Ecology & Ecosystem
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Ecology is the study of organisms and their interactions with each other and their environment. Key topics covered in the document include the definition of ecology, different types of ecologists and fields within ecology such as population ecology. Ecosystems are also discussed, including their components such as abiotic (non-living) factors like climate and biotic (living) factors including producers, consumers and decomposers. Examples are provided of different ecosystem types including terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems.
Ecology & Ecosystem
- 1. UNIT-3 ECOLOGY By: Aishwarya Assistant Professor CSE Department MITS Gwalior
- 2. WHAT IS ECOLOGY? Ecology derived from two Greek word “oikos” means house, habitation or place of living & “logos” means study. Ecology is a branch of science, including human science, population, community, ecosystem and biosphere. Ecology is the study of organisms, the environment and how the organisms interact with each other and their environment. Ecology also provides information about the benefits of ecosystems and how we can use Earth’s resources in ways that leave the environment healthy for future generations. Biological environment=Biotic factors Physical environment=Abiotic factors
- 5. WHO ARE ECOLOGISTS? Ecologists study these relationships among organisms and habitats of many different sizes, ranging from the study of microscopic bacteria growing in a fish tank, to the complex interactions between the thousands of plant, animal, and other communities found in a desert. Ecologists also study many kinds of environments. For example, ecologists may study microbes living in the soil under your feet or animals and plants in a rain forest or the ocean.
- 7. Global Ecology: It deals with interactions among earth’s ecosystems, land, atmosphere and oceans. It helps to understand the large-scale interactions and their influence on the planet. Its object of study is the entirety of life (animals, plants, microbes) and life-support systems (air, water, and soil) on the Earth, variously referred to as the biosphere, the ecosphere, the global ecosystem, Gaia, and the Earth system. Landscape Ecology: It deals with the exchange of energy, materials, organisms and other products of ecosystems. Landscape ecology throws light on the role of human impacts on the landscape structures and functions.
- 8. Ecosystem Ecology: It deals with the entire ecosystem, including the study of living and non-living components and their relationship with the environment. This science researches how ecosystems work, their interactions, etc. Community Ecology: It deals with how community structure is modified by interactions among living organisms. Ecology community is made up of two or more populations of different species living in a particular geographic area. Population Ecology It deals with factors that alter and impact the genetic composition and the size of the population of organisms. Ecologists are interested in fluctuations in the size of a population, the growth of a population and any other interactions with the population.
- 9. Organismal Ecology: Organismal ecology is the study of an individual organism’s behaviour, morphology, physiology, etc. in response to environmental challenges. It looks at how individual organisms interact with biotic and abiotic components. Ecologists research how organisms are adapted to these non-living and living components of their surroundings. Molecular Ecology The study of ecology focuses on the production of proteins and how these proteins affect the organisms and their environment. This happens at the molecular level. .
- 10. THE ROLE OF ECOLOGY IN OUR LIVES The many specialties within ecology, such as marine, vegetation, and statistical ecology, provide us with information to better understand the world around us. This information also can help us improve our environment, manage our natural resources, and protect human health. The following examples illustrate just a few of the ways that ecological knowledge has positively influenced our lives.
- 11. OBJECTIVES OF ECOLOGICAL STUDY The inter-relationship between organisms in population and diverse community. To develop a technological modelling platform for the integration of (meta)community ecology, trait evolution and genomics across realistic spatial and temporal scales and across organism groups. To gain insight into eco-evolutionary dynamics within and across trophic levels. To better understand eco-evolutionary dynamics of host-parasite interactions, quantifying interactions between ecological and evolutionary processes in host- parasite interactions in different model systems. To gain insight into eco-evolutionary mutualistic dynamics.
- 12. ECOSYSTEM The ecosystem is the structural and functional unit of ecology where the living organisms interact with each other and the surrounding environment. An ecosystem is a chain of interaction between organisms and their environment. The term “Ecosystem” was first coined by A.G.Tansley, an English botanist, in 1935. All organisms, their interactions with one another and their environments makeup an ecosystem. A group of organisms interacting among themselves and with environment is known as ecosystem. Example: Animals cannot synthesis their food directly but depend on the plants either directly or indirectly.
- 14. TYPES OF ECOSYSTEM Natural ecosystems: Natural ecosystems operate themselves under natural conditions. Based on habitat types, it can be further classified into three types. These operate under the natural conditions without any major interference by man. Further it can be classified: • Terrestrial Ecosystem: This ecosystem is related to land. Example: Grassland ecosystem, forest ecosystem, desert ecosystem, etc • Aquatic Ecosystem: This ecosystem is related to water. It is further sub classified into two types based on salt content. • Freshwater: which may belotic (e.g. running water as stream, rivers) or lentic (e.g. standing water as lake, pool) • b)Marine ecology:-Deep bodies as aocean.
- 15. TYPES OF ECOSYSTEM Man – made (or) Artificial ecosystems: Artificial ecosystem is operated (or) maintained by man himself. Example: Croplands, gardens
- 16. TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS Terrestrial ecosystems are exclusively land-based ecosystems. There are different types of terrestrial ecosystems distributed around various geological zones. They are as follows: Forest Ecosystems Grassland Ecosystems Tundra Ecosystems Desert Ecosystem
- 17. Forest Ecosystems: A forest ecosystem consists of several plants, animals and microorganisms that live in coordination with the abiotic factors of the environment. Forests help in maintaining the temperature of the earth and are the major carbon sink. Grassland Ecosystem In a grassland ecosystem, the vegetation is dominated by grasses and herbs. Temperate grasslands, savanna grasslands are some of the examples of grassland ecosystems. Tundra Ecosystem Tundra ecosystems are devoid of trees and are found in cold climates or where rainfall is scarce. These are covered with snow for most of the year. The ecosystem in the Arctic or mountain tops is tundra type. Desert Ecosystem Deserts are found throughout the world. These are regions with very little rainfall. The days are hot and the nights are cold.
- 18. AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM Aquatic ecosystems are ecosystems present in a body of water. These can be further divided into two types, namely: Freshwater Ecosystem Marine Ecosystem Freshwater Ecosystem: The freshwater ecosystem is an aquatic ecosystem that includes lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and wetlands. These have no salt content in contrast with the marine ecosystem. Marine Ecosystem: The marine ecosystem includes seas and oceans. These have a more substantial salt content and greater biodiversity in comparison to the freshwater ecosystem.
- 19. COMPONENTS OF ECOSYSTEM The term structure refers to the various components.. So the structure of an ecosystem explains the relationship between the abiotic (non –living) and the biotic (living) components. Abiotic (non-living): 1. Climatic factors: rain, temperature, light , wind 2. Edaphic factors: Soil, pH, Minerals, topography Biotic(living): 1. Producers: Green plants, Autotrophs 2. Consumers: primary, Secondary, Tertiary, Quaternary and heterotrophs 3. Decomposers: Bacteria, Fungi, Saprotrophs
- 21. ABIOTIC FACTORS The non-living components (physical and chemical) of ecosystem collectively form a community called abiotic components (or) abiotic community. Examples Climate, soil, water l air, energy, nutrients, etc., 1. Physical components They include the energy, climate, raw materials and living space that the biological community needs. They are useful for the growth and maintenance of its member. Examples Air, water, soil, sunlight, etc., 2. Chemical Components They are the sources of essential nutrients. Examples: •Organic substances : Protein, lipids, carbohydrates, etc., •Inorganic substances: All micro (Al, Co, Zu, Cu) and Macro elements (C,H, O, P, N, P, K) and few other elements
- 22. ABIOTIC COMPONENTS 1. Inorganic substance- inorganic substances e.g. carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, calcium, etc. their compounds (water, carbon, dioxide, etc.) constitute the main abiotic components. 2. Organic compounds- These are fats, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nucleic acids etc.
- 23. BIOTIC COMPONENTS The living organisms (or) living members in an ecosystem collectively form its community called biotic components (or) biotic community. Examples Plants (producers), animals (consumers), microorganisms (decomposers). 1. Procedures (Autotrophs): Procedures synthesize their food themselves through photosynthesis Example : All green plants, trees. Photosynthesis The green pigments called chlorophyll, present in the leaves of plants, converts CO2 and H2O in the presence of sunlight into carbohydrates. 6CO2 + 12H2O ----> C6H12O6 + 6O2+6H2O This process is called photosynthesis.
- 24. BIOTIC COMPONENTS Consumers (heterotrophs): Examples : Plant eating species: Insects, rabbit, goat, deer, cow, etc., Classification of consumers: Consumers are further classified as Primary consumers (Herbivores) (Plant eaters)- Primary consumers are also called herbivores, they directly depend on the plants for their food. So they are called plant eaters. Examples : Insects, rat, goat, deer, cow, horse, etc. Secondary consumers (primary carnivores) (meat eater)- Secondary consumers are primary carnivores, they feed on primary consumers. They directly depend on the herbivores for their food. Example: Frog, cat, snakes, foxes, etc., Tertiary consumers (Secondary carnivores) (Meat-eaters)- Tertiary consumers are secondary carnivores, they feed on secondary consumers. They depend on the primary carnivores for their food. Examples: Tigers, lions, etc.
- 25. 3. Decomposers: Examples: Microorganisms like bacteria and fungi. Decomposers attack the dead bodies of producers and consumers and decompose them into simpler compounds. During the decomposition inorganic nutrients are released. The inorganic nutrients together with other organic substances are then utilized by the procedures for the synthesis of their own food.
- 26. Energy is the most essential requirement for all living organism. Solar energy is the only source to our planet earth. Solar energy is transformed to chemical energy in photosynthesis by the plants (called as primary producers). Though a lot of sunlight falls on the green plants, only 1% of it is utilized for photosynthesis. This is the most essential step to provide energy for all other living organisms in the ecosystem. Some amount of chemical energy is used by the plants for their growth and the remaining is transferred to consumers by the process of eating. Thus the energy enters the ecosystems through photosynthesis and passes through the different tropic levels feeding levels. ENERGY FLOW IN THE ECOSYSTEMS