Unit 1.1: Ecosystems

Community

All living organisms in an area.

Ecosystem

All living and non-living things in an area.

Biome

The plants and animals found in a given region, this is determined by climate. (example: tropical rainforest)

Mutualism

A relationship that benefits both organisms. (example: a coral reef, the coral and the fish eating off of it both thrive)

Commensalism

A relationship that benefits one organism and doesn’t affect another. (example: bird’s nests in trees)

Competition

Organisms fighting over a single resource such as food or shelter. This limits population size.

Predation

When one organism uses another as an energy source. (example: hunters and parasites)

True predators/carnivores

When they kill and eat prey for energy.

Parasites

Uses a host organism for energy, often not killing the host and living inside the host. (example: mosquitoes and tapeworms)

Parasitoids

They lay eggs inside of a host, the eggs hatch and larvae eat the host for energy. (example: parasitic wasps)

Symbiosis

Any close/long-term interaction between two organisms of different species. (example: mutualism and commensalism)

Resource partitioning

Different species using the same resource in different ways in order to reduce competition.

Temporal partitioning

Using resources at different times. (example: wolves hunting during the day, coyotes hunting during the nighttime)

Spacial partitioning

Using different areas of a shared habitat.

Morphological partitioning

Using different resources based on different evolved body features.