Ecological Concepts LQ1

• Ecology


  The scientific study of the distribution and abundance of organisms and the interactions that determine distribution and abundance
• Ecosystem


  A functional unit comprising all the organisms in a particular place interacting with one another and with their physical environment and interconnected by an ongoing flow of energy and a cycling of materials
• Environment


  All living and non-living things that occur naturally on Earth
• Levels of organization


  • Individual/Species
  • Population
  • Community
  • Ecosphere
• Biome


  • A distinct ecological community of plants and animals living together in a particular climate
  • Broad terrestrial regions of the biosphere
  • With characteristic temperature and rainfall patterns
• Layers of the atmosphere

  • Troposphere
  • Stratosphere
  • Mesosphere
  • Thermosphere
  • Ionosphere
  • Exosphere
• Lithosphere


  The rocky outer part of the Earth, made up of the brittle crust and the top part of the upper mantle
• Hydrosphere


  All the gaseous, liquid and solid forms of water on Earth
• Biosphere


  All living things on the planet, the zone of life on Earth
• Major components of an ecosystem

  • Biotic factors
  • Abiotic factors
• Biotic components


  • Producers
  • Consumers
  • Decomposers
• Types of consumers


  • Primary consumers (herbivores)
  • Secondary consumers
  • Tertiary consumers
• Interactions among organisms


  • Predation
  • Commensalism
  • Mutualism
  • Parasitism
  • Competition
• Flow of energy and storage of biomass

  • Earth is a closed system with flow of energy from the sun
  • Ecosystems are open systems that exchange energy and matter with their surroundings
  • Energy is absorbed by plants and biomass is formed
  • Energy flows to consumers when they eat plants
  • On average, only about 10% of energy stored as biomass in a trophic level is passed to the next level
• Types of food chains

  • Grazing food chains
  • Detritus food chains
• Matter cycling in the ecosystem

  • Plants are eaten by herbivores, which excrete the minerals later
  • Carnivores help recycle minerals found in herbivores
  • Scavengers consume carcasses, transferring minerals
  • Bacteria and fungi consume fecal matter, returning minerals to the soil
  • Some minerals escape the ecosystem and end up in the ocean
• Ecosystem services


  • Provisioning services
  • Regulating services
  • Cultural services
  • Supporting services
• Sustainable development


  Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
• Components of a sustainable ecosystem

  • Population stabilisation
  • Conservation of biodiversity
  • Renewable energy resources
  • Integrated land use planning
  • Air and water pollution control
  • Recycling of wastes and residues
  • Environmental education and awareness at all levels
• Ecology


  A branch of biology that examines ecosystems and relations between living organisms and the natural environment
• Ecosystem (Ecological System)


  A functional unit comprising all the organisms in a particular place interacting with one another and with their physical environment and interconnected by an ongoing flow of energy and a cycling of materials
• Environment


  All living and nonliving things that occur naturally on Earth, including biotic and abiotic factors that surround an organism
• Levels of Organization


  • Individual/Species
  • Population
  • Community
  • Ecosphere
• Individual/Species


  A single plant, animal, or organism
• Population


  A group of individuals of same species that occupy a given area
• Community


  The interacting population of different species
• Ecosphere


  All earth's ecosystems
• Biome


  A distinct ecological community of plants and animals living together in a particular climate
• Examples of Biomes


  • Rainforest
  • Taiga
  • Tundra
  • Desert
  • Grassland
  • Temperate Deciduous Forest
• Layers of the Atmosphere


  • Troposphere
  • Stratosphere
  • Mesosphere
  • Thermosphere
  • Ionosphere
  • Exosphere
• Troposphere


  Starts at Earth's surface and extends to 8 - 14.5 kilometers high, most dense layer, almost all weather is in this layer
• Stratosphere


  Starts just above the troposphere and extends to 50 kilometers high, the ozone layer is in this layer
• Mesosphere


  Starts just above the stratosphere and extends to 85 kilometers high, meteors burn up in this layer
• Thermosphere


  Starts just above the mesosphere and extends to 600 kilometers high, aurora and satellites occur in this layer
• Ionosphere


  Abundant layer of electrons and ionized atoms and molecules, stretches from about 48 meters above the surface to the edge of space at about 965 kilometers, makes radio communications possible
• Exosphere


  The upper limit of our atmosphere, extends from the top of the thermosphere up to 10,000 kilometers
• Lithosphere


  Rocky outer part of the Earth, made up of the brittle crust and the top part of the upper mantle, coolest and most rigid part of the Earth
• Hydrosphere


  Includes all gaseous, liquid and solid forms of water of the Earth, the earth is often referred to as the blue planet because the blue ocean covers nearly 71% of Earth's surface
• Biosphere


  All living things in the planet, zone of life on Earth, also known as ecosphere in ecology, a functional concept which emphasizes the interrelationship between all living organisms and their environment on planetary scale
• Critical Zone Concept


  Conceived in 1998, aims to represent the importance of system science in integrating the research of the four spheres by studying the linkages, feedbacks, and processes that occurred in the past, present and future