Transcript File
What shapes an
ecosystem?
TSW identify and describe
interactions between individuals in
a community
Biotic & Abiotic Factors
Biotic: Living
Abiotic: Non-living
Can you think of any
examples?
What is a niche?
Def: The full range of physical &
biological conditions in which an organism
lives & the way in which an organism uses
those conditions
An organism’s occupation
Includes place in the food web, range of
survivable temps, type of food eaten,
physical conditions needed for survival…
What determines the # of niches in
an ecosystem?
The combination of
biotic and abiotic
factors in an
ecosystem
Key Points
No two species can share the same niche
in the same habitat (COMPETITIVE
EXCLUSION PRINCIPLE)
Different species can occupy niches that
are similar
Competition
Organisms of the
same or different
species attempt to
use an ecological
resource in the same
place at the same
time
Usually results in a
winner & a loser
Predation
One organism captures & feeds on
another organism
Symbiosis
Relationship where any 2 species live
closely together
3 Main Types
– Mutualism
– Commensalism
– Parasitism
Mutualism
Both species
benefit from the
relationship
(+, +)
Example:
Flowers/Insects
Commensalism
One member of the
association benefits,
while the other is
nether helped, nor
harmed
(+, +/-)
Example:
Barnacles/Manatees
Parasitism
One organism lives on or in another
organism causing it harm
The parasite obtains all or some of its
nutritional needs from the host
Example: Fleas, ticks, lice/ Mammals
Ecological Succession
The series of predictable changes that
occurs in a community over time
1º Succession
On land, succession that occurs on
surfaces where no soil exists
2º Succession
Occurs when a disturbance of some kind
changes an existing community without
removing the soil
Pioneer--------- Climax
Community
The 1st set of species
to move into an area
after a disrupting
event
Example: Corals
moving onto a sunken
ship
Mature, stable
community (can still
undergo changes)
Example: Volcanic
wasteland turning
into a rainforest