Fundamental Ecological Principles

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Fundamental Ecological Principles

Ecology is the branch of biology that studies how organisms interact with their

environment and other organisms. Every organism experiences complex relationships with other

organisms of its species, and organisms of different species. These complex interactions lead to

different selective pressures on organisms. Ecological principles are fundamental assumptions

(or beliefs) about ecosystems and how they work. Ecological principles draw crucial inferences

from ecological ideas (which are assumed to be true) that can then are used to guide human

applications targeted at biodiversity conservation.[CITATION TVo21 \l 1033 ]

Principle 1

Protection of species and species’ subdivisions will conserve genetic diversity.

Managing for genetic diversity directly is impractical and difficult to implement. The

most credible surrogate for sustaining genetic variability within species is maintaining not only

species but also the spatial structure of genetic variation within species. Maintenance of

populations distributed across a species' natural range will assist in conserving genetic

variability. This ensures the continuation of locally adapted genetic variants that enable species

to adapt to changes in their environment. Species that are collapsing towards the edge of their

range and disjunction populations are particularly important to consider, given climate change.

Principle 2

Maintaining habitat is fundamental to conserving species

The environmental conditions that sustain a species' life requirements are referred to as

its habitat. Our knowledge of a species' ecology and how that determines where a species is

known to occur or anticipated to occur informs our understanding of habitat. Specified microsites
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(e.g., populated by certain invertebrates, bryophytes, and some lichens), huge heterogeneous

habitats, or habitat occupancy during specific time periods are all examples of habitat at various

geographical and temporal scales (e.g., breeding sites, winter range areas). As a result, habitat

conservation necessitates a multi-scale approach spanning regions, landscapes, ecosystems, and

important habitat elements, features, and structures.

Principle 3

Large areas usually contain more species than smaller areas with similar habitat.

Because big areas with identical environment can support larger and more viable

populations, the notion of island biogeography highlights a basic fact that large areas usually

include more species than smaller areas with similar habitat. The number of species on an island

is said to be determined by two factors: its distance from the mainland and its size. These factors

would have an impact on the rate of extinction on the islands as well as the amount of

immigration. Other circumstances being equal (such as distance from the mainland), smaller

islands have a higher likelihood of extinction than larger ones. This is one of the reasons why

larger islands can support a greater diversity of species than smaller ones. The "island" can be

any patch of habitat surrounded by areas unsuited for the species on the island when the principle

is applied more generally. 40 As a result, a system of biodiversity-protected places that spans

huge areas can effectively support more viable populations.

Principle 4

All things are connected but the nature and strength of those connections vary

Species have a variety of roles in communities and ecosystems, and those roles connect

them to other species in various ways and to differing degrees of strength. It's critical to

comprehend essential interactions. Some species (keystone species, for example) have a greater
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impact on ecosystems than others. Some species and networks of interconnected species have

significant, broad-scale ecosystem-level effects, while others do not. Species interact in a variety

of ways, and the strength of those relationships varies as well. Predator and/or prey species,

mutualists and synergists are all possibilities. Mutualist species, such as fungi that invade plant

roots and aid in the uptake of soil mineral nutrients, form a mutually beneficial interaction.

Synergistic species produce an effect that is bigger than the sum of the effects that each species

can produce on its own. The main point is that it's critical to figure out which of the many

interactions are the most powerful, because they are the ones that need to be focused on.

Principle 5

Disturbances shape the characteristics of populations, communities, and ecosystems.

The size, structure, and geographical linkages of individuals, communities, and

ecosystems are shaped by the kind, intensity, frequency, and duration of disturbances. Natural

disturbances have influenced the structure of natural ecosystems, including the size, shape, and

distribution of patches, which has aided in the formation and maintenance of these ecosystems.

The more regions, landscapes, ecosystems, and local habitat features resemble those that

developed as a result of natural disturbances, the more likely native species and biological

processes will survive. This technique may be strengthened by gaining a better understanding of

how ecosystems adapt to natural and human disturbances, allowing the system to become more

resilient. For example, ponderosa pine ecosystems have been shaped by high frequency, low

intensity fires, whereas lodge pole pine habitats have been shaped by low frequency, high

intensity fires. To preserve these ecosystems, fire must be restored, and management strategies

such as harvesting must be designed to minimize the discrepancies between a managed

landscape and a landscape pattern formed by natural disturbance.

Because ecosystems can alter substantially at the site level as a result of natural

disturbances, it may be more relevant to study the composition and organization of habitats at the

landscape level. For terrestrial ecosystems, this means considering:

• Species composition;

• amount and patch size distribution;

• Variety and proportion of seral stages of terrestrial habitat from young to old; and

• Diversity of within community structure (for example, varying amounts of snags and coarse

woody debris within forest stands).

It's vital to remember that the distribution of habitat might be just as significant as the amount of

habitat for some less migratory animals.

Principle 6

Climate influences terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems.

Climate is typically described as all of the atmospheric states observed at a location over

a long period of time. Climate change has a significant impact on biodiversity because it affects

climatic variables such as temperature, precipitation, and wind, which have ramifications for

many ecological and physical processes like photosynthesis and fire behavior. Major temperature

swings in surface waters in the Pacific Ocean, for example, caused by El Nino climatic

phenomena, can influence weather and result in markedly warmer temperatures across most of

British Columbia. As a result, some wildlife populations may rise, and the migration date of

some migratory bird species may be affected. Because of the key role of climate, rapid climate

change profoundly changes ecosystems.

Six Principles of Ecology (By Peter Donaldson)

Speciation

Living organisms develop in populations of unique individuals that are capable of reproducing

viable offspring.

Diversity

Individual species have evolved unique differences from one another. This is nature’s way of

developing and testing new and more successful forms of life. Without diversity in an ecosystem

there is less opportunity for invention, less flexibility to adapt to changes in the environment.

Diversity strengthens the entire system.

Habitat

Individual species have adapted to the conditions of unique niches, territories, watersheds, and

climates. A habitat is shaped by soil, water and air, and by the living organisms themselves. An

ecosystem is host to a great diversity of species uniquely adapted to overlapping and

interdependent habitats.

Adaptation

Individual species change or adapt physical features and behaviors to better survive changing

conditions in their habitat. Features and behaviors that are successful allow a particular organism

to survive and reproduce. Features and behaviors that are not successful means that the organism

will not live to reproduce and so will not pass on its genetic information, a failed experiment.

Just as changes in habitat force adaptations in individual species, these same adaptations in
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species will create new changes in habitat, so little by little the whole system is evolving

interdependently.

Interdependence

All of life is a web of interactions and evolving adaptations between species and their habitats. It

is a beautiful and complex choreography of self-organizing relationships. No species, including

humans, can survive separate from this web.

Evolution

The interdependent adaptations between species and habitat create biological change over time.

New forms of life are always emerging, converging and diverging, pursuing the greatest health

and flexibility for the entire system. What is so magnificent about the human species is that our

special adaptations allow us to consciously observe the very process we are embedded in. It’s as

if the entire universe has conspired to create such a being just to look back up on itself . And

perhaps forward as well.

REFLECTION

My thoughts on the various ecological principles are that they serve as a guide for us in terms of

biodiversity conservation; the ecological idea is a general awareness of the facts about

ecosystems and management. They may have different principles written or posted in internet

but they have the same used and function . It explained the various connections and influences of

natural events taking place in our environment. Also, how our environment and ecology are

related. Environment refers to everything that surrounds us, but ecology refers to how everything

works together. It is the study of organisms' interactions with their surroundings. Ecology is

concerned with the study of living processes, adaptability, and biodiversity.

REFERENCE

Publication, L. a. (n.d.). Ecological Concepts,. Retrieved September 14, 2021, from Biodiversity:
http://www.biodiversitybc.org/assets/pressReleases/BBCPrinciplesWEB.pdf