Basic Concepts
In a nutshell: Ecosystems are made of living things and their environment, all interacting in complex ways.
## Living Together
Organisms don’t live alone—they interact with each other and their environment in many ways. These interactions create ecosystems, where living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) things work together.
### Types of Interactions
- **Predation:** One organism eats another.
- **Competition:** Organisms compete for resources like food, water, or space.
- **Symbiosis:** Close relationships between different species (like bees and flowers).
### Ecosystem Levels
- **Population:** Members of one species in an area.
- **Community:** All living things in an area.
- **Ecosystem:** Living things plus nonliving things (like air, water, and soil).
## Why Interactions Matter
These connections keep life balanced. When one part changes, it can affect the whole system!
Examples
- Wolves hunt deer in a forest, keeping the deer population under control.
- Algae and fish depend on each other for clean water and food.
Key terms
- Ecosystem
- A community of living things and the environment they live in.
- Symbiosis
- A close relationship between two different species.