Envi 2A

• Ecology was initially developed in 1869 by German biologist Ernst Haeckel, based on the Greek word oikos, meaning "home," making ecology the study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their physical environment
• Fields related to ecology can be traced back to the 4th century in Greece as a derivative of philosophy, and some concepts from other cultures existed before then
• In biological organization, atoms form molecules, which form cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and individual organisms. Ecology focuses on levels above the individual organism: populations, communities, ecosystems, biomes, and the biosphere
• Ecosystems are complex assemblages of communities, with components interacting through roles, relationships, and linkages. Systems in ecology involve interdependent components and processes, with energy and materials flowing between them
• There are two types of systems in ecology:

  • Open systems receive inputs and produce outputs
  • Closed systems exchange no energy or matter with surroundings
• When a system is in a stable balance, it is in a state of equilibrium.
• Feedback loops in ecosystems can be:

  • Positive, increasing a process
  • Negative, diminishing a process

  Multiple interacting loops in ecosystems lead to changes, creating a "dynamic equilibrium" where changes average out and remain stable over time
• When these changes average out and remain stable over time, this is called "dynamic equilibrium".
• Tipping points occur when thresholds are passed, leading to drastic and rapid changes that may make it harder to return to the original state
• Earth = semi-closed system
• System is a network of interdependent components and processes, with materials and energy flowing from one component of the system to another. 
• • Populations organisms which belong to the same species and live together. 
• Communities - Different populations, where they interact and occupy a certain area. 
• Ecological system, or ecosystem - the community and its environment, in turn, make up an.
• From Biology, we learn that one of the characteristics common to all living things is their degree of organization.