Introduction to
ECOLOGY
INSTRUCTOR: SARAH JANE G. BALABA, MSc
DEFINITION
Is the study of the relationship between
living organisms, including humans and
their physical environment; it seeks to
understand the vital connections
between plants and animals and the
world around them.
Ecology also provides information
about the benefits of the ecosystems
and hos Earth’s resources can be used
in ways that leave the environment
healthy for the future generations.
The term ecology comes from the Greek
word "oikos" meaning "house” or home
to live in.
It was coined by German scientist Ernst
Haeckel. Haeckel defined ecology as
the relationship of animals and both to
their organic and inorganic
environment.
Autecology
It deals with the study of the individual
Two subdivisions of organism, its life history, behavior,
Ecology characteristics, and its adaptation to
their environment.
Synecology
It deals with the study of groups
of organisms which are
associated as a unit in relation to
its environment.
MAJOR DIFFERENCES
ECOSYSTEM
EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED TO EVERYTHING ELSE
• Ecosystem is the
interaction between living
and non-living things in a
particular environment .
• Ecosystem is a
combination of biotic and
abiotic components
through which energy flows
and inorganic materials
recycles.
Habitat
A habitat is a natural environment where a
particular organism lives and utilizes the
resources of that place for its survival, food,
shelter, protection, and mating.
The term habitat has been derived from the
Latin word, ‘habitāre’ which means ‘to inhabit’.
The habitat of an organism is characterized by
its physical and biological characteristics.
The physical factors include the nature of the
soil, availability of land, sunlight, temperature,
and climatic conditions. The biological factors
include the availability of food and the absence
or presence of predators.
Habitat
The concept of habitat doesn’t always have to be
a place as seen in parasitic organisms where the
habitat can be the body of its host, parts of its
host body, or a single cell.
The main components of habitat include space,
shelter, food, and water. Ideal habitat would
constitute the appropriate amount of all these
components, but that might not always be the
case.
Niche
Niche is the functional role and position of a
species in its environment that describes
how the species responds to the distribution
of resources and competitors or predators.
Niche is a part of the habitat of an organism and
deals with what it does in the habitat to survive.
Niche involves the flow of energy from one
species to another, and thus it is important to
understand how a species eats or interacts with
other organisms.
symbiosis: the art of living
together
Symbiosis is a term describing any relationship or interaction between two dissimilar organisms.
The specific kind of symbiosis depends on whether either or both organisms benefit from the
relationship.
Four main symbiotic relationships:
MUTUALISM PARASITISM COMMENSALISM PREDATION
Each group will act out a symbiotic
relationship to better understand
and identify them. Search for an
example (don’t use the given
examples earlier).
GROUP 1- MUTUALISM
GROUP 2- PARASITISM
GROUP 3-COMMENSALISM
GROUP 4- PREDATION
STRUCTURE OF THE
ECOSYSTEM?
The structure of an ecosystem is
characterised by the organisation of both
biotic and abiotic components. This
includes the distribution of energy in our
environment. It also includes the climatic
conditions prevailing in that particular
environment.
Biotic Components
Abiotic Components
BIOTIC & ABIOTIC FACTORS
BIOTIC FACTORS ABIOTIC FACTORS
It is the interactive It is the interaction
relationship among physical relationship among physical
factors in the environment. factors in the environment.
e.g. Plants, Animals, Micro- e.g. Water, Sunlight, Soil and
organisms and All living Oxygen
things
ABIOTIC FACTORS
WATER
1. Water is an important ecological factor. It is an inorganic substance
which plays an important role in the ecosystem.
2. It brings about changes in the life forms of plants and animals. As
aquatic plants and animals have different structures from terrestrial form.
3. Water is very irregularly distributed on the earth's surface. It has an
important bearing on the character of the organisms that live on various
types of habitat.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF PLANTS ACCORDING TO
WATER REQUIREMENTS
Plants have different adaptations that help them survive in different condition.
Tropophytes Mesophytes Xerophytes Hydrophytes Halophytes
Plants which behave as Most of our plants bearing Plants that can tolerate where These plants thrive in places Plants thriving in a place where
mesophytes in the rainy season flowers and fruits are classified as water supply is very scanty. where the amount of water is the water available contains
and xerophytes in summer. This mesophytes. They need a abundant: usually fresh water much dissolved salts.
means that tropophytes are able moderate supply of water for plants are called hydrophytes.
to survive with little water in their subsistence
summers and in winter, they need
moderate water.
ABIOTIC FACTORS
SOIL
1. The soil is another important ecological factor. On land, the
character of the soil determines largely the character of
vegetation and the types of animals that maintain themselves
upon on it.
2. Organisms find different kinds of soil available for their
habitats.
TYPES OF SOIL
Smallest inorganic Soil which is good for Made up of very fine Inorganic soil
particle of soil agriculture and particles of soil and particles those are
compared with silt made up of particles clay, deposited as larger than a clay or
and sand. It retains of gravel sand and sediments. It is about silt. Plants do not
water before drying, clay with the 0.05 to 0.005 in grow well because
it is sticky and not addition of organic diameter. water goes rapidly
suitable for plant materials called through the spaces
growth. Water humus. between particle,
moves very slowly. and water dries
quickly.
Plants that can tolerate where
water supply is very scanty.
ABIOTIC FACTORS
SUNLIGHT
1. Light is an important physical factor. Without light, life on earth
would be impossible.
2. The process of photosynthesis on which organisms depend on the
manufacture of food, does not take place except in the presence of
light.
3. The character of the lightning of an area has a profound effect on
animals and plants that live there.
4. Certain plants will thrive in the shade, whereas others will not. This
is likewise true of animals.
ABIOTIC FACTORS
TEMPERATURE
1. Environmental temperature is an important factor because of its
effect in metabolism.
2. Temperatures in sunlight and in shade differ and influence animals
in their selection of a habitat. The effect of temperature on the
presence or absence of animals in different habitat are varied.
3. Types of animals in different body temperature: Cold Blooded
(fishes, amphibians, reptiles) and Warm Blooded (birds and
mammals)
ABIOTIC FACTORS
OXYGEN
1. Like water, oxygen (O2) is another important abiotic factor for many
living organisms.
2. Without oxygen, humans would not be able to live. Oxygen is
produced by green plants through the process of photosynthesis,
and is therefore directly linked to sunlight.
ECOSYSTEM
ABIOTIC BIOTIC
PRODUCERS CONSUMERS DECOMPOSERS
omnivore carnivore herbivore decomposers