Understanding Ecology: Interactions Between Organisms and their Environment

 
Ecology
 
What is
 
Ecology?
 
Ecology 
is the scientific 
study of 
the
interactions 
between 
organisms 
and
their
 
environment.
It 
is the science that 
seeks 
to 
describe
and explain 
the 
relationship 
between
living 
organisms 
and 
their
 
environment.
 
What 
is Ecology?
 
(Cont…)
 
Ecology 
is 
describing 
the relationships
between 
living 
organisms and 
their
environment.
Ecology 
comes from the 
Greek words
Oîkos=
 
House
-λογία, 
-logia= Study of
 
Life
Study of 
the “house/environment” in
which we
 
live.
 
Factors 
of
 
Ecology
 
There is 
two factors that 
Ecology
 
study:
 
The Abiotic Factors 
(non-living
components) are those inert factors 
of
the ecosystem, 
as 
the light, the
temperature, the chemical products, the
water and the
 
atmosphere.
Biotic Factors 
(living 
organisms) are 
all
the living beings 
in 
an
 
environment.
 
Ecology 
is study 
of
 
interactions
 
between
 
non-living components in the environment
 
light
w
a
t
e
r
wind
nutrients 
in
 
soil
heat
solar radiation
atmosphere,
 
etc.
 
AN
D…
 
Living
 
organisms…
 
Plants
A
n
i
m
a
l
s
microorganisms in soil,
 
etc.
 
Ernst Haeckel
, a German zoologist
 
coined
 
the term 
Ecology 
in
 
1866.
 
After
 
that….
 
Danish botanist, 
Eugenius
 
Warming
elaborate 
the 
idea of
 
Ecology.
 
Objective 
of
 
Ecology
 
The local and geographical distribution and abundance of
organisms
The inter – relationship between organisms in population and
community.
The structural adaptations and functional adjustments of
organisms to their physical environment.
The behaviour of organisms under natural conditions.
The biological productivity of nature and its relationship with
mankind.
Temporal changes in the occurrence, abundance and activities of
organisms.
Conservation and management of natural resources and pollution.
 
Classification 
of
 
Ecology
 
Ecology 
is 
a 
broad discipline comprising
many sub-disciplines. Under this system the
subjects studies:
 
Ecophysiology
 
examines how the physiological
functions of organisms influence the 
way 
they
interact 
with the environment, both biotic and
abiotic.
Behavioral ecology 
examines the roles of
behavior in enabling an animal 
to 
adapt 
to its
environment.
 
Classification 
of 
Ecology (cont…)
 
Population ecology 
studies the
dynamics 
of 
populations 
of a
 
single
species.
Community ecology 
(or synecology)
focuses 
on 
the interactions between
species within 
an 
ecological
 
community.
Ecosystem 
ecology 
studies the flows 
of
energy and matter through the biotic and
abiotic components 
of
 
ecosystems.
 
Classification 
of 
Ecology (cont…)
 
Systems 
ecology 
is 
an 
interdisciplinary
field focusing 
on 
the study, development,
and 
organization 
of 
ecological systems
from 
a 
holistic
 
perspective
Landscape 
ecology 
examines
processes and relationship 
in a 
spatially
explicit manner, often across multiple
ecosystems 
or 
very large geographic
areas.
 
Classification 
of 
Ecology (cont…)
 
Evolutionary ecology 
studies 
ecology
in 
a 
way that explicitly considers 
the
evolutionary histories 
of 
species and their
interactions.
Political ecology 
connects politics 
and
economy to problems 
of 
environmental
control 
and 
ecological
 
change.
 
C
o
m
m
u
n
i
t
y
P
o
p
u
l
a
t
i
o
n
 
i
n
t
e
r
a
c
t
i
o
n
s
P
o
p
u
l
a
t
i
o
n
I
n
d
i
v
i
d
u
a
l
 
E
c
o
s
y
s
t
e
m
 
R
e
g
i
o
n
 
=
 
B
i
o
m
e
 
L
a
n
d
s
c
a
p
e
 
B
i
o
s
ph
e
r
e
 
“Levels”
 
of
Ecology
 
Levels of
 
Ecology
 
B
i
o
s
p
h
e
re
 
Surface 
of 
the
 
earth
It 
is 
the whole portion 
of 
Earth
colonized  by living
 
beings
 
Levels of Ecology
 
(cont…)
 
R
e
g
i
o
n
 
Group of 
ecosystems with 
the 
same 
climate and
dominant 
communities.
 
Tropical
 
Forest:
 
Vertical stratification 
with trees
in canopy blocking light to
 
bottom
 
strata.
 
Many
trees 
covered by epiphytes (plants 
that 
grow 
on
other plants).
 
Desert: Sparse 
rainfall 
(< 
30 cm per year), 
plants and animals adapted for
water storage and 
conservation. 
Can be either 
very, very 
hot, or 
very cold
(e.g.
 
Antarctica
)
 
Coniferous 
forest: 
Largest 
terrestial 
biome on 
earth, 
old
growth forests 
rapidly disappearing, usually 
receives 
lots of
moisture as 
rain 
or
 
snow.
 
Tundra: 
Permafrost (Permanent frozen 
ground), 
bitter 
cold,
high 
winds 
and thus no 
trees. Has 20% 
of land 
surface 
on
earth.
 
Levels of Ecology
 
(cont…)
 
Landscape
a 
group 
of 
ecosystems that may 
or 
may
not interact 
in a 
given
 
region
 
Levels of Ecology
 
(cont…)
 
E
co
system
 
A group of communities and 
the 
populations
within them 
embedded 
in 
a 
common physical
environment and tied together by 
physical
processes.
It 
refers to 
all the abiotic 
factors (physical 
and
chemical constituents) 
and all the communities
that established 
in a 
specific
 
area.
It is a 
collection 
of organisms that live in a place
with 
the nonliving
 
environment.
 
Levels of Ecology
 
(cont…)
 
C
o
m
m
u
nity
 
A 
group 
of 
populations 
of 
different
species occurring 
in one 
place;
individuals 
of 
different species may
interact with each 
other
And all the living beings distributed into 
a
specific geographical area. 
A 
community
includes organisms 
of 
different
 
species.
 
Levels of Ecology
 
(cont…)
 
P
op
ulati
o
n
 
A 
group 
of 
individuals 
of a 
given species
that live 
in a 
specific geographic
 
area.
A 
group 
of 
organisms, all 
of 
the 
same
species, which interbreed and live in the
same area.
A 
group 
of 
individuals that collectively
interact 
to 
give birth 
to 
new individuals
and 
eventually die
 
Levels of Ecology
 
(cont…)
 
Individual
Group 
of 
similar organisms that can 
breed
and 
produce fertile
 
offspring
 
Ecological Balance:
 
Ecological balance or eco-system stability implies a balance between the
production and consumption of each component in the eco system.
 
Theory of Diversity or Stability:
 
If there is diversity of food webs it will lead to an increase in number of
links in the food web and if community succession operates in an eco-
system, the stability will increase.
 
Inbuilt, self – regulating mechanism is known as
homeostatic mechanism. If within an eco – system the
population of species increases significantly, the result
will be scarcity of food, leading to competition for
food. Most species will die of starvation and the
species population will be brought back to its original
value and the stability will be restored.
 
Homeostatic Mechanism:
 
Ecological  instability:
 
When an ecosystem is unable to adjust to the
environmental changes, it is said to be unstable.
The instability occurs due to a number of natural and
anthropogenic activities such as destruction of natural
vegetation and animal species, partly or completely or
by replacing them by other vegetation and animals,
introduction of toxic substances like insecticides and
pesticides and toxic gases like SO
2
, NO
2
 etc.
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Ecology is the scientific study of how living organisms interact with each other and their environment. It delves into the relationships between biotic and abiotic factors, encompassing topics such as the distribution and abundance of organisms, structural adaptations, behavior under natural conditions, and conservation of natural resources. Ernst Haeckel and Eugenius Warming were key figures in the development of ecological concepts. Ecology comprises various sub-disciplines like Ecophysiology, focusing on how physiological functions influence interactions with the environment.


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  1. Ecology

  2. What is Ecology? Ecology is the scientific study of the interactions between organisms and their environment. It is the science that seeks to describe and explain the relationship between living organisms and their environment.

  3. What is Ecology? (Cont) Ecology is describing the relationships between living organisms and their environment. Ecology comes from the Greek words O kos= House - , -logia= Study of Life Study of the house/environment in which we live.

  4. Factors of Ecology There is two factors that Ecology study: The Abiotic Factors (non-living components) are those inert factors of the ecosystem, as the light, the temperature, the chemical products, the water and the atmosphere. Biotic Factors (living organisms) are all the living beings in an environment.

  5. Ecology is study of interactions between non-living components in the environment light water wind nutrients in soil heat solar radiation atmosphere, etc. AND

  6. Living organisms Plants Animals microorganisms in soil, etc.

  7. Ernst Haeckel, a German zoologist coined the term Ecology in 1866. After that . Danish botanist, Eugenius Warming elaborate the idea of Ecology.

  8. Objective of Ecology The local and geographical distribution and abundance of organisms The inter relationship between organisms in population and community. The structural adaptations and functional adjustments of organisms to their physical environment. The behaviour of organisms under natural conditions. The biological productivity of nature and its relationship with mankind. Temporal changes in the occurrence, abundance and activities of organisms. Conservation and management of natural resources and pollution.

  9. Classification of Ecology Ecology is a broad discipline comprising many sub-disciplines. Under this system the subjects studies: Ecophysiology examines how the physiological functions of organisms influence the way they interact with the environment, both biotic and abiotic. Behavioral ecology examines the roles of behavior in enabling an animal to adapt to its environment.

  10. Classification of Ecology (cont) Population ecology studies the dynamics of populations of a single species. Community ecology (or synecology) focuses on the interactions between species within an ecological community. Ecosystem ecology studies the flows of energy and matter through the biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems.

  11. Classification of Ecology (cont) Systems ecology is an interdisciplinary field focusing on the study, development, and organization of ecological systems from a holistic perspective Landscape ecology examines processes and relationship in a spatially explicit manner, often across multiple ecosystems or very large geographic areas.

  12. Classification of Ecology (cont) Evolutionary ecology studies ecology in a way that explicitly considers the evolutionary histories of species and their interactions. Political ecology connects politics and economy to problems of environmental control and ecological change.

  13. Biosphere Region = Biome Landscape Levels of Ecology Ecosystem Community Population interactions Population Individual

  14. Levels of Ecology Biosphere Surface of the earth It is the whole portion of Earth colonized by living beings

  15. Levels of Ecology (cont) Region Group of ecosystems with the same climate and dominant communities.

  16. Tropical Forest: Vertical stratification with trees in canopy blocking light to bottom strata. Many trees covered by epiphytes (plants that grow on other plants).

  17. Desert: Sparse rainfall (< 30 cm per year), plants and animals adapted for water storage and conservation. Can be either very, very hot, or very cold (e.g. Antarctica)

  18. Coniferous forest: Largest terrestial biome on earth, old growth forests rapidly disappearing, usually receives lots of moisture as rain or snow.

  19. Tundra: Permafrost (Permanent frozen ground), bitter cold, high winds and thus no trees. Has 20% of land surface on earth.

  20. Levels of Ecology (cont) Landscape a group of ecosystems that may or may not interact in a given region

  21. Levels of Ecology (cont) Ecosystem A group of communities and the populations within them embedded in a common physical environment and tied together by physical processes. It refers to all the abiotic factors (physical and chemical constituents) and all the communities that established in a specific area. It is a collection of organisms that live in a place with the nonliving environment.

  22. Levels of Ecology (cont) Community A group of populations of different species occurring in one place; individuals of different species may interact with each other And all the living beings distributed into a specific geographical area. A community includes organisms of different species.

  23. Levels of Ecology (cont) Population A group of individuals of a given species that live in a specific geographic area. A group of organisms, all of the same species, which interbreed and live in the same area. A group of individuals that collectively interact to give birth to new individuals and eventually die

  24. Levels of Ecology (cont) Individual Group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring

  25. Ecological Balance: Ecological balance or eco-system stability implies a balance between the production and consumption of each component in the eco system. Theory of Diversity or Stability: If there is diversity of food webs it will lead to an increase in number of links in the food web and if community succession operates in an eco- system, the stability will increase.

  26. Homeostatic Mechanism: Inbuilt, self regulating mechanism is known as homeostatic mechanism. If within an eco system the population of species increases significantly, the result will be scarcity of food, leading to competition for food. Most species will die of starvation and the species population will be brought back to its original value and the stability will be restored.

  27. Ecological instability: When an ecosystem is unable to adjust to the environmental changes, it is said to be unstable. The instability occurs due to a number of natural and anthropogenic activities such as destruction of natural vegetation and animal species, partly or completely or by replacing them by other vegetation and animals, introduction of toxic substances like insecticides and pesticides and toxic gases like SO2, NO2 etc.

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