Competition & Interdependence

This lesson covers:

  1. What 'ecology' is 
  2. What the terms 'habitat', 'population', 'community', and 'ecosystem' mean
  3. What 'competition' is, and which resources organisms compete for 
  4. What the term 'interdependence' means 

Ecology is the study of the relationships between living organisms and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, and ecosystem level.

A is the place where an organisms lives. 

habitat

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A refers to all of the organisms of a particular species that live in the same habitat. 

population

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In ecology, what is a 'community'?

All the individuals of a particular species that live together in a habitat 

All the people who live together in a particular village 

All the populations of different species that live together in a habitat

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An is the interaction of a community of living organisms (biotic) with the non-living (abiotic) parts of their environment.

ecosystem

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Illustration showing different organisms including a cow, plant, fungi, and bacteria competing for resources.

is an interaction between organisms or species in which they both try to use the same limited resources.

Competition

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Give three resources that animals compete for.

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Illustration showing plants competing for resources such as light, water, and nutrients.

Give three resources that plants compete for.

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All organisms in an ecosystem depend upon one another, with countless complex relationships between them all. 


What do we call this concept? 

Interdependence 

Independence 

Independent 

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Diagram showing the food chain relationship between grass, rabbits, snakes, and hawks.

The diagram above shows the relationship between grass, rabbits, snakes, and hawks in a habitat. 


If the population of snakes falls, what is likely to happen to the rabbit population?

Increase 

Decrease 

Stay the same 

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