biotic factors
are the living parts of a habitat
Habitat
The place where an organism lives and that provides the things the organism needs
Habitat provides
An organism's habitat must provide food, water, and shelter.
Abiotic Factors
The nonliving parts of an ecosystem
Photosynthesis
algae and plants use the abiotic factors sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water
Species
A group of organisms that are physically similar and can mate with each other and produce offspring that can also mate and reproduce.
Community
All the different populations that live together in an area.
Ecosystem
Made up of the community of organisms that live in a particular area, along with their non-living surroundings.
Population
All the members of one species in a particular area.
Organism
The smallest unit of ecological organization.
Ecology
The study of how things interact with each other and with their environment.
Sampling
Counting the number of organisms in a small area and multiplying to estimate the number in a larger area.
Estimate
An approximation of a number, based on reasonable assumptions.
Birth Rate
The amount of births in a population in a given amount of time
Death Rate
The number of deaths in a population in a given amount of time.
Immigration
Moving into a population.
Emigration
Leaving a Population
Population Density
Number of individuals in an area of a specific size.
Limiting Factor
An environmental factor that causes a population to decrease
Carrying Capacity
The largest population that an environment can support.
Natural Selection
The process where a characteristic that makes an individual better suited to its environment may eventually become common in that species.
Niche
An organism's particular role in its habitat, or how it makes its living
Adaptations
The behaviors and physical characteristics of species that allow them to live successfully in their environment.
Competition
The struggle between organisms to survive in a habitat with limited resources.
Prey
The organism that is killed by the predator.
Predation
An interaction in which one organism kills another for food
Predator Adaptation
An adaption that allows predators to attack and kill their prey.
Symbiosis
A close relationship between two species that benefits at least one of the species
Symbiotic Relationships
A relationship between two species. They are mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.
Mutualism
A relationship in which both species benefit. For example bacteria in the
intestine
Commensalism
A relationship in which one species benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed. For example a nest in a cactus tree.
Parasitism
Involves one organism living on or inside another organism and harming it.
Parasite
The organism that benefits in a parasitic relationship.
Host
The organism that a parasite lives on. For example the dog a flea lives on.
Pioneer Species
The first species to populate an area where primary succession takes place
Succession
The series of predictable changes that occur in a community over time
Primary Succession
The series of changes that occur in an area where no soil or organisms exist.
Secondary Succession
The series of changes that occurs after a disturbance in an existing ecosystem.