A. Ecology is the study of the interactions of organisms with each other and their environment
1. population = all the individuals of a species that live together in one place at one time
2. habitat = the location where a population lives
3. community = the sum of all the populations living together in a habitat
4. abiotic factors = the physical aspects of a habitat (soil, water, climate)
5. biotic factors = the living aspects of a habitat
6. ecosystem = (community + habitat) or (abiotic + biotic factors)
B. Ecosystems support diverse communities
1. biodiversity = the number of species living in an ecosystem
2. examples of ecosystem inhabitants in a pine forest
3. ecosystem boundaries are often unclear
C. Ecosystems change over time
1. primary succession = the development of an ecosystem where there had been no previous growth
2. secondary succession = the development of an ecosystem after previous growth was disrupted
3. example: Glacier Bay, Alaska, USA