1	Ecology: an introduction
2	The study of the interactions that take place among organisms and their environment
3	Biosphere The part of Earth that supports life Top portion of Earth's crust (lithosphere) All the waters that cover Earth's surface (hydrosphere) Atmosphere that surrounds Earth
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5	Ecosystem All the organisms living in an area and the nonliving features of their environment Biotic – living Abiotic – nonliving
6	Biotic Biotic – living Plants Animals Single celled organisms Fungi
7	Abiotic Abiotic – nonliving Water Air Soil Temperature Sunlight
8	Parts of an Ecosystem
9	Population All the organisms in an ecosystem that belong to the same species (biotic)
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11	Community All the populations in an ecosystem (biotic)
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14	Habitat The place in which an organism lives provides the kinds of food and shelter, the temperature, and the amount of moisture the organism needs to survive
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16	Niche The specific role that an organism plays in its ecosystem
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18	Competition Food Space
19	Competition Competition caused by population growth affects many organisms, including humans Limits population size
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21	Limiting Factor Anything that restricts the number of individuals in a population. Includes living / biotic and nonliving / abiotic features of the ecosystem
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23	Carrying Capacity The maximum number of individuals of any species that can be supported by a particular ecosystem on a long-term basis
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25	Energy Transfer Food Chains Food Webs Energy Pyramids
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