Concepts of ecology

Definition of terms
Ecology is the scientific study of the relationships between organisms and their
environment, and in particular those relationships which determine the
distribution and abundance of organisms.
Auto-ecology is the study of the individual organism in relation to its
environment. Synonymous to environmental physiology or physiological
ecology.
Synecology is the study of groups of organisms in relation to their environment,
e,g population , community and physiological ecology
Environment of an organism is the sum total of all external factors which has
influence upon it. These fall into two main categories.
(i) Biotic (living) e.g Producers, consumers, decomposers, and the
interrelations that come about due to interactions of the organisms
e.g predation, competition, parasitism, symbiosis (mutualism)
(ii) Abiotic (non-living) e.g climatic , structure of surrounding , chemical
Microclimate the localized climatic conditions surrounding an
organism e.g temperature, humidity, chemical nature and structure
Microenvironment is the immediate surrounding an organism.
Population is a group of organism of the same species occupying a particular
space at a particular time.
Community is an assemblage of populations of living organisms that interact in
a habitat.
Ecosystem is the biotic community and its abiotic environment combined.
Ecosystems are normally defined in such a way that they are closed with respect
to minerals and nutrients elements, but are always open with respect to energy.
Biome is a large ecological area with similar climatic conditions and
characterised by a major vegetation type. For example desert biome, temperate
deciduous forest biome. A biome can have multiple ecosystems within it.
Biosphere (Ecosphere) is all the earth’s living organisms and the global
environment. It is largest possible ecosystem. The biosphere includes most of
earth’s surface, part of the oceans and the atmosphere.
Trophic level are all organisms with a similar mechanism of feeding e,g
producers, herbivores, carnivores.
Habitat the geographical location where the species lives and functions.
Niche is the “place” and “role “of an organism in a community. In population
ecology a niche has a much more precise definition as fundamental niche and
realized niche.
Fundamental niche refers to the set of environmental conditions under which a
species is capable of persisting and establish itself.
realised niche signifies the set of environmental and ecological settings under
which a species persists.
Succession is the replacement of population in a regular progression to a climax
stage.
Climax community – This is the final stage of a succession. It is a locally
stable community which is determined mainly by climate and soil conditions
Biomass is the amount of living materials in a given area, expressed in units of
energy or weight.
Productivity is the amount of energy (or weight fixed or accumulated by unit
biomass or per unit area per unit of time.
Acclimation is the physiological adjustment (or adaptation) of an organism to a
single environmental variable, such as temperature , salinity or PH
Acclimatization is the physiological adjustment of an organism to a whole
range of environmental variables simultaneously.
Phenology is the study of life cycles in relation to time of year or season.
Ecological energetics is the study of energy flow in the ecosystem.
Population dynamics is the study of causes of changes of abundances of
populations.
Density is the number of individuals in relation to the spaces in which they
occur.
Evapotranspiration is the sum total of water loss from the land by evaporation
and plant transpiration.
Dispersal is the movement of organism away from place of birth or from the
centres of high population.
Dispersion is pattern of spacing of individuals in a population.
Components of an Ecosystem
I/ Abiotic (non-living)/ Physical Environment
Temperature;
affects soil formation and distribution of plants;
affect transpiration rate as high temperatures lead to high rates of transpiration;
also affects the rate of photosynthesis with the direct influence on enzyme
activity;
Light affects the rate of photosynthesis and hence distribution of organisms in
an ecosystem. Light from the sun is the source of energy for all ecosystems.
Producers use the light energy to make food which is then available to all the
other organisms (heterotrophs).
Penetration of light is limited to a certain depth, hence light affects distribution
of organisms in water bodies.
In the rainforest, the canopies restrict light penetration, hence limited
undergrowth at the forest floor.
Wind increase the transpiration rates; affects dispersal of seeds and fruits;
agents of pollination; affect distribution in terms of wind storms/breakages;
Atmospheric gases contribute to atmospheric pressure and it affects the rate of
water loss from the body surface of plants and animals. Carbon dioxide affects
photosynthesis because it is a raw material in photosynthesis. Nitrogen is
important in the formation of proteins during photosynthesis. Oxygen is used
during aerobic respiration in the cells.
Water/Rainfall forms a raw material for photosynthesis; helps in support in
plant tissues; affects distribution of plants;
Humidity affects rate at which water evaporates from the body surface of an
organism. This in turn influences the ability of an organism to withstand
drought.
Plants have developed adaptations to reduce water loss
pH affects distribution of plants in soil and freshwater habitats. some grow in
acidic soils; others in alkaline soils. pH affects availability of nutrients in the
soil.
Edaphic/soil factors; affects plant distribution; in terms of being sources of
water and mineral salts; provide a substratum for anchorage of plants;
Salinity: concentration of mineral ions in a water body. It is the basis of
separating aquatic habitats into marine, estuarine and freshwater. Influences
distribution of organisms especially in estuarine environment.