Ecology

• What is the meaning of ecology?

  The study of how living things interact with their environment
• Ecosystem

  All of the organisms living in a specific area and all the non-living factors (abiotic conditions)
• Habitat

  The place where the organisms lives
• Community

  All of the different species in a habitat
• Population

  All of the individuals of the same species in the area
• Abiotic factors


  Non-living factors which affect where organisms live
• Humidity

  If there is too little or too much water vapour in the atmosphere it can affect the survival of organisms. tropical plants prefer high humidity
• Temperature

  Few organisms survive outside the range of 0-40 degrees unless they are specially adapted. Penguins can survive at -80 degrees and some bacteria at over 100 degrees
• pH

  Plants only grow well in soil which has a particular pH range. pH affects how well enzymes work
• Biotic factors

  Living factors which affect where organisms are found
• Competition

  Individuals compete with eachother for resources. Some organisms can be outcompeted by others. Intra-specific competition is within a species e.g. many ladybirds competing for aphids. Inter-specific competition is between different species e.g. vultures and hyenas competing over a dead animal
• Predation

  A predator is an animal that feeds by hunting and killing its prey. The prey must escape the predator to survive
• Disease

  Some microbes cause disease and this can effect the survival of organisms
• Grazers

  These animals eat plants. We sometimes call them herbivores. Too much grazing can affect the survival of certain plants
• Decomposers

  These include bacteria and fungi. They are essential for the recycling on nutrients. Plants cannot grow well in soil which lacks nutrients like mineral ions
• Effects of humans

  Farming, forestry, transport, housing can all affect the survival of organisms
• Biodiversity

  Richness of species, relative abundance of species, variety of different species of organisms