Groups of living things interact within ecosystems. Chapter 2 Section 1

Organisms occupy specific living areas. Species: A group of living things that are so closely related that they can breed with one another and produce offspring that can breed as well

Organisms occupy specific living areas. Population: A group of organisms of the same species that live in the same area. For example, a desert will have populations of different species of lizards and cactus plants.

Organisms occupy specific living areas. • Members of the same species form a population with in a habitat.

Organisms occupy specific living areas. Habitats: The natural environment in which a living thing gets all that it needs to live; examples include a desert, a coral reef, and a freshwater lake.

Organisms occupy specific living areas. Niche: The role a living thing plays in its habitat. A plant is a food producer, whereas an insect both consumes food as well as provides food for other consumers.

Organisms occupy specific living areas. • Each species has a distinct role with in a habitat. This is its niche.

Organisms occupy specific living areas. Communities: All the populations that live and interact with each other in a particular place. The community can live in a place as small as a pond or park, or it can live in a place as large as a rain forest or the ocean.

The environment can be organized into five levels. 1. Biome: In general terms describes the climate and types of plants that are found in similar places around the world 2. Ecosystem: Within each biome are many ecosystems where living and non-living factors interact to form a stable system

The environment can be organized into five levels. 3. Community: made up of the living components of the ecosystem, plants, animals, and other organisms interact 4. Population: A group of organisms of the same species that live in the same area 5. Organism: A single individual animal, plant, fungus, or other living things

The environment can be organized into five levels.