[OLD] Populations - Ecosystems: Key Terms Flashcards
Abiotic
Ecological factor making up part of the non-biological environment of an organism e.g temperature, pH
Adaptation
Alterations in pattern or structure resulting from natural selection that allow the organism to be fitter
Biotic
Ecological factor making up part of the biological environment of an organism e.g food availability
Community
All the living organisms in an ecosystem at a given time
Ecosystem
All the living and non-living components of a particular area
Environment
Natural biological factors that affect life in a particular place and time
Habitat
Where an organism normally lives, characterised by the physical conditions (abiotic factors) and other organisms present
Interspecific competition
Competition between organisms of different species
Intraspecific competition
Competition between organisms of the same species
Niche
How an organism fits into its environment. What a species is like, where it occurs, what it eats and its interactions with other species. Only one species can occupy a given niche at a particular time.
Population
Group of individuals of the same species that occupy the same habitat at the same time
Ecology
The study of organisms and their interaction with the environment
Carrying capacity
The maximum stable population size of a species that an ecosystem can support
Predation
Where an organism kills and eats another organism