ECOLOGY

BIO 510
lecture 1

thorough
understanding of
Ecological Concepts
is essential for
making sound
Environmental
Decisions

Ecology
Is an enormously complex and exciting
area of biology
Reveals the richness of the biosphere

Slow loris

Proboscis monkey

Stick insect

Leaf insect

Rafflesia

Pitcher plants

Ecology Defined
Greek Word oikos household a place
to live organisms and their environment.
Many definitions have been given
[(1971, Odum Ehrlich & Roughgarden,
1987, Smith (1996)] has listed 10 in
text.
Smith (1996) study of the structure &
function of nature.
Study of the factors that affect the
distribution
and
abundance
of
organisms in their natural habitat.

Ecology Defined
Ecology - Economics of nature some
economics concepts resource allocation,
cost benefit ratios and optimization
theory are utilized in ecology
Scientific study of the relationship
(interactions) between organism &
their environment (Environment:
Physical & biological components) which
determine both the distribution and
abundance of organism.

Kangaroos/km2
> 20
1020
510

Climate in northern Australia

is hot and wet, with seasonal
drought.

15
0.11

Red kangaroos
occur in most
semiarid and arid
regions of the
interior, where
precipitation is
relatively low and
variable from
year to year.

< 0.1
Limits of
distribution

Southeastern Australia
has a wet, cool climate.
Southern Australia has
cool, moist winters and
warm, dry summers.

Tasmania

Distribution &
Abundance:
What Factors

Ecological hierarchy
Species
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biosphere

Hierarchy in Ecosystems

(cont..)

Species organisms that can

interbreed and produce viable
offsprings
Population group of individuals of
same species in a given/occupy area
Community populations of
different species living/interacting
together within an ecosystem
Ecosystem the flow of energy and
the recycling of nutrients between
the biotic and the abiotic component

(cont..)

Hierarchy in Ecosystems

All ecosystems combine to form the

Biosphere or the the living part of the
earth
The self sustaining biosphere where all
organisms are linked is referred to as the
Gaia Hypothesis
It is an ecological hypothesis that
proposes that living and nonliving
parts of the earth are viewed as a
complex interacting system that can
be thought of as a single organism

Cell to
Ecosphere
Hierarchy

Biosphere

Ecosystems

Populations

Organisms

Communities

Ecologys History
Theophrastus, an ancient Greek scholar
Early plant geographers,
Carl Ludwig Willdenow (1765-1812)
Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859)
Johannes Warming (1841-1924)
Wrote the 1st text on plant ecology, Plantesamfund

Natural history, Charles Darwin

Population genetics, Gregor Mendel

Animal ecology
Marine biologist

Two basic components interacting

under ecology
Abiotic
components (nonliving/physicalatmosphere, soil,
mineral, water,
climate)
physical and
chemical conditions

Biotic components
(living componentsplant/animal
interactions)

predation,
competition,
mutualism,
commensalism,
parasitism,
Parasitoidism
Disease

Energy and nutrients move within and

between the biotic and abiotic components

Subfields of Ecology
Organismal ecology
Studies how an organisms structure,
physiology, and (for animals) behavior meet
the challenges posed by the environment

(a) Organismal ecology. How do humpback whales select their calving

areas?

 Population ecology
Concentrates mainly on factors that
affect how many individuals of a
particular species live in an area

(b)

Population ecology.
What environmental
factors affect the
reproductive rate of
deer mice?

 Community ecology
Deals with the whole array of
interacting species in a community

(c) Community ecology.

What factors influence
the diversity of species
that make up a
particular forest?

 Ecosystem ecology
Emphasizes energy flow and chemical
cycling among the various biotic and
abiotic components

(d) Ecosystem ecology. What

factors control
photosynthetic
productivity in a temperate
grassland ecosystem?

 Landscape ecology
Deals with arrays of ecosystems and how
they are arranged in a geographic region

(e) Landscape ecology. To what extent do the trees lining the drainage channels in

this landscape serve as corridors of dispersal for forest animals?

What is the Difference between Ecology

and Environmental Science?
Ecology factors that affect the
distribution and abundance of organisms
(biotic and abiotic interactions)
Human population has exploited the earths
resources and has cause changes to the earths
climate. These problems are ecological in nature
To address these issues and to mitigate
their impacts requires an interdisciplinary
approach history, social, legal, political and
ethical this broader framework is called
Environmental Science

The Human Factor

The growing population of
humans have given a huge
impact to the environment i.e
pollution cases, poverty,
industrial and economical effect
Ecologists have to focus on the
precautionary principle which
states
humans need to be concerned
with how their actions affect

Ecology: An Experimental
Science
Goals of ecology
To understand patterns & processes
related to life on earth (plant and animal
interactions and adaptation to their
abiotic environment)
What are the factors that affect
distribution and abundance of
organisms in natural systems.
All the above involves Collection of
Data and testing of Hypotheses
(plural) (Hypothesis singular)