<p> Ecology Study Notes</p><p>Ecology – The study of relationships and interactions of living things with one another and their environment. Food Chain – It is a diagram that shows the flow of energy from one organism to another. The arrows in the chain always point in the direction that the energy flows. Energy pyramid – It is another diagram that shows the flow of energy through living things. It shows the relationships between producers and consumers. Organisms on the lower levels of the pyramid will almost always out-number organisms that are consumers above them. Producer – It is an organism that can make its own food using the energy from the sun. Consumer – It is an organism that eats other organisms. Decomposer – And organism that breaks down dead organism into organic mush. Food Web – Connecting food chains that show relationships between organisms in an ecosystem. Ecosystem – It is organisms interacting with one another and their physical environment. Biomes – Ecosystems that cover large areas of the Earth. Community – Organisms that live together in an ecosystem. Population- Organisms of all the Same kind living in a community. Abiotic factors – The non-living part of a community, including climate and soil type Biotic factors – The living factors of a community such as the plants and animals. Habitat – The place in which an organism lives which provides food and shelter. Niche – The role of an organism in its community. Symbiosis – A relationship between organisms of different species. Commensalism – A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is not helped or harmed. Mutualism - A symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit. Parasitism - A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is harmed. Succession – It is the replacement of one community by another over a period of time.</p>