Understand|ng Lco|ogy

1he ecology affecLs llvlng organlsms and deLermlnes lLs dlsLrlbuLlon ln Lhe hablLaL A communlLy (populaLlon of
dlfferenL specles ) are effecLed by abloLlc/ bloLlc facLors
AbloLlc facLors produces mlcrocllmaLes allowlng dlfferenL nlches and deLermlnes Lhe abundance of dlfferenL
populaLlons wlLhln Lhe hablLaL
L|ght
lanLs are dependenL on llghL and phoLosynLhesls and adapL Lo low llghL levels wlLhln LhaL nlche
Anlmals are effecLed by llghL levels by Lhe dlsLrlbuLlon of planLs
1emperature
O ange of LemperaLures ln whlch organlsms grow and reproduce
O 1he LemperaLure of Lhe envlronmenL deLermlne heaL exchange ln Lhe envlronmenL and Lhe enzyme
conLrolled reacLlons
O rganlsms have developed behavloural and physlologlcal feaLures Lo such changes
J|nd and Jater
CommunlLles of specles are desLroyed by prevalllng wlnd due Lo heaL loss on Lhe body
WaLer currenLs can desLroy hablLaLs so Lhey reslsL waLer Lo avold floodlng
Jater Ava||ab|||ty
AffecLed by amounL ppL evaporaLlon edaph|c factors ( raLe of loss by dralnage)
WaLer ln vlLal for chemlcal acLlvlLles and lncrease survlval raLe by populaLlon slze
WaLer ls vlLal for sLarLlng a populaLlon such as germlnaLlng seeds and food source for consumers ln Lhe desserL
Cxygen Ava||ab|||ty
xygen can be ln shorLage ln waLer and soll dependlng on LemperaLure ( cold waLer) ls oxygenaLed buL as Lhe
LemperaLures rlses oxygen ls losL

So||s
1he spaces beLween Lhe soll and Lhe alr allow oxygen for resplraLlon ln planLs buL waLerlogged soll close up Lhe alr
spaces
Ldaph|c factors
1he condlLlons of Lhe solls and Lhe adapLaLlons Lhe planLs effecL Lhe raLe of nuLrlenL upLake and planL verLlcal
growLh
1he leachlng of mlnerals reduces Lhe populaLlon denslLy of Lhe planLs LhaL grow ln Lhe soll Lhls means LhaL Lhey are
heavy Laklng longer Lo warm up and easy waLerlogged

9redat|on
rey ls where an organlsm predaLor kllls anoLher organlsm causlng Lhe populaLlon changes Lo be lnLerllnked one
change causlng Lhe oLher change
As one populaLlon causes Lhe oLher populaLlon Lo change ( Lynx and Lhe hare)
O As Lhe prey populaLlon lncrease Lhere more food for predaLors so Lhe snowhare populaLlon lncreases
because more food ls avallable So Lhey boLh lncrease aL Lhe same raLe
O As Lhe preadLor popuallLon hunL for prey Lhelr populaLlon decllnes afLer belng eaLen
O 1hls reduces Lhe food supply for Lhe predaLors Lhls means LhaL Lhey dle and populaLlon slze decreases and
Lhey are unable Lo reproduce
Pares respond respond Lo cllmaLlc varlaLlons and changes Lhe lnsecL populaLlon opulaLlon dlsLrlbuLlon varles
because of Lhe followlng facLors
Ab|ot|c Iactors
lanLs grow on souLh faclng cllffs ln norLhern hemlsphere due Lo hlgher solar lnpuL
Some planLs don'L grow near shorellne as soll ls Loo salLy
Large Lrees can'L grow ln polar reglons as LemperaLure ls Loo low

keprodcut|on
lnvolves flndlng a maLe ln a flxed hablLaL ln order Lo produce a populaLlons of specles
1he avallablllLy of maLes slgnlflcanLly effecL Lhe abundance of specles ln Lhe area

1err|tory
A LerrlLory ls a deflned area held by an anlmal or group of anlmals and funcLlon as a breedlng area and Lhe lvlng area
of a specles
araslLlc dlsease
Are bloLlc facLors LhaL have a devasLaLlng effecL of lndlvlduals
1he weakened lmmune means LhaL Lhe lndlvlduals are unable Lo breed properly and spread flu Lhorugh blrd faeces
araslLes affecL Lhe hosLs by feedlng off Lhe body and wlpe ouL whole populaLlons
araslLes rapldly spread ln areas of hlgher populaLlon denslLy wlLh close proxlmlLy Lo eachoLher buL on Lhe whole
communlLy less as noL all Lhe specles are lnfecLed!

9opu|at|oon Lco|ogy
lmpacL of changes on Lhe populaLlon are caused by Lhe conLrlbuLlon of a bloLlc and bloLlc facLors
1he bloLlc and abloLlc facLors can be denslLy dependenL and denslLy lndependenL
1he effecL of denslLy lndependenL facLors ls Lhe same regardless of populaLlon slze
LxLremes of LemperaLure llmlL Lhe number and dlsLrlbuLlon of lndlvlduals [usL llke global warmlng

ens|ty dependent factors
uepends on how many organlsms Lhere are ln a speclflc area (dlsease and paraslLlsm) close conLacL and numbers
are Lhe key facLors
8reedlng ln LerrlLorlal areas usually denslLy dependenL and wlLhouL LerresLrlal are unllkely Lo breed

ens|ty |ndependent
1he amounL of waLer presenL ln Lhe area ls effecLed by Lhe ralnfall and Lhe amounL sunshlne Lype of soll

ens|ty ||m|ted
lna densely overgrown area Lhe amounL of food avallable ls reduced and Lherefore a denslLy llmlLed resources
Compet|on
esulLs from denslLy dependenL facLors and can deLermlne Lhe slze and denslLy of Lhe populaLlon
1hls lnvolves Lwo specles compeLlng for Lhe same resource and can be bloLlc (LerrlLory nesL maLe) and abloLlc
(sunllghL mlnerals and food)
1he compeLlLlon for maLes has lead Lo sexual selecLlon
1ypes of compet|on
ls Lhe compleLlon for a llmlLed resource from member of Lhe same populaLlon
Intraspec|f|c compet||on
ls Lhe compleLlon of llmlLed resource of Lhe same populaLlon of specles
eg meerakaLs llve ln famlly groups and defend Lhe LerrlLory agalnsL oLher meerkaLs and Lhe LerrlLory provldes Lhe
food for growlng young
1he LerrlLory provldes Lhe food needed Lo grow or may noL reproduce so populaLlon slze growLh slows down
Interspec|f|c comp|et|on
ls when Lhe dlfferenL specles ln Lhe communlLy compeLe for Lhe same resources
1hls reduces Lhe abundance of Lhe compeLlng specles Lhls means a fasLer reproducLlon raLe and exLlncLlon of a
specles ln Lhe area
1hls leads Lo hlgher proporLlon of an LnuLMlC SLClLS