population and ecosystem Flashcards
what is ecology
the study of the inter-relationships between organisms and their enviroment
define niche
a specific combination of food, water, habitat etc.
what are biotic factors
living factors that determine range and abundance of a species
what are abiotic factors
non-living factors that determine the geographical range of a species
give some examples of biotic factors
prey, predetor, food avaliablity, disease, competion
give some examples of abiotic factors
soil ph, wind, air temp, nitrate, phosphate light intensity, salination
what is carrying capcity of a population
how much an ecosystem can sustain
the carrying capacity of a population within an ecosystem can vary as a result of ….
abiotic factors
interaction between biotic factors e.g predetor/prey
define individual organism
individuals of the same species
what is the next step from indervidual organisms
population
define population
a group of interbreeding organisms of the same species in a habitat and populations of different species
what is the next step up from population
community
define community
all the populations of different species living and interacting in a particular place at the same time and antibiotic and biotic environmental factors
what is one step up from community
ecosystem
define ecosystem
all the interacting biotic and abiotic factors in a specific area and all the ecosystems
