Ecology: Organisms, Species, and Interactions

Organisms and Ecosystems

• Organisms interact with each other in an ecosystem, forming various relationships.

Species and Population

• A species is a basic unit of an ecosystem, defined by its ability to interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
• A population is a group of organisms that belong to the same species.

Community and Symbiosis

• A community is a group of populations that live together in a particular place at a specific time.
• Symbiosis refers to a biotic relationship between two species that live closely together in a community.

Types of Parasites

• Ectoparasite: a parasite that lives outside the body of its host.
• Endoparasite: a parasite that lives inside the body of its host.

Types of Interactions

• Competition: an interaction between organisms of the same species.
• Parasitism: a relationship where one organism benefits while the other is harmed.
• Mutualism: a relationship where both organisms benefit from each other.
• Commensalism: a relationship where one organism benefits, and the other is neither harmed nor benefited.

Living and Non-Living Things

• Biotic: refers to living things, such as organisms and their interactions.
• Abiotic: refers to non-living things, such as environmental factors and physical components.

Ecosystems

• Aquatic ecosystems are water-based ecosystems.
• Terrestrial ecosystems are land-based ecosystems.

Filter Feeders in Coral Reefs

• Filter feeders are invertebrates that live on the bottom of coral reefs.
• They wait for food to come to them.

Mangrove Swamps

• Mangrove swamps serve as a breeding ground for fish.
• The dominant organisms in mangrove swamps are bakawan, tangal, and busain.

Rain Forests

• Rainforests are the earth's oldest ecosystem, with some being 100 million years old.
• Tropical rainforests have the highest number of organisms among other land ecosystems.

Reef Types

• Fringing reefs are found close to the shore and around islands.
• Barrier reefs are located at a far distance from an island.
• Atolls are circular reef formations located at a far distance from a sunken island.

Tropical Rainforest Layers

• The emergent layer is the highest layer of the tropical rainforest.
• The understory is the shadier area of the tropical rainforest.