Populations and Ecosystems

ECOLOGY - STUDY OF INTERRELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ORGANISMS AND ENVIRONMENT

ABIOTIC - NON LIVING E.G TEMPERATURE

BIOTIC - LIVING FACTORS E.G PREDATION

BIOSPHERE - LAYER OF LAND, AIR AND WATER THAT SURROUNDS EARTH AND SUPPORTS LIFE

ECOSYSTEMS - ALL INTERACTING BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC FEATURES IN SPECIFIC AREA. SELF CONTAINED FUNCTIONAL UNITS. TWO PROCESSES:

• FLOW OF ENERGY THROUGH SYSTEM
• CYCLING OF ELEMENTS IN SYSTEM E.G NUTRIENTS, LITTLE LOSS OR GAIN BETWEEN OTHER ECOSYSTEMS

E.G LAKE

POPULATIONS - GROUP OF INTERBREEDING ORGANISMS OF ONE SPECIES IN A HABITAT. BOUNDARIES DIFFICULT TO DEFINE DUE TO DISTANCE

COMMUNITY - ALL POPULATIONS OF DIFFERENT ORGANISMS LIVING AND INTERACTING IN PARTICULAR PLACE AT SAME TIME

HABITAT - PLACE WHERE A COMMUNITY OF ORGANISMS LIVE

MICROHABITAT - SMALLER UNITS IN A HABITAT WITH ITS OWN MICROCLIMATE

ECOLOGICAL NICHE - WHERE AN ORGANISM LIVES AND INTERACTS, AND FITS INTO ITS ENVIRONMENT, INCLUDING ALL THE ABIOTIC AND BIOTIC FACTORS NEEDED TO SURVIVE, REPRODUCE AND MAINTAIN VIABLE POPULATION -