Groups of living things interact
within ecosystems.
Chapter 2
Section 1
Organisms occupy specific living
areas.

Species: A group of living things that are
so closely related that they can breed
with one another and produce offspring
that can breed as well
Organisms occupy specific living
areas.

Population: A group of organisms of the
same species that live in the same area.
For example, a desert will have
populations of different species of lizards
and cactus plants.
Organisms occupy specific living
areas.
• Members of the same
species form a
population with in a
habitat.
Organisms occupy specific living
areas.

Habitats: The natural environment in
which a living thing gets all that it needs
to live; examples include a desert, a
coral reef, and a freshwater lake.
Organisms occupy specific living
areas.

Niche: The role a living thing plays in its
habitat. A plant is a food producer,
whereas an insect both consumes food
as well as provides food for other
consumers.
Organisms occupy specific living
areas.
• Each species has a
distinct role with in a
habitat. This is its
niche.
Organisms occupy specific living
areas.

Communities: All the populations that
live and interact with each other in a
particular place. The community can live
in a place as small as a pond or park, or
it can live in a place as large as a rain
forest or the ocean.
The environment can be organized
into five levels.

1. Biome: In general terms describes the
climate and types of plants that are
found in similar places around the world

2. Ecosystem: Within each biome are
many ecosystems where living and nonliving factors interact to form a stable
system
The environment can be organized
into five levels.

3. Community: made up of the living
components of the ecosystem, plants,
animals, and other organisms interact

4. Population: A group of organisms of the
same species that live in the same area

5. Organism: A single individual animal,
plant, fungus, or other living things
The environment can be organized
into five levels.
Organism
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biome