind move into a particular place
  • Decreases when the organisms die or move to another place to search for food and water
• Habitat


  The place where an organism lives. Habitats provide organisms with food, water, air, space, shelter and protection
• Community


  All the different populations of organisms that live together in the same habitat
• Factors in an environment that affect the survival of living things

  • Light
  • Temperature
  • Air
  • Water
  • Availability of food
  • Other kinds of living things
• Light


  Plants need light to make food during photosynthesis. Without light, plants and other living things that depend on plants for food will die
• Temperature


  Affects how active some animals are and the body temperature of some groups of animals, such as amphibians and reptiles. Most living things cannot survive in extreme temperatures
• Air


  Essential for plants and animals, whether they live on land or in water. Without oxygen, plants and animals cannot survive. Without carbon dioxide, plants cannot make food and will die
• Water


  Essential for activities such as digestion in animals and photosynthesis in plants. The amount of rainfall in an environment determines the amount of water present
• Availability of food


  Living things need food to survive. Animals that obtain enough food will survive, while those that cannot find enough food have to move to another area or they will die of hunger
• Other kinds of living things

  The survival of a living thing is affected by the presence of other kinds of living things in the environment. Some interactions are beneficial, while others can be harmful
• When plants and animals die, they become food for decomposers like bacteria and fungi. Decomposers break down dead matter and animal waste into simple substances that are returned to the soil for plants to use
• Some bacteria and fungi can cause diseases that can wipe out whole groups of plants or animals
• Man can disrupt the balance of nature by activities like cutting down trees, polluting rivers, and overhunting certain species