Biosphere
The total area of earth where living things are found.
Biome
A portion of the biosphere characterized by a distinct climate and a particular assemblage of plants and animals adapted to it.
Ecosystem
All of the organisms in a given area plus the physical/nonliving components in the environment in which they interact.
Community
All different kinds of organisms that interact
Population
Members of one species
Species
A group of plants or animals that have a high degree of similarity and can generally interbreed only among themselves. They depends on suitable habitats in which to live. They fill a specific niche in their community.
Individual
Single member of the population
Habitat
Physical environment in which individuals of a particular species can be found.
Niche
The role a species plays in its community including how it gets its energy and nutrient its a habitat requirements and what other species and part of the ecosystem its interacts with
Abiotic factors
nonliving organisms in an ecosystem
Biotic factors
living organisms in an ecosystem
Limiting Factors
The critical resource whose supply determines the population size of a given species in a given biome.
Zones of Tolerance
The range, within upper and lower limits, of a limiting factor that allows a species to survive and reproduce
Optimal Range
Populations have a range of tolerance for each environmental factor - light, water, salinity
Biomass
The sum of all organic material (plant and animal matter) that make up an ecosystem including material from living or recently living organisms and their byproducts
Problems that made life unsustainable
-invasive species were choking them
- not getting enough sunlight
- lots of nitrogen
-trees became weak from no wind