By  Sophea Prak
Ecology is the study of interactions among organisms and their environment.
Ecosystem is where all organisms living in an area and the non living features of their environment.
In  ecosystem there are many different animals. They live together.   Some eat the same food as the other animals that it lives with them, or some of the other animals eat that animal.  In a ecosystem there are many top predators who eat its prey.  Not all predators are top predators.   There are some predators that are also prey on other predators.






Community-  All the populations in a ecosystem.


Habitat- A place where all the organisms live.


Producer- Organisms that use an outside energy source, such as the sun, to make energy rich molecules.


Prey- An animal that is hunted and killed by another animal for food.

 		Population- All the animals in a ecosystem that belongs to the same species.


Consumer- Organisms that cannot make their own energy rich molecules.


Predator- A animal that hunts the prey.




Limiting Factors
Limiting Factors are factors that reduce the amount of animals in a ecosystem or population.  Some of the limiting factors are food, water and shelter.  For example, there are two squirrels and they move to a place where there is plenty of food, water, and shelter.  They become very happy, but then a few more squirrels come but they still have enough food, shelter, and water so they are still very happy, But then a couple of more squirrels come, they have enough to share but it's getting a little crowed.   More squirrel come and now they don't have enough food, water, and shelter so they start to fight for the things  that they need to survive.  More squirrels come but as soon as they see that they don't have enough food, shelter, and water then they leave.


Symbiosis relationships


Definitions


Mutualism-  A symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit.

Communalism- A symbiotic relationship in which one species benefits and the other is affected.

Parasitism- A symbiotic relationship in which a species benefits and the other is harmed.



This is a example of mutualism.              
This picture shows a symbiotic relationship where both of them benefit.            
In  this picture it shows that the clown fish lives in the sea anenome..  
The sea anenome protects the clown fish by shocking other fish that come near it.  The clown fish eats the little bits of fish tha the sea anenome has shocked.  The clown fish  cleans the sea anenome.  
This is a example of communalism.
This picture shows a symbiotic relationship here, one benefits and the other one is harmed.
In this picture it shows that the mosquito sucking the blood from this person.
The person is harmed because the mosquito is sucking his/her blood, and after it is done then the person will have a bug bite.
       



Links
Go to animal page

Go to Food web page