ECOLOGY &ENVIRONMENT

The Earth sustains the living creatures through energy and material cycles. Ecology the branch of the biology that deals with the relationship between living individuals and environment. On the planet of Earth the plants and animals can not live in an isolated condition. As such they are organized in to groups like * Populations * Communities * Biomes and * Biosphere

ECOLOGY cont POPULATIONS. *Population is defined as an aggregation of individuals of a particular species in a definite territorial area.

*The study of species is known as Auto ecology The populations are featured by density, which again depends on birthrate, death rate, emigration and immigration.

POPULATIONS
The density of population depends on the availability of food, abundant the food more the density. The population density also depends on the space factor, as home range, territory and nest.

Home range refers to a large area in which the individuals restrict their activity in search of food and mate.
The territory is a smaller area in which defended activity against other members of the same species. While the nest is the ultimate dwelling or resting place.

COMMUNITIES
Ecologically the study of communities is known as synecology. The whole community containing several populations of different species is called as biota. The community is featured by the following features.
* Trophic organization *Stratification *Dominance * variety *Interaction and *Succession.

COMMUNITY- Trophic organization

Trophic organization is featured by the following features :
1. Producers : All green plants in a community are producers. By photosynthesis they convert the solar radiation in to chemical energy. 2.Primary consumers : All herbivorous animals come under this category. 3.Secondary consumers : All carnivorous animals come in this category. 4.Decomposers :They are also called as osmo trophs. Are the most efficient converters. Ex bacteria and fungi, they facilitate the return of nitrates, phosphates and co2 back to environment.

Relationship in community
* the following are the types of relationship in a community.
1. Predation: It is the relationship between the prey and predator. Ex. deer and lion and rat and snake ect.
2. Competition : this must for the survival of the species, which is of two types a).Intraspecific and b) Interspecific competition. 3. Mutualism :In this association two organisms live and obtain benefit from each other, however they can live separately also. Ex. Tick bird and Rhinoceros.

Community relationship -cont

-4. Commensalism : It is the relationship between a beneficial organism and an unaffected organism. Ex Epiphytes and Sea anemone, gastropod shell and Eupagarus. 5. Symbiosis : In this two organisms are associated and live together, however they cant survive without the other. Ex. Bacteria and leguminous plants. 6. Parasitism : It is always an association of two organisms out of which only one gets the benefit and the other one is harmed Ex. Host and parasite 7. Scavenging : they provide natural sanitation to environment. Ex. Vultures, Hyna and jaklas

Energy flow in an environment

In an ecosystem the energy flows from physical environment (solar radiation) in to biological system and gets converted in to chemical energy(Photosynthesis), sustaining the life in terms of growth and reproduction. However after the death of the living individual energy is released back to. environment. This is called as energy flow in an ecosystem. The energy flow is always unidirectional, featured by numerous food chains, which are inter connected by food web.

Food chains
There are 3 types of food chains.
1. Predator chain consisting of plants and animals. 2. Parasitic chain. Larger to smaller organisms.
3. Detritus chain. Dead matter by Micro organisms

Food webs
Many food chains existing in a community is called as food web. All these are interconnected forming a net work of species constitute the food web. Food Pyramid : Pyramid base is formed by producers (plants) and the apex is last order, the consumer.

Physical energy cycles in ecosystem

1. Carbon cycle : Atmosphere contain co2(0.04%).Producers trap it for making carbohydrates. 2. Oxygen cycle : Atmosphere contains 21% oxygen, which is utilized by animals for the release of energy through respiration. 3. Hydrogen cycle :most hydrogen is present in water which reaches plants for photosynthesis. 4.Nitrogen cycle; atmosphere contain about 78% of nitrogen, which is the chief source of proteins and nucleic acids. It is converted into nitrates.(Nitrogen fixing bacteria, blue green algae) Through ammonification, nitrification and de nitrification nitrogen is released back in to atmosphere.

Water cycle .
About 75% of earth is covered by water. Solar energy plays an important role in the evaporation of water in to clouds and as rain back to earth. Plants in the forests play an vital role in this cycle. Sedimentary cycles : Sulphur cycle : SO2 is gas, washed down by rain to become sulphuric acid, reacts with salts of soil forming sulphates. Phosphorous cycle : soil containing phosphate, will be source to plants animals

Habitats in ecosystem.
The ecosystem is the functional unit of ecosystem and there are 4 different types of ecosystems.
Terrestrial eco system (forest , desert and grasslands) Fresh ware ecosystem (river, pond and lake). Marine (ocean). Agricultural (Man made crop fields) Entire ecosystem is called Biosphere.

ENVIRONMENT ( Guardian News paper)

Ocean acidification. : 2009. Marine scientists at Copenhagen are of the opinion that seas are absorbing dangerous levels of CO2 from unchecked CO2 emissions. If this continues in the marine environment particularly corals algae and plankton become extinct by 2050. Plank tonic whales lack food and die. Dolphins find it difficult to navigate as seas become noisy(due to constant drilling and boat engineering. Brittle stars have spend more energy as maintenance of skeleton and gradually face the extinction. Clacidiscus leptophorus a tiny algae for fishes like salmon. Clown fishes will be loosing their olfactory ability towards smelling anemones which shelter them.

Environment bioremidiation.
Bioremidiation is a process that uses microorganisms, fungi, green plants or their enzymes to return to natural environment. Specific contaminants such as cholrinated hydrocarbons by bacteria cleaning up the oil spills facilitate the decomposition of crude oil by exogenon bacteria. This comes under phytoremidiation. Some heavy metals like cadbium and lead are not absorbed by plants. Transgenic plants can absorb them. Deinococcus radiolarian can digest touline and ionic mercury from radioactive nuclear wasts.