CHAPTER 2 – The Environment & Organisms

Ecological Concepts

Talks about Ecology

ECOLOGY

The study of the ways organisms interacts with each other and with their non-living
surroundings.

Provides resources and services:

1. Sustaining Biodiversity
2. 2. Food production
3. 3. Quality of air and clean water

ECOLOGICAL HIERARCHY

Biosphere

- This is the global ecosystem

- Part of the planet where life exists and life interact with living organisms
- Consists of different ecosystem

Biomes

- Different climate
- Consists several ecosystems

Ecosystems

- Interaction between different communities

- Interaction between living and non-living

Communities

- Different population that interacts with each other in the same area

Populations

- Living at the same time

- Group of the species that interacting at the same area and time
Species

- Group of individuals that carries same genetic materials

- They can interbreed and produce offspring

ECOSYSTEM

Refers to an interacting group of natural elements and the organisms in a given environment

BIOTIC COMPONENTS

Everything that exhibits life

Autotrophs

Producers- use the energy from the sun (light energy) or chemical energy to make their own food

Photoautotrophs

Organisms that use the energy from sunlight to make their own food in the process called
photosenthisis (ex. Plants algae and bacteria)

Chemoautotrophs

Organisms that use chemical energy from compounds to make their food in the process called
chemosynthesis (ex. Bacteria)

HETEROTROPHS
They can’t make their own food
Consumers
-Organisms cannot make their food

Herbivores

Feed directly on plants

1st order/ primary consumers

Carnivores

That feed directly on animals

2nd order? Secondary consumers

Omnivores

Feed both on plants and animals

1st or 2nd order consumers

Decomposers

- Unable to make their food

- Decompose waste products and dead organisms for food and are returned to the soil to be
recycled and used by plants again

Scavengers

Feed on the soft tissues of dead animals (raven and blowfly larvae)

Detritivores

Feed on detritus – remains of plants, animals’ feces, and other organic debris.

The Abiotic Components

Nonliving features of the environment that influence an organism or group of organisms

Very crucial for growth and development of an individual

Energy-

Atmospheric Gases- ex. Oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen (non-harmful form of nitrogen) and etc.

Physical Characteristics- this includes wind, air, temperature (37 degree Celsius), soil, plants, pH (we
have certain level of pH in order to grow at its optimum) ex. marine organism (basic)

Physiographic Factors- nature of lands surface

ORGANISMS INTERACTION
Organisms are able to interacts in the same habitat (place where an organism lives)

A. Obtaining food and energy

- Organism make or use food as source of energy

1. Generalist

Organisms that can eat a variety of foods and thrive in range of habitats

Ex. Raccoons/Procyon lotor (they lived in wide variety of environment- mountains, cities,
forests) They are omnivores- they can eat everything and they can live anywhere

2. Specialist

Organisms that have a limited diet and stricter habitat requirements

Ex. Koala/Phascolarctos cinereus (limited ang habitat dahil sa need sa pagkain)

Ex. Canada lynx (meron lang sya type of pagkain (whiteshoe hares-sa malalamig na area lang
mahahanap) (kung nasaan ang whiteshoe hare, dun lang din sila naninirahan)

B. Competition
- Between organisms arises when more than one organism struggles to obtain the same
essential resources in the same habitat
1. Interspecific competition

Between members of two or more different species over various limiting resources such as food,
water, light, soil, resources or space

Magkaibang species

2. Intraspecific competition

Between members of the same species and may compete over mates, water, sunlight, territory, or food
energy sources.

Same species
3 MECHANISMS OF COMPETITION

Interreference competition

- One species directly affects the ability of another to consume resources.

Exploitative Competition

- One species makes a resource unavailable for consumption to another species

Apparent

- Two individuals that do not directly compete for resources affect each other indirectly by
being prey for the same predator

Predation

-One species uses another species as food

Predator

Prey

Prey defense mechanisms

a. Mechanical defense- exhibit defense and armor to protect them from predator (ex.
Cactus)
b. Chemical defense- releasing toxic and poisonous substances para di sila makain ng mga
predators
c. Chemical defense- exhibits vibrant colors to show that they are poisonous
d. Warning colors “aposematic coloration”-
e. Camouflage-
f. Mimicry- organism that usually resembles other species

- Batesian Mimicry- king snake mimic the coral snake (to make themselves to be
dangerous as the coral snake)

- Mullerian Mimicry- a form of biological resemblance in which two or more

unrelated noxious, or dangerous, organisms exhibit closely similar warning
systems, such as the same pattern of bright colours.
Symbiosis

A close and often long-term relationship between two or more different organisms (beneficial or
harmful)

Mutualism- interaction between two species in which both organism benefit

Commensalism- Type of symbiosis where one organism benefits, but the other is unaffected.

Parasitism- A relationship where one organism, termed the parasite, benefits at the expense of the host.