Introduction to Ecology

Ecosystems: Components
All things come from earth, and
to earth they all return
Menander
 Ecology and the levels of organization of matter
EcologyGreek oikos meaning home
Study of how organisms interact with one
another and their non-living environment
(biotic and abiotic components)
Studies connections in nature on the thin life
supporting membrane of air, water, and soil
Levels of Organization of Matter
Subatomic particles to universe
Subatomic particles Atoms Molecules
Protoplasm Cells Tissues Organs
Organ Systems Organisms Population
Community Ecosystem Biosphere Planet
(Earth) Solar System Galaxy Universe
Ecosystem Organization
Biosphere
Organisms
Made of cells
Eukaryotic vs Prokaryotic
Ecosystems
Species
Groups of organisms that resemble one
another in appearance, behavior, and
genetic make up
Sexual vs Asexual reproduction Communities

Production of viable offspring in nature

1.5 million named; 10-14 million likely
Populations
Genetic diversity
Populations
Communities
Ecosystems
Organisms
Biosphere
Fig. 4.2, p. 66
 Subdivisions of Ecology

1. Autecology- study of individual

organism, its life histories &
behavior to adapt to environment

2. Synecology- study of groups of

organisms that are associated
together as a unit
 Fields of Ecology
1. Population Ecology- deals with
population growth and fluctuations
2. Chemical Ecology- concern on
the use of chemicals in animal
recognition, trail making, courtship
and defense
3. Physiological Ecology-
responses of individual organisms
to temperature, moisture, light and
other environmental conditions
4. Evolutionary Ecology- natural
selection & evolution of
population
5. Behavioral Ecology- concern
on the role of imprinting and
instinct in the social life of animals
 Scientists Who Made
Contributions in Ecology
Theophrastus (300BC)- wrote about the
relations between organisms and the
environment; father of Botany
Ernst Haeckel- Father of Ecology, he
coined the word Ecology from greek word
oikos during 1869
Thomas Malthus (1766-1834)- he
pioneered on the study about populations
Charles Darwin (1809-1882)- authored
on the theory about Natural Selection
 Laws of Ecology
1. Law: Nature knows best
Principle: Balance of nature
2. Law: All forms of life are important
Principle: Diversity and Stability
3. Everything changes
Principle: Change
4. Law: Everything is connected to
everything else
Principle: Interdependence
 Laws of Ecology
5. Law: Everything goes someplace,
somewhere
Principle: Pollution and Accumulation
6. Law: Ours a finite resources
Principle: Finiteness of resources
7. Law: There is no such thing as free
lunch
Principle: Energy
8. Law: Nature is beautiful and we are
the stewards of Gods creation.
Principle: Stewardship
 Major Ecosystem Components
Abiotic Components Biotic Components
temperature, water Producers, consumers,
& moisture, light, decomposers
soil, wind or air, Plants, animals,
precipitation, bacteria/fungi
salinity, time
Biotic interactions
Sets tolerance limits with biotic
for populations and components include
communities
predation,
Some are limiting competition,
factors that symbiosis, parasitism,
structure the commensalism etc.
abundance of
populations
 Biotic Components of Ecosystems
Producers=autotroph
Source of all food
Photosynthesis Abiotic chemicals
(carbon dioxide, Heat
Solar
Heat
oxygen, nitrogen,
Consumers=heterotrop minerals)
energy

h
Heat
Aerobic respiration
Anaerobic respiration Decomposers Producers
Methane, H2S (bacteria, fungus) (plants)

Decomposers
Matter recyclers Consumers
(herbivores,
Release organic compounds Heat
carnivores)
Heat
into soil and water where they
can be used by producers
 Producers: the first trophic level
Autotrophs (self-feeders) =
organisms that capture solar energy
for photosynthesis to produce sugars
Green Plants
Cyanobacteria
Algae
Chemosynthetic bacteria use the
geothermal energy in hot springs or
deep-sea vents to produce their food
Photosynthesis: Function of Producers
1. Light Reaction- use light, produced
ATP & NADPH, release of Oxygen gas;
happens in grana
2. Dark Reactions (Calvin Cycle- use
ATP and NADPH plus the presence of
CO2 to produce sugar; happens in
stroma
 Overall Reaction
6CO2 + 12 H2O + light
energy C6H12O6 + 6O2+ 6H2O
Carbohydrate made is glucose
Water appears on both sides because 12 H 2O
molecules are required and 6 new H2O
molecules are made
Water is split as a source of electrons from
hydrogen atoms releasing O2 as a byproduct
Electrons increase potential energy when
moved from water to sugar therefore energy is
required
Consumers: organisms that consume
producers
Primary consumers = second trophic
level
Organisms that consume producers
Herbivores consume plants
Deer, grasshoppers
Secondary consumers = third
trophic level
Organisms that prey on primary
consumers
Carnivores consume meat
Consumers occur at even higher
trophic levels
Tertiary Consumers = fourth trophic level
Predators at the highest trophic level
Consume secondary consumers
Are also carnivores
Hawks, owls
Omnivores = consumers that eat both plants
and animals
Cellular Respiration Overview
Transformation of chemical energy
(organic compound) in food into
chemical energy cells can use: ATP
These reactions proceed the same way
in plants and animals. Process is
called cellular respiration
(1.glycolysis(cytoplasm); 2. Kreb
Cycle & 3. Electron Transport
(mitochondria))
Overall Reaction:
C6H12O6 + 6O2 6CO2 + 6H2O
 Detritivores and Decomposers
Organisms that consume nonliving
organic matter
Enrich soils and/or recycle nutrients found
in dead organisms
Detritivores = scavenge waste
products or dead bodies
Millipedes
Decomposers = break down leaf litter
and other non-living material
Fungi, bacteria
Enhance topsoil and recycle nutrients
 Detritivores vs Decomposers

Detritus feeders Decomposers

Bark beetle Carpenter Termite and

engraving ant carpenter
galleries ant
Long-horned work
beetle holes Dry rot fungus

Wood Mushroo
reduced m
to powder

Time progression Powder broken down by decomposers

into plant nutrients in soil

Fig. 4.15, p. 75
 Abiotic Components
1. Temperature
- affects living things in 2 ways: (1)
affects internal processes (2) affects
behavior of an organism in ecosystem
- Living things function within
temperature range of 0-50 degrees
Celcius
- Minimum temp.- lower limit of temp. in
which organisms can still function
- Maximum temperature- highest limit of
temp. in which organisms can still function
- Optimum temperature- the temp. in which
organisms functions best
 Abiotic Components
Temperature and Animals:
In terms of the ability of animals to maintain
their body temperature, they can be divided
into:
1.Homeotherm- warm-blooded- maintain
constant body temp. ex. birds & mammals
2.Poikilotherm- cold-blooded- they control
their body temperature by external means;
exs. fishes, amphibians & reptiles
3.Heterotherms- can be a homeotherm or a
poikilotherm depending on environmental
conditions; exs. bees, humming birds & bats
 Abiotic Components
Temperature and Plants:
In Cold areas:
- Plants survive by means of insulation
- Possess hairs or thick barks
Frostbite- happens when ice crystals are
formed in between cells
Physiological drought- at very low temp. roots
of plants become less permeable for water
In High Temp. Areas: (suffer from dehydration)
- Plants are impregnated with cuticle
- Cactus no longer grow leaves
 Abiotic Components
2. Water
Plants and animals must maintain a
favorable water balance.
Plant Adaptation to Water Condition:
1. Xerophytes- plants growing in arid
condition; possess succulent tissue
2. Hydrophytes- may be found submerge
or floating in water; with air spaces in
its body to float in water
3. Halophytes- plants present in marine
water; have a succulent body
 Abiotic Components
Water Balance in Animals:
Water intake- drinking water, water in
food and metabolic water
Water loss- urine, feces, perspiration
Adaptation in Arid Condition:
- Animals become nocturnal
- Tolerate dehydration and elevated
temp., like the camels (can survive 8
days without water, tolerate water loss
of 25% to 40%)
 Abiotic
3. Light
Components
- main source of energy in all ecosystem
- important during photosynthesis
- for the formation of Vit. D in animals
- 2 Ecological Characteristics of Light:
1. Shade Tolerance- ability of plants to
survive & grow in shade
2. Photoperiodism- reactions of living
organisms to changes in day length
- Ozone- protects the earth from too much
solar radiation
- Ozone Depletion- it is depleted by CFCs &
NO
 Abiotic Components
4. Soil
- formed by mechanical or
chemical weathering of
rocks plus addition of
humus
- Soil Properties:
1. Soil texture
Clay- fine particles
Sand- coarse particles
Silt- medium sized
particles
Loam- mixture of clay,
sand and silt
 Abiotic Components
2. Soil Moisture- water content of the
soil, affected by:
- texture
- amount of rainfall
- slope of the land
- underlying rock types

3. Soil Acidity- large amount of lime

makes the soil basic while large amount
of granite makes it acidic
 Abiotic Components
4. Soil Structure-
proper
arrangement of
soil particles; build
up of larger soil
structure called
peds which allows
good drainage of
water & gases
 Abiotic Components
5. Soil Color- iron is
responsible for its
reddish or brownish
color; gray color
lacks iron
6. Soil Profile
Horizon O
Horizon A
Horizon B
Horizon C
Horizon R
 Abiotic Components
5. Wind or Air
- It is an agent pollination and seed
dispersal
- Transpiration in plants proceeds
faster because of wind
- Evaporation in animals proceeds
faster in the presence of wind
- Very strong winds results to
destruction of nature
 Abiotic Components
6. Time
- an ecosystem does not only exist in space
but also in time
- the following processes are affected by time:
1. food hunting and gathering- starving
predator subjected to reduction in searching
time for prey will lead to catastrophic results
2. reproduction & finding mate- organisms
whose reproductive cycle is short needs to find
a mate the fastest possible time
3. locomotion- the speed of motion of an
organism determines the distance it can travel
in a unit time
Limiting Factors on Land & in H2O

Terrestrial Aquatic/Marine
Sunlight Light penetration
Temperature Water clarity

Precipitation Water currents

Soil nutrients Dissolved nutrient
Fire frequency concentrations
Esp. N, P, Fe
Wind
Dissolved Oxygen
Latitude concentration
Altitude Salinity