1. INTERACTIONS IN NATURE 1
VOCABULARY

2. Biosphere:
part of the Earth that supports life, including the top portion of the Earth's crust, and all the water on the Earth's surface

3. Essential Characteristics: made up of different environments;
Examples: oceans, water, polar regions, deserts

4. Ecosystem:
all the living organisms that live in an area and the nonliving features of their environment

5. Essential Characteristics: -made up of the biotic and abiotic components
Examples: prairie, grassland, forest

6. Population:
all the organisms that belong to the same species living in a community

7. Essential Characteristics: -several populations live in a community
Examples: deer, grasshoppers, bacteria

8. all the populations of different species that live in an ecosystem
Community:
all the populations of different species that live in an ecosystem

9. Essential Characteristics: - includes all the species in a particular ecosystem; organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems are related
Examples: Arctic community, prairie community

10. anything that can restrict the size of a population
Limiting factor:
anything that can restrict the size of a population

11. Essential Characteristics: - includes living and nonliving features; availability of food, water, living space, mates, nesting sites, other resources
Examples: drought, fire

12. any close relationship between species
Symbiosis:
any close relationship between species

13. Essential Characteristics: -many organisms live together and share resources in other ways
Examples: mutualism, commensalism, parasitism

14. Carrying capacity:
largest number of individual species that an ecosystem can support over time

15. Essential Characteristics: - exists because of limiting factor; if a population begins to exceed carrying capacity, some organisms will not have enough resources

16. Habitat:
place where an organisms lives and that provides the types of food, shelter, moisture, and temperature needed for survival

17. Essential Characteristics: - in forest ecosystem, trees are a woodpecker's habitat
Examples: trees