Biology

• Species


  A group of organisms which breed to produce fertile offspring
• Biodiversity


  The total variety that exists within a species and between species in an ecosystem
• Population


  The total number of individuals in 1 species
• Producer


  A green plant which makes its own food (by the process of photosynthesis)
• Consumer


  An organism that consumes another organism for energy
• Herbivore


  An organism that eats only plants
• Carnivore


  An organism that eats only animals
• Omnivore


  An organism that eats both plants and animals
• Predator


  An organism which hunts, kills and eats other animals
• Prey


  An organism which is hunted, killed and eaten by other animals
• Food chain


  A series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food
• Food web


  The complex feeding relationships in an ecosystem
• Ecosystem


  All of the organisms (the community) living in a particular habitat and the non-living components with which the organisms interact
• Community


  All of the living organisms in an ecosystem
• Niche


  The role that an organism plays within a community, relating to the resources it requires and its interactions with other organisms
• A niche involves competition and predation and the conditions an organism can tolerate such as temperature
• Interactions within a community can be influenced by factors such as light and nutrient availability
• Interactions within a community can lead to the dominance of one or a few species
• Information about the interactions within a community is important for all resource management decisions
• Interactions within a community can lead to competition
• Biotic factors


  Living factors which influence the ecosystem
• Biotic factors


  • Competition for resources
  • Disease
  • Food availability
  • Grazing (herbivores eating plants)
  • Predation
• Abiotic factors


  Non-living factors which influence the ecosystem
• Abiotic factors

  • Light intensity
  • Soil moisture
  • pH
  • Temperature
• Competition


  Can either be between members of the same species or between members of different species
• Interspecific competition


  Competition that occurs between organisms of different species (e.g. two rabbits competing for shelter)
• Intraspecific competition


  Competition that occurs between members of the same species (e.g. an oak tree and a beech tree competing for sunlight)
• Intraspecific competition is more intense than interspecific competition
• Animals compete for


  • Food
  • Water
  • Shelter
  • Mates
• Plants compete for


  • Water
  • Light
  • Space to Grow
  • Nutrients
• Indicator species


  Species that by their presence or absence indicate environmental quality or levels of pollution
• Animals compete for:
• Resources animals compete for


  • Food
  • Water
  • Shelter
  • Mates
• plant compete for:
• Resources plants compete for


  • Water
  • Light
  • Space to Grow
  • Nutrients
• Competition


  Can either be between members of the same species or between members of different species
• Interspecific competition


  Competition that occurs between organisms of different species (e.g. two rabbits competing for shelter)
• Intraspecific competition


  Competition that occurs between members of the same species (e.g. an oak tree and a beech tree competing for sunlight)
• Intraspecific competition is more intense than interspecific competition
• Intraspecific competition


  Organisms are competing for the same resources