What is Ecology?

Ecology is a science
 Scientific study of the relationship between
organisms and their environment.
 Environtment :physical and biological
condition
 Relationship include interactions
Ecology has strong ties to other
sciences
It overlaps with many elements of physical and
biological sciences

GENETICS HYDROLOGY

PHYSIOLOGY ATMOSPHERIC
ECOLOGY STUDIES

GEOLOGY
BIOCHEMISTRY
BEHAVIOR
The Major unit of Ecology is the ecosystem
 A system is collection of relation parts that function
as a unit.
 Ecosystem consist two basic interactiing
component, biotic and abiotic.
 Each organism not only respond to the physical
environment but also modifies it, becoming part of
environment itself.
 To study Ecology involves…
 For non-living  For living
(abiotic) (biotic)
 Climatology  animal
 Hydrology behavior
 Oceanography  Taxonomy

 Physics  Physiology

 Chemistry  mathematics

 Geology (population
studies)
 soil analysis, etc.
 etc.
Ecology…
 views each locale as an integrated
whole of interdependent parts that
function as a unit.

caribou
tundra
The interdependent parts are…
  Nonliving
 dead organic
matter
 nutrients in the
soil and water.
 Producers
Tundra  green plants
  Consumers
 herbivores and
carnivores
 Decomposers
 fungi and
bacteria
Tundra

Caribou
ECOLOGY:
Levels of Organization

- a hierarchy of organization
in the environment
Levels of organization - Terms
 Biosphere
 Surface of the earth
 Composed of many ecosystems
 Ecosystem
 Large or small as we decide
 Backyard, O’Melveney Park, Hedge along Room
110, etc.
 Levels of organization - Terms

 Population – one species live in one place at one time

 Community – All populations (diff. species) that live
in a particular area.
Levels of organization - Terms

 Habitat – physical location of community

 Organism – simplest level of organization
 Very complex
 Can contain 100’s to 1000’s of interacting
species.
Ecology use scientific methods
 The first approach migh be field study
 The ecologist examine the correlation
availabel nitrogen and a grassland
productivity
 May choose to do a field experiment or
 A series of laboratory experiment
 Experiments can lead to predictions
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