Species & Populations

Study of living & non-living parts that interact within an ecosystem

Community of interdependent organisms & their interactions with the phyiscal environment

• organisms • species • populations • community • ecosystems

Global ecosystem composed of living organisms and the abiotic factors from which they derive energy and nutrients

An individual animal, plant, or single celled life form which goes through life processes

A group of organisms sharing common characteristics that are able to reproduce and produce fertile offspring

Used by scientists to identify a specfiic species. Always underlined or in italics. Genus is capitalized. Species is lower case

Used to identify organisms

Species found only in 1 specific region of the Earth and are most vulnerable to die out EX: kangaroos (Australia), Lemurs (Madagascar)

A specific species in 1 area. EX: African Elephant in the bush of Liwandi, Bottlenose dolphins of the Indian River Lagoon

Several populations within 1 area

All the living components of an ecosystem EX: plants, bacteria, fungi, animals

Non-living physical factors in an ecosytem that may influence an organism or system EX: temperature, salinity, pH, light

The place where an organism lives that provides them with the necessary components of life EX: food, water, shelter

The role “job” of the organism EX: plants make food for rest of food chain, tigers keep herbivore population under control

The entire range of condiitons in which a species could live

The actual conditions under which the species lives (usually due to competition- limiting factors)

Demand for a limited resource by multiple organisms

States that 2 species cannot coexist in a community if they share a niche, or compete for the same resources

Competition within 1 species EX: tree sapplings compete for light, flamingoes compete for mates

Competition between different species EX: a puma vs a brown bear competing for salmon

Used for aquatic & terrestrial animals. 1. Camera / traps used. 2. Captured animals are marked & released. 3. After a bit of time, traps are set again. 4. Repeat recapture as many times as possible. Should not affect survival / fitness of organism.

Assuming no deaths, births, immigration, emmigration. N = (# marked in 1st catch) x (total # in 2nd catch) / (# of recaptures in 2nd catch)

Used for plants & sessile organisms. • Mark out grid line along 2 edges of area • Use calculator / tables to generate 2 random numbers to use as coordinates & place quadrat on ground with corner at coordinates • Count individuals inside quadrat • Repeat steps 2&3 as many times as possible • Measure total size of area occupied in square meters. • Caluclate mean number of indivuals per quadrat • Calculate population size with equation