interactions within ecosystems

What is a habitat?

A place where organisms live in.

What is a population?

Organisms of the same species/kind that live in a particular habitat.

What is a community?

Made up of the different plant and animal populations living together and interacting in a habitat.

What is an ecosystem?

The interactions between a community and its physical environment.

What is ecology?

The study of ecosystems.

What is an ecologist?

A person who studies ecology.

What are the non-living factors in a habitat called?

abiotic factors

What are the (living) organisms in a habitat called?

biotic factors

How do the abiotic factors affect the biotic factors in an environment?

The abiotic factors in the environment determine the type of biotic factors that can live in that environment.

Biotic factors that cannot adapt to the abiotic factors, will not survive in that environment.

What are the two types of adaptations?

• Structural adaptations

• Behavioural adaptations

What are structural adaptations?

They are physical features of an organism that help it to survive.

What are behavioural adaptations?

They are the ways an organism behaves that allows it to survive.

How can the adaptive traits of organisms help them to survive better?

• They enable them to find food

• They help them to escape from predators

• They enable them to attract mates

• They allow them to live in the environmental conditions found in their habitats.

Why do species go extinct if they are able to adapt?

• Adaptive traits are developed over many generations and require a long period of time to occur

• When the environment changes too quickly, some species do not have enough time to respond to these changes (e.g. global warming, pollution)

What are the types of interrelationships in an ecosystem?

• Predator-prey

• Mutualism

• Parasitism

• Commensalism (enrichment)

What is a predator-prey relationship about?

• Predators are animals that hunt and kill other animals for food. The animals that are killed and eaten are called prey.

• Predators are usually well-adapted to catch and kill their prey. These include having good senses, speed, strong jaws, claws and beaks, and camouflage.

• Prey too, have adaptations to protect them from predators, e.g. camouflage, high speed, small size

What is mutualism?

It is a relationship between two or more organisms in which both organisms support or benefit one another.

What are some examples of mutualism?

• Butterflies/bees and flowers:

  • Butterflies/bees transfer pollen from one flower to another. This helps in plant reproduction.

  • Flowers provide butterflies/bees with nectar (sugary fluid produced in plants).

• Sea anemone and clownfish:

  • Sea anemone provides shelter and protection for the clownfish.

  • Clownfish helps bring food to the anemone.

• Birds and buffaloes:

  • Birds feed on ticks, which suck the blood of buffaloes.

  • Buffaloes provide birds with a source of food (ticks) and protection from predators.

What is parasitism?

It is the relationship in which one organism benefits while the other is harmed. The organism that cases the harm is called a parasite.

Describe how organisms interact with each other in a habitat.

• by eating them

• by competing with them for food, water and light

• by providing them with shelter and protection

What disrupts the stability of an ecosystem and how?

Changes in environmental conditions or removal of any organism disrupts the stability of an ecosystem.

In a balanced ecosystem, the number of organisms _______.

remain almost constant.

• There are enough producers to provide food for the consumers and each consumer has enough food to eat.

What happens if the balance of the ecosystem is upset?

The number of organisms can change in a way that may harm the ecosystem.

What are the possible factors a balanced ecosystem can be upset by?

• Natural forces, such as weather or disease

• Human activity, such as the use of poisons, overhunting and pollution

What is a food chain?

A food chain shows the feeding relationship between organisms.

What happens during feeding?

Energy and nutrients are transferred from one organism to another.

What are the types of organism