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Chapter 3: Problem 2

Define and compare the terms species, population, and ecosystem.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Species is a group of similar individuals capable of interbreeding, population refers to all individuals of a specific species in a particular area, and ecosystem refers to a community of interacting organisms and their physical environment. Ecosystem is the broadest term as it encapsulates everything within a certain environment including all species populations, while species is the basic unit of classification in an ecosystem and a population represents a subset of a species contained within an ecosystem.

Step by step solution

01

Define Species

Species can be defined as a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding. The species is the principal natural unit of biological classification and a taxonomic rank, which is a basic unit of classification, below the genus level.
02

Define Population

Population, in the field of ecology, refers to all the individuals of a specific species inhabiting a particular geographic area. Populations are highly dynamic in nature and maintain their stability through reproduction, mortality, immigration, and emigration.
03

Define Ecosystem

An ecosystem encompasses more than a community of living organisms (biocenosis) interacting with the environment (biotope). In an ecosystem, all the living and non-living components interact together, with energy flowing from one to another to sustain life.
04

Comparison

Compared to the term species and population, ecosystem is a broader term because it encapsulates everything in a particular environment including living things (plants, animals, organisms, etc.) and non-living things (weather, earth, sun, soil, climate, etc.). A population is a subset of a species contained within an ecosystem and species is the basic unit of classification in any ecosystem.

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