1) Levels, scope, and scale of organization of ecology.

 LEVELS OF ECOLOGY
a) Organism -
It is the lowest level of organization, which includes both unicellular and
multicellular organisms. All the living species in this level exhibits all the
characteristics required for the existence of life.

b) Population -
A population is a group of individuals of a single species living together within a
particular geographic area. They interbreed and compete with each other for
resources.

c) Community -
It refers to the several populations that interact and inhabit a common
environment and are interdependent.

d) Ecosystem -
It is a set of all living species and abiotic components existing and interacting in
a given area. There is an interaction with both living and nonliving components
of the environment.

e) Biosphere -
It is the highest level of organization. It is the global ecological system which
consists of all the living organisms and other factors which supports life.
Biosphere mainly refers to the part of the earth’s crust.

 SCOPE OF ECOLOGY
The most important object of ecology is the study and maintenance of ecological
balance and role of man in the degradation of the environment and to suggest remedies
for minimizing the effects of pollution, deforestation, population explosion, killing of
animals and many other problems.

 SCALE OF ORGANIZATION OF ECOLOGY

1. Individuals
2. Population
3. Community
4. Ecosystem
5. Landscape
6. Region
7. Biosphere
2) Relation to the Environment
 The environment is everything that makes up the surroundings and enables us to live on
earth. It includes all the physical, chemical and natural forces. Modernization and
industrialization have deteriorated the environmental conditions over the past few
years. Deforestation, air pollution, acid rain are the consequences of environmental
imbalance.

An ecosystem is a community where the living and non-living components of the

environment interact with each other. It maintains stability within the environment.
Desert, forest, coral reef, savanna, taiga, tundra are a few types of ecosystem. An
ecosystem is constantly evolving.

3) Process of ecosystem
 The four fundamental ecological processes of ecosystems are the water cycle,
biogeochemical, cycling, energy flow and community dynamics.
1. Water cycle - is the most abundant molecule on Earth. It is the only one
that can be found naturally in solid, liquid and gas and is essential to all
life on Earth. From the ability to store energy through photosynthesis to
the consumption of energy through respiration, the properties of water
provide a perfect medium for biological reactions that occur within
cells.

2. Nutrient cycles - Chemical elements that make up a living being, such as

carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, potassium, calcium, phosphorus,
sulphur and many others, are transported between living organisms and
non-living components of the planet.

3. Energy flow - Living organisms require energy to perform the basic

functions of growth, reproduction and survival. Plants are primary
producers that convert the sun's energy into chemical energy through
photosynthesis. First, the molecule of chlorophyll absorbs energy from
light and splits water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. Secondly,
carbon dioxide is converted into carbohydrates (sugars), i.e. larger
molecules composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Herbivores, as
secondary consumers, feed on the plants and derive nutrients and
energy from them. These are in turn passed on to carnivores and
decomposers. The flow of energy through living things is called a trophic
chain or food chain, and each level passed along the chain is called a
trophic level.
 4. Succession - Ecosystems are dynamic and their composition and
structure changes over time. Periodic disturbances such as fires,
hurricanes, droughts, floods, and pests occur and these can
substantially alter the grasslands, forests, marshes, mangroves and
other communities. Such events are known as disturbance regimes and
change from region to region depending on climatic conditions

4) Ecosystem Ecology
 Ecosystem ecology is the integrated study of living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic)
components of ecosystems and their interactions within an ecosystem framework. This
science examines how ecosystems work and relates this to their components such as
chemicals, bedrock, soil, plants, and animals.

Ecosystem ecology examines physical and biological structures and examines how these
ecosystem characteristics interact with each other. Ultimately, this helps us understand
how to maintain high quality water and economically viable commodity production. A
major focus of ecosystem ecology is on functional processes, ecological mechanisms
that maintain the structure and services produced by ecosystems. These include primary
productivity (production of biomass), decomposition, and trophic interactions.