This definitions covers Key Definitions within Ecosystems Communities for GCSE Biology. Topic 1: Ecosystems Communities It is section 10 of 15 in this topic. Make sure you can use the exact wording confidently, because definition marks are often lost through vague language.
Topic position
Section 10 of 15
Practice
15 questions
Recall
20 flashcards
Key Definitions
Ecosystem: The interaction of a community of living organisms (biotic factors) with the non-living (abiotic) parts of their environment.
Community: All the different species of organisms living and interacting in an ecosystem at a given time.
Population: All the organisms of one species living in a particular area at a given time.
Habitat: The place where an organism lives, defined by its physical and biological characteristics.
Niche: The role of an organism in its ecosystem — including what it eats, when it is active, and how it interacts with other species.
Abiotic factor: A non-living physical or chemical component of an environment that affects organisms (e.g., temperature, light intensity, pH, moisture).
Biotic factor: A living component of an environment that affects organisms (e.g., predation, competition, disease, food availability).
Interdependence: The mutual reliance of species on one another within a community — changes to one population affect others through feeding relationships, competition, and mutualism.
Trophic level: The position an organism occupies in a food chain, determined by how many energy transfers separate it from the original producer.