EcosystemsEssential Question:How do organisms interact with and respond to components of their environment?

Vocabulary Species Competition Population Coexistence Community Cooperation Ecosystem Symbiosis Habitat Commensalism Niche Parasitism Biotic Mutualism Abiotic

Concept How populations are affected in

ecosystems; Relationships among populations.

Species Group of organisms that share

characteristics and can breed with one another.

Example: white-tailed deer.

Population All the members of a species living in a

certain area. Example: white-tailed deer in a forest.

Community All the populations of different species

living in an area. Example: white-tailed deer, chipmunks,

trees, fungi, insects living in a forest.

Ecosystem All the living AND nonliving parts of an

environment, plus how they interact. Terrestrial – land (forest, desert,

grassland.) NC’s main ecosystem – temperate

deciduous forest. Freshwater – rivers, lakes, wetlands.

Many are found in NC. Marine – salty ocean water.

Habitat The place/home where an organism

lives. Example: a rotting log is a habitat for

insects, worms, and fungi.

Niche How an organism acts (the role it plays)

in an ecosystem.

Biotic Factor The LIVING factors in an ecosystem. Example: all the plants, fungi, and

animals in a forest.

Abiotic Factor All the NONliving factors in an

ecosystem. Example: light, temperature, weather,

soil, water.

Competition Members of a population & community

compete for what they need to survive: Water, space, sunlight, food.

Coexistence Members of a community living

together, but not affecting the other’s survival in the ecosystem.

Cooperation Members of a population working

together for survival.

Symbiosis A close relationship between two

species that benefits at least one of them.

Commensalism One species benefits; the other is not

affected. Example: egret & cattle

Parasitism One organism lives in/on another

organism and harms it. The parasite lives in/on the host. Example: fleas, ticks, leeches.

Mutualism Both species benefit from the

interaction.