Living Earth Test #1 Brow

Ecology

the study of why animals are where they are and how they interact

Individual

one member of a species

Species

a group of organisms so similar to one another that they can breed and produce offspring

Populations

groups of individuals of the same species that live in the same area

Communities

two or more populations of different species that live in a defined area

Ecosystems

collection of all organisms that live in a particular place together with their nonliving or physical environment

Biome

group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar dominant communities

Biotic factors

living or once living factors in an ecosystem

Biotic factor example

animals, dead animals, plants

Abiotic factors

non-living factors that shape an ecosystem

Abiotic factor example

sun, water, soil

What do biotic and abiotic factors determine for organisms?

growth, survival

Habitat

area where an organism lives

What do abiotic and biotic factors determine for an ecosystem?

productivity

Productivity

amount of plants

Ecological niche

unique way each species, behave, and live

Could two species occupy the same ecological niche?

no

Competition

when organisms try to use the same resource

Predation

when one organism captures and feeds on another

Symbiosis

relationship in which two organisms live closely together

What are the three types of symbiosis?

Mutualism, commensalism, parasitism

Mutualism

symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit

Commensalism

symbiotic relationship in which one species benefits, and the other is neither helped or harmed

Parasitism

one organism lives on or inside another organism and harms it

Ex. of mutualism

Bee and flower

Ex. of commensalism

bird sitting in a tree

Ex. of parasitism

deer and tick

Ecological succession

series of predictable changes that occur in a community over time

Primary succession

changes that occur on a surface with no soil

Secondary succession

changes that occur an in environment after a disturbance

Ex. of competition

animals fighting over a watering hole

Ex. of predation

mountain lion chasing feral hog

Ex. of primary succession

lichens growing on volcanic rock

Ex. of secondary succession

environment recovering after a wildfire