Ecosystems

Ecosystems All the living AND nonliving parts of an

environment, plus how they interact.

Terrestrial Ecosystems On land. Examples: Forests, deserts, grasslands. N.C.’s main ecosystem: temperate

deciduous forest.

Freshwater Ecosystems Rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands. N.C. has many river ecosystems home

to: Fish, otters, alligators, algae, plants,

moss.

Marine Ecosystems Salty water; oceans.

Species Group of organisms that share

characteristics and can breed with one another.

Example: white-tailed deer.

Populations 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.

Competition Members of a population & community

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

Habitat The place where an organism lives. Example: a rotting log is a habitat for

insects, worms, fungi.

Niche How an organism acts (the role it plays)

in an ecosystem.

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

animals in a forest.

Abiotic All the NONliving factors in an

ecosystem. Examples: light, temperature, weather,

soil, water.