How Do Living and Nonliving

Things Interact?
 Ecosystems
A terrarium is a model of an ecosystem.
Ecosystems include both living and nonliving
things. The nonliving part of an ecosystem
includes water, rocks, light, air, and soil. The
living part of an ecosystem includes plants and
animals. The study of how living and nonliving
things interact is called ecology.
 Community
The living part of an ecosystem is a
community. Each ecosystem has its
own community. A terrarium
community can have small plants and
animals. A desert community
includes beautiful cacti and deadly
scorpions.
 Populations
Do you think the members of a
community can be grouped further?
Communities can be divided into
different populations. A population is
made of only one type of organism. A
terrarium ecosystem may have
populations of organisms such as snails
and earthworms.
 Habitats
Each organism’s
home is called its
habitat. The soil is an
earthworm’s habitat.
A whale’s habitat is
the ocean. A
termite’s habitat is a
termite nest.
 community
• The living part of
an ecosystem.

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