Introduction to Ecosystems

• biotic factors-living things in an environment
• abiotic factors-non living things in an environment
• climate-typical weather pattern in an environment

 

• biotic and abiotic factors make up an ecosystem
• an ecosystem can be small like a log, or large like a desert
• all the living things depend on the nonliving things to survive in an ecosystem

 

• living things also depend on one another
• habitat-each organism has it's own place to live in the ecosystem
• population-all the members of a species that live in an ecosystem
• community-all the populations in an ecosystem
• the size of a community depends on factors such as food, shelter, light
• a change in population can affect the community, and a change in the community can affect populations.