19.1 Populations in ecosystems Flashcards
What is ecology
The study of inter-relationships between organisms and their environment. The environment includes both biotic and abiotic factors
What is an ecosystem
A dynamic system made up of a community and all the non-living factors of its environment
What are 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 a population
A group of individuals of one species that occupy the same habitat at the same time and are potentially able to interbreed
What is carrying capacity
The certain size of a population an ecosystem can support
What can cause the size of a population to vary
- The effect of abiotic factor
2. Interactions between organisms, e.g. intraspecific and interspecific competition
What is a community`
It is all the populations of different species living and interacting in a particular place at the same time
What is a habitat
The place where an organism normally lives and is characterised by physical conditions and other types of organisms present
What is a microhabitat
Smaller units within a habitat which their own microclimate
What is an ecological niche
How an organism fits into the environment. It refers to where an organism lives and what it does there. It includes all the biotic and abiotic conditions to which an organism is adapted in order to survive.
What is the competitive exclusion principle
That no two species occupy exactly the same niche
