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OBJECTIVES
Understand Ecology and Ecosystems and why these are relevant to the Real Estate profession Know the Basic Principles, Terminologies and Concepts of Ecology Be familiar with the Philippine Environmental Impact System (EIS) and related terms (EIA, ECP, ECA, and ECC) Gain the necessary knowledge to pass the Ecology portion of the Real Estate Brokers Exam
Outline
I. Definition of Ecology II. Ecosystem the concept III. Systems IV. Trophic Levels V. Population VI. Community (Diversity & Stratification) VII. Ecological Succession VIII. Abiotic Components IX. EIS ECC *** Glossary***
I. Definition of ECOLOGY
Ecology The study of the interactions of organisms with: Other organisms, and The physical environment or habitat It is also defined as the study of relationships among organisms and their environment and among the various ecosystems in the biosphere
III. Systems
Each level of biological organization involves abiotic and biotic interaction through matter and energy exchange. Each level is a system. Each system can be thought of as an energy transformer and a matter processor.
Definition of SYSTEMS
A system is a collection of parts or events that can be seen as a single whole thing because of interdependence and interaction of the components.
Types of SYSTEMS
Open systems: systems that depend upon outside
environment to provide inputs and accepts outputs. Example of which is the Earth, it receives inputs of energy from the sun and outputs heat energy which is passed to outer space. Solar energy is radiated towards the Earth but the atmosphere shields and keeps some solar radiation from reaching the biosphere. Approximately 50% of sunlight reaching the upper atmosphere continue to Earths surface. The Ozone layer absorbs ultraviolet radiation. Solar radiation derives major atmospheric cycles, evaporates water, generates winds, waves and currents as well as powering virtually all of the organisms existing on earth.
V. (Ecological) POPULATIONS
Population is a group of individuals of the same species that occupy a given area and interbreed with each other. Characteristics of Populations: 1. Statistical 2. Genetic
If an organism is absent in an area, it does not necessarily mean that the physicochemical environment is not within its tolerance range. It might be merely the inability of the organism to reach the place (dispersal problems/geographic barriers) or the presence of strong biological deterrents (competition, herbivory, predation, parasitism, etc) or preferences (habitat selection).
3. 4.
6.
Factor Compensation - Organisms modify their environment so as to lessen the limiting effects of physical conditions of existence Extrinsic and Intrinsic Factors Extrinsic Factors: Factors that operate on population from outside it (climate, food supply, etc.) Intrinsic Factors: Factors that are generated within the population (territorially, social stress) Population regulation the tendency for the population to return to its equilibrium density while population stability is the tendency to remain at constant size.
VI. COMMUNITY
An ecological community is any assemblage of different populations living in an area with a certain degree of integration. Similar communities and ecosystems that cover a specified area are referred to as biomes. The largest major community is the biosphere, all biomes taken together containing all living creatures.
Diversity
Biodiversity (Biological Diversity)
Generally, in a community there is a relatively small percent of usually abundant species and a large percent of rare species. Diversity tends to be low in physically controlled systems, tends to be high in biotically controlled systems. When cost of maintenance is high, diversity tends to be low. When the environment is stressful, diversity tends to be low.
Diversity (cont.)
Diversity has two components namely:
1. Varietal refers to the kinds of species occurring in a prescribed area. 2. Evenness refers to the distribution of individuals among the species.
Diversity is related to stability. Generally, diversity enhances stability through a greater feedback mechanism among the co-occurring species.
Stratification
a. Most spatial (vertical) stratification of aquatic systems tends to be dictated by the physicochemical environment. In terrestrial systems the stratification is a function of the biotic component. b. Stratification creates environmental diversity, which in turn increases the number microhabitats and allows a greater degree of community diversity. c. Generally, the more stratified the community, the greater the biotic diversity.
Stratification (cont.)
d. All ecosystems tend to have the heterotrophic and autotrophic strata. e. Horizontal stratification results from climate differences and dispersion patterns f. The transition between two terrestrial communities is referred to as an ecotone. It contains species from two adjacent communities as well as species characteristic of the transition zone.
Stratification (cont.)
Periodicity
Periodicity is another type of stratification (temporal). This refers to regularly recurring changes determining rhythmic or cyclic changes in biological activities. a. Seasonal (i.e. phenology, mating, migration) b. Daily circadian (i.e. Phytoplankton migration) c. Lunar (most marine organisms have lunar rhythms)
SUCCESSION (cont.)
Succession that begins in a sterile area devoid of previous biological influence is called primary succession. Secondary succession begins in sites where previous biological activities influences preset sites.
SUCCESSION (cont.)
Autotrophic succession begins with predominantly inorganic environment and is characterized by early and continued dominance of producers. Heterotrophic succession is characterized by early dominance of heterotrophs (i.e. sewage or a fallen log). Energy is maximum at the beginning but declines and unless autotrophic activity takes place, the whole community dies out or migrates.
SUCCESSION (cont.)
Characteristics of Ecological Succession: a. Orderly process that involves species structure and community changes with time. b. Directional and predictable c. Results from modification of environment. Environment sets the limit to the rate and state of development but the changes are biotically controlled. d. Culminates in a quasi-steady state with maximum biomass maintained by a unit of energy flow.
ABIOTIC (cont.)
WATER - The rate of diffusion of CO2 and O2 is approximately 10,000 times slower in water than it is in air. When soils become flooded, they quickly lose oxygen and transform into a low-concentration environment and eventually become completely anoxic where anaerobic bacteria thrive among the roots. Water also influences the spectral composition and amount of light as it reflects off the water surface and submerged particles
ABIOTIC (cont.)
ATMOSPHERIC GASES oxygen, nitrogen, greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, nitrous oxide, ozone) SOIL - composed of particles of broken rock that have been altered by chemical and mechanical processes that nclude weathering and erosion. In engineering, soil is referred to as regolith, or loose rock material. For our discussion, Strictly speaking, soil is the depth of regolith that influence and have been influenced by (lack of) water and plant roots.
ABIOTIC (cont.)
GRAVITY governs many of the geophysical properties and distributions of ecological biomes across the Earth. On a organism scale, gravity provides directional cues for plant and fungal growth, orientation cues for animal migrations, and influence the biomechanics and size of animals. SOUND WAVES communication for MARINE and deep underground biomes
ABIOTIC (cont.)
PRESSURE Climatic and osmotic pressure places physiological constraints on organisms, such as flight and respiration at high altitudes, or diving to deep ocean depths. These constraints influence vertical limits of ecosystems in the biosphere as organisms are physiologically sensitive and adapted to atmospheric and osmotic water pressure differences. Oxygen levels decrease with increasing pressure and are a limiting factor for life at higher altitudes.