19.1 Populations and ecosystems Flashcards
define environment
includes abiotic and biotic factors
define biotic
living factors in an environment
competition and predation
define abiotic
non-living factors in an environment
temperature and rainfall
define biosphere
the part of the earth’s crust, waters, and atmosphere that supports life
define ecosystem
all the living and non living components of a particular area
define population
a group of individuals of the same species
that occupy the same habitat
at the same time
define community
all the living organisms present in an ecosystem at a given time
define habitat
the place where an organism normally lives
characterised by physical conditions and the types of other organisms present
define ecological niche
describes where an organism lives and what it does their.
includes all abiotic and biotic factors needed for an organism to survive, reproduce and maintain a viable population size.
define ecology
the study of the inter-relationship between organisms and their environment
the two major processes to consider in an ecosystem
the flow of energy through the system
the cycling of elements within the system
define carrying capacity
the certain size of a population of a species that an ecosystem supports
define microhabitat
smaller units within each habitat
area within a habitat where a particular species may live e.g. lichen on a tree
what is the carrying capacity
an ecosystem supports a certain size of population of a species
