4.2 WHAT SHAPES AN ECOSYSTEM
Biotic factors is the biological influences on organisms within an ecosystem. Physical or nonliving factors that shape ecosystems are called abiotic factors. Together, biotic and abiotic factors determine the survival and growth of an organism and the productivity of the ecosystem in which the organism lives. The area where an organism lives is called its habitat.
Niche is the full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organisms lives and the way in which the organisms uses those condition. Organisms interact with each other when they live together in ecological communities such as: competition, predation, symbiosis. Competition is when two organisms fight for a limited resource. This resource could be food, a mate, or territory. Predation is when one organism capture and feed on an another organism. The predator is the organism that does the killing and eating. The prey is the organism being eaten. Symbiosis is where two organism live closely together.
The three main type of symbiosis relationship in nature are:
- Mutualism is when both organism benefit from the relationship
- Commensalism is when only one organism benefit from the relationship while the other does not get any benefit neither are they harmed.
- Parasitism is when one organism lives on or inside another organism and harms it. The organism that is being harmed (being lived in or on) is called the host.
Ecosystems changes, older inhabitants gradually die out and new organisms move in, causing further changes in the community. This serious of predictable changes that occurs in a community is called ecological succession. Occurs on surfaces where no soil exists is called primary succession. The first species to populate the area are called pioneer species. Succession following a disturbance that destroys a community without destroying the soil is called secondary succession. Human activities or natural events lead to the secondary succession. The community interactions tend to restore the ecosystem when the disturbance is over. It will return the ecosystem to its original condition.
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