The Biological Setting

Concepts of basic ecology provide us with the vocabulary to understand and describe the biological setting of watersheds and the interaction of biotic components with the physical template just described. It is important to have a working knowledge of the following basic ecological terms: ecology, species, population, community, habitat, niche, ecosystem, ecotone, and biosphere. Beyond these basic definitions it is also important to understand the following ecological concepts: life history strategies, carrying capacity, competition, and symbiosis. You should become familiar with these basic definitions and key concepts before we discuss specific areas of ecology that are particularly relevant to watersheds.