Introduction

It is not everyday we think of our surrounding. From the tiniest bacteria in a

forest to the largest fish in the ocean, each one plays a role for each other’s
survival. An ecosystem rich with diverse life forms. Varied upon different
places and environments. Different nature. As humans we not only share
this world with our own species but to every living thing. For we are also
part of this greater ecosystem of living beings.

Through this chapter, we try to learn the concepts of what makes our
ecosystem tick. Who eats who, where is and what is of our ecosystem.
Therefore we will study Ecology the study of ecosystems, the branch of
biology that studies the interrelation of organisms and their environment.

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 Biotic Components

The living components of an ecosystem are called the biotic components. Some of these
factors include plants, animals, as well as fungi and bacteria. These biotic components can be
further classified, based on the energy requirement source. Producers, consumers, and
decomposers are the three broad categories of biotic components.

Autothrops(Producers)

Are the plants in the ecosystem, which can generate their own energy requirement through
photosynthesis, in the presence of sunlight and chlorophyll. All other living beings are
dependent on plants for their energy requirement of food as well as oxygen.

Consumers

Include herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. The herbivores are the living

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 organisms that feed on plants. Carnivores eat other living organisms. Omnivores are animals
that can eat both plant and animal tissue.

Decomposers

Are the fungi and bacteria, which are the saprophytes. They feed on the decaying organic
matter and convert this matter into nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The saprophytes play a vital
role in recycling the nutrients so that the producers i.e. plants can use them once again.

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 Abiotic Components

Abiotic components are the physical and/or the chemical factors that act on the living
organisms at any part of their life. These are also called as the ecological factors. The physical
and chemical factors are characteristic of the environment. Light, air, soil, and nutrients, etc.
form the abiotic components of an ecosystem.

The abiotic factors vary from ecosystem to ecosystem. In an aquatic ecosystem, the abiotic
factors may include water pH, sunlight, turbidity, water depth, salinity, available nutrients
and dissolved oxygen. Similarly, abiotic factors in terrestrial ecosystems can include soil, soil
types, temperature, rain, altitude, wind, nutrients, sunlight etc.

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 Food Chain

A food chain shows the sequence of how organisms obtain their energy. It is a single-path
flow chart of what ate what. The arrows point from the source of the energy to its consumer.
It usually starts with a plant and ends with an animal. It completes the cycle by decomposers
come to clean up waste and return nutrients to soil.

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 Food Web

A food web describes the feeding relationships of organisms in an ecosystem. It shows how
a variety of food chains are interrelated to one another. It shows the big picture of feeding
relationships and energy transfers within an ecosystem.

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 Interaction in an Ecosystem

Competition

Competition is a cooperation between creatures or species where both the living

beings and species are harmed. Limited supply of at any rate one asset, (for example,
nourishment, water, and domain) utilized by both can be a factor.

Predation

It is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another
organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that
includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill the host) and
parasitoidism (which always does, eventually).

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Symbiosis

Symbiosis is an interaction characterized by two or more species living purposefully in

direct contact with each other. The term "symbiosis" includes a broad range of species
interactions but typically refers to three major types: mutualism, commensalism and
parasitism.

Mutualism

Mutualism is characterized as a connection between people of various species that

outcomes in constructive (helpful) consequences for per capita proliferation or
potentially endurance of the associating populaces.

Parasitism

In transformative science, parasitism is a connection between animal types, where one

creature, the parasite, lives on or in another life form, the host, causing it some mischief,
and is adjusted basically to along these lines of life.

Commensalism

Commensalism, in science, a connection between people of two species wherein one

animal groups gets nourishment or different advantages from the other without either
hurting or profiting the last mentioned.

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 Biomes: Terrestrial Communities

BIOMES

The largest geographic regions containing distinctive communities of organisms consisting of

plants and animals. It includes various communities and is named for the dominant type of
vegetation such as tropical rain forests, grasslands, desserts, temperate forests and tundra.

Tropical Rain Forests

Found in wet tropical uplands and lowlands around the Equator. Tropical rainforests, which
worldwide make up one of Earth’s largest biomes, are dominated by broad-leaved trees that
form a dense upper layer of foliage and contain a diverse array of vegetation and other life.

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Grasslands

Grassland biomes are made mostly of grasses. They are said to be between a forest and a desert
when it comes to rainfall. They do not receive enough rainfall to grow trees like a forest but they
contain lots of grass so they receive more rain than a desert. These are also areas where the
vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae); however, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush
(Juncaceae) families can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover,
and other herbs. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica

Deserts

Deserts cover more than one-fifth of the Earth's land area, and they are found on every
continent. A place that receives less than 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain per year is
considered a desert. Deserts are part of a wider class of regions called drylands. These areas
exist under a “moisture deficit,” which means they can frequently lose more moisture through
evaporation than they receive from annual precipitation. It often has little coverage by plants,
and in which streams dry up unless they are supplied by water from outside the area

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Temperate Forests

Temperate forest is a forest found between the tropical and boreal regions, located in
the temperate zone. Forests trees help keep the temperature mild. Temperate Forests are
divided into two categories: deciduous and coniferous forests.

Deciduous Forests

Are vegetation composed primarily of broad-leaved trees that shed all their leaves during one
season. Deciduous forest is found in three middle-latitude regions with a temperate climate
characterized by a winter season and year-round precipitation: eastern North America,
western Eurasia, and northeastern Asia. Deciduous forest also extends into more arid regions
along stream banks and around bodies of water. For the deciduous forest of tropical regions,
see monsoon forest.

Coniferous Forests

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 Coniferous forests consist mostly of conifers, trees that grow needles instead of leaves, and
cones instead of flowers. Conifers tend to be evergreen, that is, they bear needles all year
long. These adaptations help conifers survive in areas that are very cold or dry. coniferous
forest occur at various elevations in the Rocky Mountains of North America, in Central
America, and in eastern Asia. They are known as subalpine and montane forests and are
dominated by combinations of pine, spruce, and fir.

Tundra

Are treeless regions found in the Arctic and on the tops of mountains, where the climate is cold
and windy, and rainfall is scant. Tundra lands are covered with snow for much of the year, but
summer brings bursts of wildflowers. Tundra is known for large stretches of bare ground and rock
and for patchy mantles of low vegetation such as mosses, lichens, herbs, and small shrubs. This
surface supports a meagre but unique variety of animals.

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 Humanmade Ecosystems
Are artificially created ecosystems. Built for consumption through agriculture and or urban
expansion. These ecosystems usually alter the planet’s natural ecosystem through pollution and
exploitation of natural resources.

Fish Pens

Are enclosure in the water for aquaculture made of netting on a frame; it serves to keep
desired fish in and unwanted species out.

Zoos

Are artificially created enclosures for various animals in a certain establishment. Each
enclosure mimics the natural habitat of for each animal within it.

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Botanical Gardens

Are artificial ecosystem where plants are grown for display to the public and often for scientific study. It may
contain specialist plant collections such as cacti and other succulent plants, herb gardens, plants from particular
parts of the world, and so on; there may be greenhouses, shade houses, again with special collections such as
tropical plants, alpine plants, or other exotic plants. Visitor services at a botanical garden might include tours,
educational displays, art exhibitions, book rooms, open-air theatrical and musical performances, and other
entertainment.

Farms

It is an area of land and its buildings used for growing crops and rearing animals, typically under
the control of one owner or manager. It is the basic facility in food production. The name is used
for specialized units such as arable farms, vegetable farms, fruit farms, dairy, pig and poultry
farms, and land used for the production of natural fibers, biofuel and other commodities. It
includes ranches, feedlots, orchards, plantations and estates, smallholdings and hobby farms,
and includes the farmhouse and agricultural buildings as well as the land

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Artificial ponds

Are generally refer to bodies of water that are built and/or are maintained by humans rather than Mother Nature.
Artificially adapted to suit fish and aquatic plants for consumption or for pets and or leisure,

Lakes

Are generally refer to bodies of water that are built and/or are maintained by humans rather than Mother
Nature. It can also house fish pens for aquaculture. It may or may not be used in dams,

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 Philippine Endangered Species

Philippine Forest Turtle

(Siebenrockiella leytensis)

Habitat: Northern Palawan and surrounding islands

Estimated Number of Mature Individuals in the Wild: Unknown

This freshwater turtle is endemic to the Philippines, and goes by many names: the Palawan forest
turtle, the Philippine pond turtle, or the Leyte pond turtle. (The last one is a misnomer, since it’s
actually native to Palawan.) While the exact number of Philippine forest turtles in existence is
unknown, it is quite apparent that their population is declining. A significant factor in this is the
fact that they tend to be smuggled and sold illegally as pets in the Philippines and in China. Since
these creatures are easily stressed and the males of the species are highly territorial and
aggressive, they do not thrive in captivity.

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Cebu Brown Dove

(Phapitreron frontalis)

Habitat: Cebu

Estimated Number of Mature Individuals in the Wild: Possibly below 50

Due to the deterioration and destruction of its natural forest habitat, the Cebu brown dove has
been in dire straits since its identification. Apart from a possible sighting in 2004 and unconfirmed
reports from 2007 to 2012, there is not enough evidence to claim that it is Extinct. Hence, it has
been classified as Critically Endangered.

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Negros Fruit Dove

(Ptilinopus arcanus)

Habitat: Negros (and possibly Panay)

Estimated Number of Mature Individuals in the Wild: Below 50

Known only by a single female specimen collected in 1953, this endemic bird is a rare sight. When
researchers unexpectedly found threatened species from Negros on Panay, there was some hope
that the Negros fruit-dove would be found there as well.

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Cebu Flowerpecker

(Dicaeum quadricolor)

Habitat: Cebu

Estimated Number of Mature Individuals in the Wild: Between 60 to 70

Endemic to Cebu, this type of flowerpecker was rediscovered in 1992, after years of being
thought extinct. It lost much of its habitat in the 1900s due to deforestation.

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Gigante Wrinkled Ground Frog

Reflection
(Platymantis insulatus)

(Platymantis insulatus)

Habitat: South Gigante Island, Panay

Estimated Number of Mature Individuals in the Wild: Unknown

This amphibian lives on South Gigante Island near Panay, within limestone-rich rock formations
called karsts. Like the birds on this list, the primary threat to its continued survival is the loss of
its habitat.

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 Reflection

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