ecological terminology

• taxonomy : the science of grouping organisms according to the similarities their features . any taxonomic group is called a taxon . the grouping of organisms is subjective and based on opinions ad so when new information about species is discovered grouping can always change .
• Species : a group of closely related organisms that resemble each other more than members of other groups . They form a reproductively isolated group that naturally breed with each other to produce fertile offspring . Most species could not produce fertile offspring with other species :  

  •  differences in behaviour would prevent individuals from attempting to mate .
  • Anatomical differences make mating impossible
  • even if mating was possible , differences in numbers or shape of chromosomes may make fertilisation or cell division impossible .
• Evolution : the process that changes the genepool of a species ,in some cases separating gene pools which eventually become two or more species . It is driven by the increased chance of survival , produced by being better adapted to the local conditions than other members of the species . The characteristics that provide survival advantage can vary in different areas .  
• habitat : a habitat is an area or location where a species or community of species lives , for example , moles live in this ol with a grassland , blue tits living In the foliage of trees in the woodland .
• ecological niche : the role that a species plays in it's habitat . this includes the way that it uses environmental resources and it's relationship to other species , such as pollination or seed dispersal . for example , the tawy owl is a nocturnal carnivore , nesting in holes in hollow trees , feeding on small mammals and birds . within a single habitat, 2 species cannot occupy the same niche  , one would be better adapted than the other .
• population : includes all the individuals of a single species that live in a particular area , for example , all the English oak trees in a deciduous woodland or all the common arp in a lake .
• Community of species : includes all the members of all the species that live in an area , for example , the combination of all the populations of all the species in an area such as all the species of plants , bacteria , fungi and animals .
• Ecosystem : the combination of the biotic and abiotic features of an area . It includes their relationship with the environment including energy , water and nutrients , interspecies relationships. They are usually self-contained with few movements of organisms . Examples include : rainforests , savanna and grassland.
• biome : a large geographical region with specific climate conditions within which a characteristics community of species lives . it includes all the areas where the community is found , for example : tropical rainforests , mangoes and savannah grassland .

  The distribution of biomes are controlled by climate factors such as temperature , light , water availability and seasonal fluctuations . 
• biosphere : the biosphere is all of planet earth that is inhabited by living organisms including the land surface , soil , water and atmosphere .