Interactions Within Ecosystems Flashcards
Ecosystem
A system composed of organisms and their non living surroundings and how they interact.
Community
A group of organisms from DIFFERENT species that live in an area
Individual
A single organism of a specific species
Population
A group of individual organisms from the SAME species that live in an area.
Resources
The things that living organisms need to live, grow and reproduce
Species
A group of organisms that share similar physical traits that allows them to reproduce
Competition
The negative interaction between two or more organisms that share a limited resource.
Disturbances
A positive or negative change in the ecosystem affecting the availability of resources.
Interdependence
A type of mutualistic relationship that has evolved to a harmful level because now the species are dependent on one another for survival and if one species population declines, it will cause the other species population to decline as well.
Invasive Species
A non native species that out competes the native species for resources and causes harm to the overall ecosystem
Mutualism
The interaction between two different species where they both do something that benefits one another
Native Species
A species that naturally belong and exist in an ecosystem that work to maintain the balance of essential resources for that ecosystem.
Non-native Species
A species that is introduced to an ecosystem that has come from a different ecosystem. This species might coexist with the native species or become invasive.
Predation
The act of hunting, killing and eating another organism for survival
Predator
The organism that does the hunting of another organism
