1.1 Ecosystem

• What is an ecosystem?

  All the organisms (the community) living in a particular habitat and the non-living components with which they interact.
• What is a niche?

  The role that an organism plays within a community

  
  

  e.g a rabbit niche is to munch on grass, compete with other rabbits for mates, to be eaten by foxes.
• When does competition in an ecosystem occur?

  When resources are in short supply.
• What is interspecific competition?

  Competition between individuals of different species, for one or a few of the resources that they require.
• What is intraspecific competition?

  Competition between individuals of the same species for ALL of the resources that they require.
• Which type of competition is more intense, interspecific competition or intraspecific competition?

  Intraspecific competition, this is because the organisms from the same species occupy the same niche, whereas 2 different species occupy a slightly different niche so may have other resources to them.
• What is a species?

  A group of organisms that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
• What is a population?

  A group of organisms of the same species, living together in the same habitat.
• What is a producer?

  An organism that can produce its own food by photosynthesis.
• What is a consumer?

  An organism that gets its energy by consuming other organisms.
• What is a herbivore?

  An organism that gets its energy by consuming producers.
• What is a carnivore?

  An organism that gets its energy by consuming other consumers.
• What is an omnivore?

  An organism that gets its energy by consuming both producers and consumers.
• what is a community?

  all the living things together in an ecosystem
• what is biodiversity?


  The variety of living things in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
• what is a habitat?


  the place where an organism lives
• what do the arrows in a food chain show?

  the arrows shows the direction of energy flow