Organisms and Their Environment

Habitat & Niche Habitat is the place a plant or animal livesHabitat is the place a plant or animal lives Niche is an organism’s total way of life.Niche is an organism’s total way of life.

The Nonliving Environment Abiotic factors- the nonliving parts of an organism’s environment.Abiotic factors- the nonliving parts of an organism’s environment. Examples include air currents, temperature, moisture, light, and soil.Examples include air currents, temperature, moisture, light, and soil. Abiotic factors affect an organism’s life.Abiotic factors affect an organism’s life.

The Living Environment Biotic factors- all the living organisms that inhabit an environment.Biotic factors- all the living organisms that inhabit an environment. All organisms depend on others directly or indirectly for food, shelter, reproduction, or protection.All organisms depend on others directly or indirectly for food, shelter, reproduction, or protection.

Abiotic or Biotic? Biotic

Abiotic

Abiotic

Biotic

Community Interactions Competition -Organisms of the same or different species attempt to use an ecological resource in the same place at the same time. Resources – any necessity of life

Predation -One organism captures & feeds on another organism -Predator – does the killing -Prey – killed

Symbiosis = “living together” -Two species live close together -3 main types

1. Mutualism -Both species benefit from the relationship 2.Commensalisms -one organism is helped or benefits -other is neither helped or harmed 3.Parasitism - one organism lives on or inside another organism & harms it