Ecosystem Relationships

Abiotic

Abiotic Factors: those non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems

Soil, water, air, temperature, sunlight

Biotic

Biotic Factors: any living thing that helps shape an ecosystem

5 kinds of interactions between biotic factors Competition

Predation

Mutualism

Commensalism

Parasitism

Competition A contest between organisms

for a resource

Examples: Food

Water

Sunlight

Space

Reproductive mate

Competition Fitness of one organism is lowered by the presence of another

Interspecific Competition Competition between members of different species

Intraspecific Competition Competition between members of the same species

Predation

A biological interaction where one organism preys on another

Beneficial for one organism (the predator) and detrimental for the other (the prey)

Mutualism

Two organisms of different species exist in a relationship in which each individual benefits from the activity of the other

Symbiosis: a close and often long-term interaction between two or more different biological species

Commensalism

Relationship between two organisms where one benefits without affecting the other

Symbiosis

Parasitism

Relationship between species, where one (the parasite) benefits at the expense of the other (the host)

Symbiosis

Conservation Status

Indicates whether a group still exists and how likely the group is to become extinct

Conservation Status

Extinction: the end of a species

Conservation Status

Extirpated: condition of a species that ceases to exist in a certain geographic area Also called local extinction

Conservation Status

Endangered: a species that is at serious risk of extinction

Conservation Status

Threatened: any species that are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future, if current conditions do not change

Special Concern: any species that may become threatened or endangered due to a combination of factors

Invasive Species

Invasive Species: an organism that is not native to a specific location Also called an introduced species

Often have a tendency to spread, which is believed to cause damage to the environment, human economy and/or human health

Asian long-horned beetle Pest!

Cause death of elm, maple, poplar, and willow trees