This definitions covers Key Definitions within Ecosystems Communities for GCSE Biology. Topic 1: Ecosystems Communities It is section 7 of 12 in this topic. Make sure you can use the exact wording confidently, because definition marks are often lost through vague language.
Topic position
Section 7 of 12
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.