BY5.7 Ecosystems

Ecosystems

• a natural unit of interaction between living (biotic) and non living (abiotic) factors

components of an ecosystem:

• population:
  • all organisms of one species who live in the same place at the sae time and can interbreed
• community:
  • all the populations of different species who live in the same place at the same time and can interact together
• habitat:
  • where an organism lives
• biotic features:
  • the impact of living organisms on other living organisms in an ecosystem
• abiotic features:
  • different types of non living factors
  • e.g. soil, light, temperature etc.
• microhabitats:
  • small localities wihtin a habitat with its own particualr conditions
• ecological niche:
  • the role each species plays in an ecosystem
  • 2 species cannot occupy the same niche in a specific habitat

Nutrition:

• process by which organisms gain energy to maintain life functions
• most autotrophs use sumple organic moleulces (CO2, H2O) to manufacture energy
• heterotrophic organisms consume complex organic food molecules

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