Untitled Document Properties of Ecosystems I. Communities, Habitats, and Ecosystems A. Community - a group of interacting plants and animals. Generally within a local area, such as the plant community in a forest. B. Habitat - the place where organisms live. Defined by physical factors of the environment, such as climate, soils, landform.
Ecosystems are highly interactive, with lots of linkages and flows.
Changes within an ecosystem are felt throughout it. Water enters plant from soil by way of root system. Light captured by chlorophyll in leaf tissue, which absorbs red and blue wavelengths and reflects green wavelengths of visible light. RSP is the reverse chemical process of photosynthesis, where carbohydrates are oxidized to liberate metabolic energy, with carbon dioxide and water generated as by-products. C. Production and consumption of energy in ecosystems 1.