Competition in Ecosystems MS-LS2-1

Carrying capacity

The largest population that an environment can support. Carrying capacity. Carrying capacity is the maximum number of living things an area can support without running out of resources.

Competition

The struggle between two or more living things for the same limited resource. Competition. In nature, competition is when animals or plants fight for things they need, like food or space, to survive.

Ecosystem

All the living and nonliving things interacting in an area. Ecosystem. An ecosystem is a community where plants, animals, and their environment all work together.

Food chain

The food energy transfer between organisms in an ecosystem. Food chain. A food chain shows how energy moves from one organism to another, like from plants to animals.

Food web

A model of overlapping food chains in an ecosystem. Food web. A food web shows how plants and animals in an ecosystem are connected through what they eat.

Limiting factor

An environmental factor that limits population growth, for example, a drought. Limiting factor. A limiting factor is something that prevents a population from growing too large.

Population

All the organisms of the same species living in the same area. Population. A population is a group of the same kind of living things living together in one place.

Trophic level

A step in the food chain or food web trophic level. A trophic level is a group of organisms in an ecosystem that occupy the same position in a food chain.