19.1: Populations and Ecosystems Flashcards
What is ecology
The study of the inter-relationships between organisms and their environment
What does the environment include
Both non-living (abiotic) and living (biotic) factors
What are abiotic (non-living) factors
Temperature, rainfall
What are biotic (living) factors
Competition, predation
What is an ecoysystem
Dynamic systems made up of a community and all the non-living factors of its enviornment.
They can range in size from very small to very large
What re the two major processes to consider within an ecosystem
- The flow of energy through the system
2. The cycling of elements within the system
What is an example of an ecosystem
Freshwater pond or lake
- Has its own community of plants to collect the necessary sunlight energy to supply the organisms within it
Nutrients such as nitrate ions and phosphate ions are recycled within the pond or lake
What is within an ecosystem
A number of different species. Each species is made up of a group of individuals that make up a population
What is a population
A population is a group of individuals of one species that occupy the same habitat at the same time and are potentially able to interbreed
What is the carrying capacity
The certain size of population an ecosystem can support
What factors cause the size of a population to vary
- The effect of abiotic factors
2. Interactions between organisms, for example, intraspecific and interspecific competition and predation
What do populations of different species form
A community
What is a community
A community is defined as all the populations of different species living and interacting in a particular place at the same time
What is a habitat
A habitat is the place when an organism normally lives and is characterised by physical conditions and the other types of organisms present
How many habitats are within an ecosystem
There are many habitats within an ecosystem
