Ecosystems
IMPORTANT VOCABULARY WORDS
ecology-the study of the relationship between living and non-living things and their environment
ecosystem- interactions of living & nonliving in an area
biotic-living
abiotic-not living
interact- having an impact on {Some examples are herbivores eating plants, carnivores eating other animals, plants giving off oxygen for animals and animals giving off carbon dioxide for plants.}
natural resources- made in nature & used by living things
habitat-place where organisms live and meet their needs
competition-trying to get resources when other living things are trying to get them too (both want to 'win')
organism-any living thing
population-all the same organisms living in an area
community-all the populations living in an area
increase - the population will grow larger because of more food or fewer predators
decrease - the population will get smaller because of less food or more predators
niche-describes the role an organism plays in a community, examples predator, herbivore
adapt- a physical trait or a behavior that helps an organism survive
adaptation-process in which an organism becomes better at surviving in its habitat, usually takes many generations
ESSENTIAL UNDERSTANDINGS
An ecosystem is made up of all of the living and nonliving things interacting in an area.
Deciduous forests, tropical rain forests, deserts, grasslands taigas, and tundra are types of ecosystems.
Biotic Factors include every plant, animal, fungi, and bacteria living in that area.
Sunlight, water, rocks, soil, and air are a few examples of abiotic factors.
Organisms in an ecosystem compete for the resources they need to survive, grow, and reproduce. Animals compete for air, food, shelter, water, mates, and space. Plants compete with each other for air, water, sunlight, pollinators, and space.
Organisms meet their needs and make their homes in their habitat. There are many habitats in an ecosystem.
Every living thing has a niche (job) in its community. (Think: what it eats, what eats it, how it behaves to survive.)
Any living thing is called an organism. A group of the same type of organisms is called a population. All the different populations in an area make up a community. All the communities and the nonliving things around them make up an ecosystem.
Living things must compete for resources because they are limited. Male moose charging at each other and fighting with their horns to win a mate is an example of competition. The strongest male will win the mate and pass on its genes to its offspring.
Read, Watch, Do & Review!
What is an ecosystem?
What are ecosystems?
What is a Niche?
More Info: Niches
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