Overview of Ecosystems
Biology: IB Diploma Higher Level, topic 8.1.4
Key Terms - Ecosystems
Studying ecosystems is important to understand how the many different organisms interact with each other and their environment. There are some key terms you should know about ecosystems.
Habitat
- The habitat is where an organism lives.
- Different individuals within a species tend to occupy the same type of habitat.
- Individuals in different species are more likely to occupy a different habitat.
- Many species could occupy the same habitat (e.g. thousands of species live in a coral reef habitat).
Ecosystem components
- When many individuals of the same species occupy the same habitat, they are a population.
- Multiple populations of different species in the same habitat form a community.
- A community and the abiotic conditions (e.g. climate) in the environment together form an ecosystem.
- Ecosystems can be huge (e.g. the Amazon Rainforest).
- Ecosystems can be relatively small (e.g. rock pools).
Conditions
- Abiotic conditions are non-living environmental factors.
- E.g. Climate, shade cover.
- Biotic conditions are living environmental factors.
- E.g. Predation, competition.
Niche
- Every species has a specific role in an ecosystem.
- E.g. Decomposing bacteria have the role of breaking down waste material and dead organisms.
- The role is called a niche.
Adaptation
- If an individual is well-suited to surviving in its ecosystem it is said to be adaptive.
- The characteristics of an individual that help it survive and reproduce are adaptations.
Test yourself on Overview of Ecosystems
Which of these is NOT an example of an ecosystem?