Ecology

Learning Objectives:

 1.Describe how organism relate to one another

 2.How group of organisms belonging to the same species interact

with one another
 3. Understand how energy flows inside the Ecosystem
What is Ecology?

 The branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to

one another and to their physical surroundings
 All these relationships form an Ecosystem
What is an Ecosystem?

 Is a geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms,

as well as weather and landscape, work together to form a bubble
of life.
 The influence of Non-living component with the Living component
of a given environment
Ecosystem
A Bubble of Life
What is the importance of studying
Ecology?

 So that that a diversity of a certain population within an ecosystem

can relate to one another thus maintaining the balance of
nature or equilibrium.
Ecosystem function and structure

 An ecosystem is shaped by the non-living environment as well as

interacting species
Components or factors affecting an
Ecosystem

 Abiotic factors
 Biotic factors
Abiotic – Non-living components

 1. Sunlight
 2. Wind
 3. Soil
 4. Water
 5. Atmosphere
 6. Temperature
Biotic –The living components

 It abides by the natural Biological laws that govern all lifeforms

 The interaction between the 2 creates what is known as the Biosphere
 All living things depend on the presence and activities of other living things
 Categorized into:
 1. Producers (autotrophs)
 2. Consumers (heterotrophs)
 3. Decomposers
Ecosystem is dynamic

 The particular details of one Ecosystem will differ when compared

to one another
 They will have different organisms or abiotic factors present but
they all have the same primary features:
 1. Single direction of energy flow: Plants-Animals-Decomposers
 2. Cycling of inorganic minerals like: Nitrogen, Calcium and Phosphorus
back to the environment
Niche

 The role an organism plays in a community

 It affects its habitat and the same time gets affected by it
 Each species in an ecosystem has a specific role for which it is best suited
Niche
Niche
The Producer-Consumer- Decomposer
relationship

 Producer ( autotrophs )
 Consumer ( heterotrophs )
 Decomposer
Producer

 Are green the plants and algae (autotrophs) responsible for

trapping the energy from the Sun
Consumer

 This are the heterotrophs and are represented by the:

 a. herbivores (1o consumers)
 b. carnivores ( 2o consumers )
 c. omnivores – can be either 1o or 2o consumers
Decomposers

 These are the saprophytic like the Fungi and Bacteria and is
responsible for breaking down of complex chemical components
and structures of living things into simpler forms
Population Ecology

 What is a population?
 A group of individuals of the same species living and interbreeding within
a given area.
How organisms relate to one another?

 Competition
- Ecological competition is the struggle between two organisms for
the same resources within an environment
 There are different types of
competition:

 1. Interspecific competition -occurs between members of different species

 2. Intraspecific competition - occurs between members of the same
species.
 3. Direct – there is a direct Predator-Prey relationship
 4. Indirect –occurs when 2 species do not come in contact with one
another. e.g. Nocturnal and Diurnal difference
 5. Interference- occurs when 2 species fight directly for the same resources
 6. Exploitation-occurs when individuals interact indirectly as they compete
for common resources
 7. Apparent- occurs when 2 species of Prey compete for survival from the
same Predator
What is equilibrium?

 An ecological equilibrium is defined as the relatively stable dynamic balance

between the species in the ecosystem.
Equilibrium
Energy Pyramid

 Is a model that shows the flow of energy from one trophic, or

feeding, level to the next in an ecosystem
Energy flow inside an Ecosystem

 It flows only in on direction: from Plants to Animals

Limiting factors

 Are the conditions in an ecosystem that impose caps on the size of

the population that inhabit it
 It falls into 2 general categories:
 1. Material
 2. Energy
 Material
 - The chemical components of any living matter are limited and must be
recycled
 - It consists of chemical processes involving exchange between the living
and the non-living world
 a. Carbon-Hydrogen-Oxygen Cycle
 b. Nitrogen Cycle
Carbon-Hydrogen-Oxygen Cycle
Nitrogen Cycle
 Energy
 – Since energy cannot be recycled in the environment, it must be
continuously resupplied.
 - The chemical components from one organism passes to the next as it
enters the food web
 End of Presentation