The student will investigate and understand interactions among populations in a biological community. Key concepts include
the relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in food webs
the relationship between predators and prey
competition and cooperation
symbiotic relationships
niches
Sharing Basic Needs
Organisms or populations that rely on each other for basic needs form interdependent communities.
Energy resources of a community are shared through the interactions of producers, consumers, and decomposers.
The interaction between a consumer that hunts for another consumer for food is the predator-prey relationship.
In a community, populations interact with other populations by exhibiting a variety of behaviors that aid in the survival of the population.
Organisms may exist as members of a population; populations interact with other populations in a community.
Populations of one species may compete with populations of other species for resources. Populations of one species may also cooperate with populations of other species for resources.
A symbiotic relationship may exist between two or more organisms of different species when they live and work together.
Symbiotic relationships include mutualism (in which both organisms benefit), commensalism (in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected), and parasitism (in which one organism benefits and the other is harmed).
Each organism fills a specific role or niche in its community.