Chapter 54

• Ecology


  The study of the interactions among organisms with each other and their surrounding environments
• Types of interactions in ecology

  • Biotic interaction (interactions among organisms)
  • Abiotic interactions (interactions between organisms and their non-living environment)
• Ecology is the study of the interactions among the biotic, and interactions between biotic and abiotic components
• Scales of ecology

  • Organismal ecology (individual organism's behavior, physiology, morphology)
  • Physiological ecology (how organisms are physiologically adapted to their environment)
  • Behavioral ecology (how behavior contributes to survival and reproduction)
  • Population ecology (factors affecting population competition, life, and density)
  • Community ecology (interactions between populations of different species)
  • Ecosystem ecology (responses and changes due to biotic-abiotic interactions)
• Ecosystem ecology focuses on the flow of energy and cycling of materials
• A key component is the feeding relationships among species, called food chains
• Abiotic factors affecting distribution of organisms

  • Temperature
  • Wind
  • Water
  • Salt concentration and pH
  • Periodic disturbances
• Temperature


  • Organisms have a limited temperature range they can survive in
• Wind


  • Affects the dispersal of seeds and spores
• Water availability affects the distribution of organisms
• Light


  • Affects the distribution of photosynthetic organisms
• Periodic disturbances


  • Such as storms, fires, and volcanic eruptions
  • Can affect the survival and recovery of organisms