Populations and ecosystems summary notes
06 June 2023 17:11
Ecology- the study of inter-relationships between organisms and their environment
- Environment includes non living (abiotic) factors, ie temperature and rainfall, and livi
(biotic) factors, such as competition and predation
Ecosystems
- Ecosystem- dynamic system made up of a community and all the non living factors o
environment
- Can be very small or very large
Two main processes:
1. The flow of energy through the system
2. The cycling of elements within the system
- Example- freshwater pond or lake- has own community of plants to collect sunlight e
to supply organisms with it- nutrients (ie nitrate or phosphate ions) are recycled- littl
no loss of gain between it and other ecosystem
- Within each ecosystem there are a number of species
- Each species is made up of a group of individuals that make up a population
Populations
- Population- group of individuals of one species that occupy the same habitat at the s
time and are potentially able to interbreed
- Carrying capacity- size of population of a species that the ecosystem can support
Size of a population can vary as a result of:
1. The effect of abiotic factors
2. Interactions between organisms (ie intraspecific and interspecific competition and
predation)
Community
- Community- all the populations of different species living and interacting in a particu
place at the same time
Habitat
- Habitat- place when an organism normally lives and is characterised by physical cond
and the other types of organisms present
06 June 2023 17:11
Ecology- the study of inter-relationships between organisms and their environment
- Environment includes non living (abiotic) factors, ie temperature and rainfall, and livi
(biotic) factors, such as competition and predation
Ecosystems
- Ecosystem- dynamic system made up of a community and all the non living factors o
environment
- Can be very small or very large
Two main processes:
1. The flow of energy through the system
2. The cycling of elements within the system
- Example- freshwater pond or lake- has own community of plants to collect sunlight e
to supply organisms with it- nutrients (ie nitrate or phosphate ions) are recycled- littl
no loss of gain between it and other ecosystem
- Within each ecosystem there are a number of species
- Each species is made up of a group of individuals that make up a population
Populations
- Population- group of individuals of one species that occupy the same habitat at the s
time and are potentially able to interbreed
- Carrying capacity- size of population of a species that the ecosystem can support
Size of a population can vary as a result of:
1. The effect of abiotic factors
2. Interactions between organisms (ie intraspecific and interspecific competition and
predation)
Community
- Community- all the populations of different species living and interacting in a particu
place at the same time
Habitat
- Habitat- place when an organism normally lives and is characterised by physical cond
and the other types of organisms present
