BIO1102 -

Introduction to Basic Concept of

Ecology

Calvin R. Bernard
26 January 2016
Overview
• What is ecology?
• Why study ecology?
• Important terms in ecology
• Levels of study in ecology
• Ecology as a systems study
Ecology
The scientific study of the distribution, abundance
and dynamics of organisms, their interactions with
other organisms and with their physical
environment.

(British Ecological Society)

Why should we study ecology?
Ecological terms
• Species/Organism • Habitat
• Population • Niche
• Community • Interactions
• Ecosystem
• Biome
• Biosphere
Species
• A group of organisms with shared genes,
capable of sexual reproduction to produce
fertile offspring.
▫ Native – Naturally occurring
▫ Alien – Introduced by human influence
▫ Invasive – Alien which tends to displace natives
Population
• Members of one species living in a defined area
but in separate territories.
▫ A quantitative measure
▫ Colonies are related – a group of organism living
closely together
 Reduced territoriality
 A subset of a population
Community
• Populations of species living in a defined area
(habitat/ecosystem) and interacting in various
ways.
▫ May be defined based on taxon, habitat or
ecosystem
Ecosystem
• A biological community interacting with
the abiotic components of its habitat.
▫ Note that the habitat sets the physical
parameters of the system
Biome
• A collection of interacting ecosystems
defined on broad biophysical
characteristics. E.g.,
▫ Tundra – Cold, dry, windy, treeless,
alpine, snow-covered; Mountain
goats, sheep, marmots, birds, low-
lying plants and insects (National
Geographic)
▫ Forests - more than 0.5 hectares with
trees higher than 5 meters and a
canopy cover of more than 10 percent
(FAO, 2010 )
Biosphere
• The collection of all biomes
▫ The zone of life
▫ Earth
Habitat
• The area in an ecosystem defined by
physical and chemical characteristics
suitable for supporting the life of a
species.
▫ Micro-habitats - small areas within the
habitat
Ecological Niche
• The functional position of an organism within the
ecosystem.
▫ What the organism does in the ecosystem.
• The sum total of all the resources used by, and the
biotic and abiotic conditions suffered by, a species. –
British Ecological society
Ecological interactions
• The range of ways in which individuals (same and
different species), colonies and populations interact
with each other
▫ Predation – one feeds on another
▫ Competition – two or more accessing the same
resource
▫ Parasitism – one benefits by living and feeding on
another that is harmed
▫ Mutualism – two relating and the both benefit
▫ Commensalism – two relating, one benefits while the
other is neither benefits nor is harmed
Levels of study in Ecology
• In practice ecological studies occur at one of four
levels
▫ Organism
▫ Populations
▫ Communities
▫ Ecosystems
• The division between levels is not sharp
Ecology as systems study
• Ecology is the study of eco-SYSTEMS
• Systems consist of two things
▫ Components – the „tangible‟ or „physical‟
▫ Processes – the means by which components
interact
• Systems are defined by boundaries
Ecosystem components
Ecosystem Processes
Eco-system boundaries
• Ecosystem boundaries are set based on biophysical
limits but are not solid/absolute.

• We may also consider conceptual boundaries within

ecosystems
BIO1102 - Structure and function of
ecosystem

Calvin R. Bernard
Ecosystem structure
• All ecosystems have structure – both macro and micro
Ecosystem structure
• All components of the ecosystem interact with others.
They change and are changed by each other.
▫ Even the „inert‟ gases
• The structure of the ecosystem is determined by the
ways in which its components interact
▫ True from atomic level to biological communities and macro
physical components
Ecosystem structure - Organism
Organisms are
shaped
morphologically,
physiologically and
behaviourally by
their interactions
with each other and
with the physical
environment
Ecosystem structure:Population/Community
Ecosystem structure - Trophic
Ecological term – Ecological Succession
• The progressive replacement of one dominant type
of species or community by another in an
ecosystem until a stable climax community is
established. ~ Biology Online

• Predictable and orderly changes in the composition

or structure of an ecological community. ~ Science
Daily
Primary succession
Secondary succession
Ecosystem function
• The fundamental function of an ecosystem is the
support of life
▫ Biological diversity (Genes-Species-Ecosystems)
▫ Ecological stability
 Dependent on diversity
 Low diversity + High dominance = Low stability + High
productivity
 High diversity + Low dominance = High stability + Low
productivity
Categories of Ecosystem function
• Regulating Functions
▫ Maintenance of essential ecological processes and life
support systems.
• Supporting Functions
▫ Providing habitat (suitable living space) for wild plant and
animal species at local and regional scales.
• Provisioning Functions
▫ Provision of natural resources.
• Cultural Functions
▫ Providing life fulfilment opportunities and cognitive
development through exposure to life processes and natural
systems.
http://www.ecosystemservicesseq.com.au/ecosystem-functions.html
BIO1102: Population ecology

Calvin R. Bernard
Overview
• Population dynamics
• Basic population parameters
• Understanding population growth
▫ Biotic potential and population growth
▫ Environmental resistance and population growth
Population dynamics
• Populations are dynamic in size, density and
composition. Both predictable and unpredictable
changes occur over time.

• When we study populations we generally refer to

their demographics. This requires mathematical and
statistical computations
Basic population parameters
• Population size (Abundance)
▫ The amount of individuals (or biomass) in the population
• Population density
▫ The amount of individuals in a defined area
• Population composition
▫ Age and Sex ratios
• Population growth
▫ Changes in population size
• Population growth rate
▫ Rate of change in population size
Understanding population growth
• Factors influencing population growth
▫ Births (Natality) +ve
▫ Deaths (Mortality) -ve
▫ Migration (usually negligible)
 Immigration +ve
 Emigration –ve
• Growth is dependent on interactions between Biotic
potential and Environmental resistance
• Growth = (births-deaths) + (immigration-
emigration)
Biotic potential and population growth
• What is Biotic potential?
▫ The ability of a population to grow where there are no
limits
• Factors affecting biotic potential
▫ Age of first reproduction
▫ Frequency of reproduction
▫ Average number of offspring produced each time
▫ Length of reproductive lifespan
▫ Death of individuals under ideal conditions
Environmental resistance
• Charles Darwin quote
▫ “There is no exception to the rule that every organic
being naturally increases at so high a rate, that, if not
destroyed, the earth would soon be covered by the
progeny of a single pair.”
• Essentially all population growth is limited by
environmental resistance
▫ Resources are not limitless
▫ Reproductive units do not exist alone
• Ecosystems have a set carrying capacity for a species
The S-shaped curve
Factors of environmental resistance
• Density-independent
▫ Weather/Seasons
▫ Natural disasters
▫ Climate
▫ Anthropogenic factors
• Density-dependent
▫ Food
▫ Space
▫ Species interactions – Intra- and Inter- specific
 Competition
 Predator prey
 Parasitism and diseases (fungi, bacteria and protista)
▫ Diseases
Odd case of the North American Lemming
Boom and bust population growth
Population crash
When population size far
exceeds the oscillation
peaks about the carrying
capacity they can crash
Three patterns of survivorship
J-Shaped curve (biotic potential)
Doubling Time
•The time it takes for the
population size to double
at its current rate of growth

•Calculated by dividing
constant (0.693) by growth
rate
Effects of varying age of sexual maturity
Effects of death rates
Predator prey relationship
The disease of the varying hare