Chapter 1

Introduction to Environmental Science and its Basic Concepts

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to :

1. Explain the concepts of Ecology,
2. Trace back the history of the development of ecology and how it shaped the study of Ecology today, and
3. Relate the concepts of Ecology to everyday life.
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Many students thought that Environment focuses solely on the plants and animals that can be seen on their
surroundings whereas, it can be considered correct but not necessarily true. Environment does not only refer to the
organisms that can be found and seen on the surroundings, but it also refers to the other factors that are necessary for the
survival of varied species. The soil, water and temperature also can be considered as part of environment. Aside from this,
interactions among organisms in each ecosystem is also considered. A particular branch of science deals with this
interrelationship among organisms and their environment which is known as Ecology.

This unit will discuss the components of the ecosystem as well as its impact on the varied organisms in a certain
environment. This module is designed to help you understand the basic concepts of Environmental Science. For you
to better understand this lesson, the unit will be divided into different modules.

Scope and Meaning of Ecology:

Ecology is a scientific discipline interrelated with a variety of fields of study. Its primary focus is on the individual’s
relationship with the environment. So where can we find ecology in the spectrum of life? The biological spectrum
contains the levels of the organization of life namely: cell, tissue, organ, organ system, organism, population, community,
ecosystem, and biosphere. Ecology deals not with what is within the organism but with what is outside the organism.
The levels from the cells to the organs systems are within the inside of the organism while population, community,
ecosystem, and biosphere are within the outside of the organisms. A population is a group of organisms of the same kind
while a community is a group of populations living together in each place. The ecosystem, the basic unit of ecology refers
to the interaction between the organisms and its environment. The biosphere is the world of life. It is the part of Earth
where life operates. It is a system capable of capturing, converting, storing, and utilizing the energy of the sun to support
life. The interrelationships occurring in the ecosystem leads to homeostasis among each specie.
Ecology, therefore, focuses on the relationships of living organisms with each other and with their environment. The
nature of an individual’s behavior ad responses to some factors in the environment is also dependent on the biological
makeup of the organism. This leads us to the implications of the biological spectrum:
1. Life begins with a mass of protoplasm and operates within the biosphere. It follows a continuous pattern.
2. There is an increasing complexity as one proceeds from one level to another.
3. The levels of organizations are interrelated with one another. One cannot exist without the other-there cannot be a
cell without a protoplasm and so on and so forth.
4. The interrelationships of these different levels show that organisms are dependent on one another. No organism
lives alone.

Historical aspects of ecology

Early in the 4h century, Theophrastus, an associate of Aristotle, first described the interrelation between organisms
and their environment. It was only in 1886 however, that Ernst Haeckel, a German zoologist coined the word
“OECOLOGIE” for this relationship. It should be noted though that the very roots of ecology started way before this.
A. Early man as hunter. Early man knew how to make use of his environment. He developed a detailed knowledge of
where to find food and water since his very survival depended on this. However, this knowledge did not include knowing
how to conserve his natural resources. Due to his nomadic ways, he would stay in one place and use up the food and water
that could be found there. As soon as he exhausted these resources, he would move on to another place and repeat the
same cycle. Eventually, this practice improved making way to the conversion of man from nomads to settlers.
B. The rise of Agriculture. Since humans become settlers in the passing of time, they need to have a sustainable source
of foods to survive. This thought leads to the concept of agriculture. With this, the human tends to develop a specific area
to reproduce their needed resources. Man uses his farming techniques and tools.
C. Ecology Prior to the Seventeenth century. Ecological during this time began with the development of biology and
medicine as scientific disciplines. Aristotle, the father of Biology, classified animals according to their habitat and habits.
Below are scientists that contributed to ecology during this time:
1. Theophrastus. Systematically studied plant types and forms in relation to altitude, moisture, and light exposure.
2. Hippocrates. He is known to be the father of medicine and emphasized environmental factors in his “On Airs, waters
and places.”
3. Albertus Magnus. During the twelfth century, he developed his work on plants and environment.
4. Robert Boyle. In the late sixteenth century, he related chemistry to the vital processes in plants and animals.
From the seventeenth century to the nineteenth century, certain field of study contributed to the development of
ecology.
Laws of Ecology: Applications to human society

We have defined ecology as the study that deals with interactions and relationships existing in nature. Nature
includes the living and non-living factors. The living component consists of the plants and animals. Nonliving factors
include water, light, air, soil, and others. From this very simple interaction of the components, there are number of
generalizations we can formulate about the ecosphere which can be organized into a kind of informal set of “Laws of
Ecology”. These “laws” can serve as guiding principles on how we should shape a society in harmony with nature:
1. Everything is connected to everything else. the food chain and food web have always been used to illustrate the
relationship of the different living components of ecosystem. Being connected is seen not only in the relationship among
the organisms but also in the relationship of organisms with physical factors.
2. There is strength and stability in the unity of differences. The ecosystem has different components, and each is
needed for the ecosystem to function.
3. Consumption must not exceed production. Any ecosystem has the capacity to sustain life. This is called carrying
capacity. For an ecosystem to exist, ability to provide for the necessities of life should not be exceeded by consumption. In
this way, homeostasis or balance in nature is maintained.
4. Everything has a purpose. Why are flowers colorful? So that butterflies and bees can be attracted to pollinate them.
Why are cactuses succulent? So, they can store water in their bodies to enable them to survive. The forms and other
unique characteristics that can be found on each specie serve its function or purpose.

Questions for Reflection:

1. Discuss the impact of science on society.
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2. Using the biological spectrum, explain the scope and meaning of Ecology.

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3. Trace the history of Ecology and discuss how industrial revolution affected the conditions of the environment.
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4. How is Ecology related to other disciplines?
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5. How do you apply the laws of Ecology to human society?

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