Living Things and the Environment

Key Words

HabitatBiotic Factors

Abiotic FactorsPopulations

SpeciesCommunity

Single OrganismEcology

Habitats

Organisms live in a specific place within an ecosystem.

An organism obtains food, water, shelter, and other things it needs to live, grow and reproduce

from its surroundings.

This place is known as a habitat.

Habitat ExampleSingle ecosystems may contain many habitats.

In a forest ecosystem, mushrooms grow in the damp soil, rabbits live on the forest floor, and termites live under the bark of tree trunks

Organisms live in different habitats within the ecosystem.

Biotic Factors

Organism interacts with both the living an non-living things in its environment.

The living parts of an ecosystem are called biotic factors.

Grass, plants, hawks, eagles, worms, fungi, bacteria – biotic factors

Abiotic Factor

Non-living parts of an ecosystemAffect living things

Abiotic Factors Are:Water

SunlightOxygen

TemperatureSoil

PopulationsA species is a group of organisms that are physically similar and can reproduce with each other to produce fertile offspring.

All species within a particular area are referred to as a population.

Example:

All the pigeons in New York Cityall the daises in a field

DifferencesYou can not use all the trees in a forest

there are different species of trees

Areas for population can be as small as a single blade of grass to as big as the entire planet.

Populations can move from place to place. Blue fin whales will move to different parts of the ocean.

CommunitiesEcosystems contain more than one

type of organismAll the different populations that live

together in an area make up a community

To be considered a community the organisms must live together and

interact with each other.They may interact by using the same

types of shelter, food, or resources.

Level of Organization

Smallest unit: living organismNext: Population of speciesThen: Populations of different species

live together in communityFinally: The community and the abiotic

factors together in ecosystem

Illustrate

Demonstrate Your UnderstandingUse the paper plate given to Create Levels of organization Based upon the illustration.