Ardito Science – Terms from Wednesday, 4/25/07 class

Habitat:

A place where animals reproduce and grow. All habitats are different – no two are the same. The habitat must match the organism and go “hand in hand”.

Biotic Factors:

Inside the habitat where organisms live, there are living things that are called biotic factors.

Abiotic Factors:

Non-living things inside the organism’s habitat are called abiotic factors.

Levels of Organization

Population:

The number of organisms in a particular place that are the same species.

Community:

A group of organisms in a particular place at a particular time. The key is that they all interact with each other to support life.

Ecosystem:

About as big a habitat as you can get. Everything is related to everything else…if you change one thing, all things are affected. An ecosystem is made up of the community and the abiotic factors.