A community is an assemblage of two or more populations of organisms occupying the same geographical area.
Example of a pond community
Ecosystem: a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their environment.
Habitat: the natural environment of an organism; place that is natural for the life and growth of an organism
Community: a group of interdependent plants and animals inhabiting the same region and interacting with each other through food and other relationships
Population: All individuals belong to the same species.
Habitat: The environment in which the populations of organisms thrive in is called the habitat
Ecosystem: Together, the habitat and the communities residing in it forms an Ecosystem.
Factors Influencing Ecology
Abiotic:
-Temperature
-Rainfall
-Light Intensity
-Salinity
-Humidity
-Wind speed
-Wave action
-pH
Biotic factors
Abundance
Presence of predators
Competition
Ecological Interactions
Mutualism
Mutualism: A symbiotic relationship between individuals of different species in which both individuals benefit from the association.
Example of Mutualism
Clownfish and Sea anemone
Ants and Aphids
Cleaner Shrimps and Eel
Egyptian plover and Crocodile
Commensalism
Commensalism: A form of symbiosis between two organisms of different species in which one of them benefits from the association whereas the other is largely unaffected or not significantly harmed or benefiting from the relationship.
Examples of Commensalism
Epiphytes and Rain tree
Cattle Egret and Cattle
Remora and Shark
Barnacles and Scallop
Predation
A form of symbiotic relationship between two organisms of unlike species in which one of them acts as predator that captures and feeds on the other organism that serves as the prey
Example: Cheetah and Thompson Gazelle
Herbivory
The consumption of herbaceous vegetation. The consumer benefits while the producer suffers.
Example: Zebra and Grass
Parasitism
A form of symbiosis in which one organism (called parasite) benefits at the expense of another organism usually of different species (called host). The association may also lead to the injury of the host.
Example: Tree-ear Fungus and Tree
Predation and Parasitism
A combination of both
Example: Mosquito, Malaria parasite and Man
