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Introduction To Environmental Ecology

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92 views19 pages

Introduction To Environmental Ecology

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EM 120

Environmental Ecology
Environmental Ecology

Environmental Ecology is the branch of biology which


studies the interactions among organisms and
their environment. Objects of study include interactions
of organisms with each other and with abiotic
components of their environment.
Ecology is the scientific study of the interactions among
organisms and their environment. It is the study of
distributions, abundance, and relations of organisms and
their interactions with the environment. It includes
studying plants and animals populations, plants, and
animals community as well as the ecosystem.
Ecology is a broad term known as bio ecology,
bionomics or environmental biology, as it
specifically studies the relationship between the
organisms and the environment.
What do ecologists do?
They focus on the specifications or interactions with the group, including food preferences, eating
habits, and migration. Ecologists study issues of the population size, diversity, distribution, and
dominance of specific organisms. Some of the key issues studied by ecologists are –
• A broader study of the processes of life, the interactions, and the adaptations of the specific
species.
• Biodiversity within an ecosystem.
• The abundance and the distribution of the organisms within an environment.
• Progression of changes in the ecosystem.
• The influence of the environmental factors on the organism’s population.
Ecology and Ecosystems

Ecology is a scientific approach to the study of the


biosphere, whereas ecosystems are created by the
interrelationships between the living organisms and the
physical environments they inhabit ( which can be land,
air or water. ) These systems require a source of energy
( for example – light from the sun ) to help them able to
work.
Ecosystem

A complex relationship between all the living and


nonliving things (plants, animals, organisms, sun, water,
climate etc.) interact with each other.

Ecosystems are the foundation of ‘Biosphere’ and


maintain the natural balance of the earth.
Components of the Ecosystem

Abiotic components include all nonliving components such as


minerals, climate, soil, water, and sunlight.
Biotic components include all the living components. These
components together make up the flow of energy in the
ecosystem and the nutrient cycle in the ecosystem.
The sun's gleaming energy is the basic energy source in all
ecosystems. The autotrophs (self-sustaining organisms) absorb
this energy and produce photosynthesis, where they can use this
energy to convert CO2 and H2O into simple carbohydrates. The
autotrophs store energy in these carbohydrates, which they then
use to produce more complex and organic products like lipids,
proteins, and starches that help the organism to survive.
• These autotrophs are the producers of the ecosystem.
• Organic compounds produced by autotrophs help the survival
of the heterotrophic organisms. And heterotrophs are the
consumers of the ecosystem since they’re incapable of making
their own food. All organisms like bacteria, fungi or animals are
heterotrophs.
Types of Ecosystems

An ecosystem consists of three types of ecosystems, another term for which


is ‘Biomes’. The three major types are:
a. Aquatic biomes
b. Terrestrial biomes
c. Lentic biomes
Aquatic Biomes
Pond Ecosystems
River Ecosystems
Shallow water Ecosystem
Deepwater Ecosystem
Terrestrial Biomes

Rainforests
Tundra
Deserts
Forests
Lentic Biomes

These are the kinds of ecosystems that support both aquatic and
terrestrial life forms, such as swamps. The only requirement is
that this kind of ecosystem is the exposure for photosynthesis
since organisms here survive on the carbohydrates made by
photosynthesis.
Trophic Levels
• Producers (green plants) make for the lowest level of the chain.
• Consumption of the by-products of these producers by the herbivores or the primary
consumers makes for the second-level.
• Next, the consumption of these herbivores by carnivore or the secondary consumers
makes for the third-level. Additionally, omnivores ( organisms that consume plants
and animals both) as well come at the third level.
• Tertiary consumers consist of organisms that eat these carnivores.
• Lastly, decomposers make up for a completely different level of the food chain alongside
the given levels. These decomposers help in breaking waste materials and convert them
into nutrients which is useful for the producers.
All of the above points together make up for what is known as ‘Food
Chain’.

Food Web
The interlinking of feeding relationships of various communities of
organisms is known as the ‘Food web’.
Scavengers
Some animals eat dead animals. They are called scavengers.
They help break down or reduce organic material into smaller
pieces. Decomposers then eat these smaller pieces. Decomposers
eat dead materials and break them down into chemical parts.
Animals and plants then use nitrogen, carbon and other nutrients.
Decomposers help the world in cleaning up the dead plants and
animals.
NEXT LESSON…

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