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Ecology and Environment

Ecology :- It is the scientific study of the distributions, abundance and relations of

organisms and their interactions with the environment such as plant and animal
communities, ecosystems and plant and animal populations.
Environment :- The surroundings of organisms known as environment which comprises
of Biotic and abiotic and Heterotroph s.
Ecosystem :- The term ecosystem was proposed by a British ecologist A.G. Tansley
(1935). It is self regulating and self sustaining unit of nature where living organisms
interact with each other and their environment, I may be Natural (forest, sea), Artificial
(Garden, aquarium), Terrestrial (Forest, Grassland, Deserts ) aquatic fresh water (Ponds,
lakes, streams), or aquatic fresh water (Ponds, lakes, streams), or aquatic self water
(Marine estuaries) type.
❖ Natural ecosystem completely depends on solar radiation and Men made ecosystem
dependent on solar energy and fossil fuel both.
❖ Ecosystem is basic functional unit of ecology.
❖ Odom (1959) classified ecosystems on the basis of photosynthetic – respiration
(P/R) ratio-
(1) Stabilized system → when P/R is almost.
(2) Autotrophic system →when P/R ratio is more than.
(3) Heterotrophic system → when P/R ratio is less than one.

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Fresh water (Pond) system

Abiotic Component → The Pond Water has dissolved calcium, Nitrogen,

phosphate etc, organic substance like amino acids and hemic acids etc. Ponds water
also has dissolved oxygen and carbon di oxide. The climatic factors like light, heat,
temperate etc. influence the biotic component of a pond.

Biotic Component → Phyto planktons are the major producers in pond ecosystem
such as Alga, Pteridophytes, Angiosperms, submerged rotted plants (Hydrilla
vallisneria), Fixed loating hydrophytes (Nymphaea, Trapa, Jussiaea, Nelumbium)
water saturated soil plants (Scorpius, Typha, Ranunculi’s) etc.
❖ The Primary consumers in the pond ecosystems includes zooplankton,
crustaceans, insect larvae, secondary consumers includes fishes, frogs,
beatles etc, Tertiary consumers are large sized fishes, snakes, water birds
etc.
❖ The decomposer generally found at the bottom of the pond (Bacteria, Fungi
etc)

Marine Ecosystem
It is divided as follows:-
(1) Neritic Region → The shallow water zone on the continental shelf. The margin it
forms with the land is called littoral or Neritic i.e. zone between high and low tides.
(2) Oceanic Region → The region of the open sea having reversal zonation’s of fauna
and flora.
(3) Pelagic zone → It is euphotic i.e. where enough light can penetrates having free
floating plankton and swimmers like nekton.
(4) Abyssal zone → It is aphotic where there is no light penetration i.e. area of deep
ocean.

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Food Chains
It is mainly two types,
(i) Grazing Food chain (ii) Detritus Food chain
(1) Grazing Food chain → These are directly dependent on solar radiation as the
primary source of energy. Producers or Green plants are the first trophic level of
Food chain. These synthesize their plant biomass by the process of photosynthesis
is which kinetic energy of solar radiations is trapped in the presence of mg ions
containg green pigment chlorophyll and is converted into potential energy of
organic food. (Glucose). Herbivores or primary wnsumers constitute second trophic
level. For example. Grassland ecosystem, Forest ecosystem, Pond Ecosystem etc.
(2) Detritus Food chain → Primary source of this food chain is dead organic matter Ex:-
Magroove
Food Web → Many Food chain combined together to form food web.

Ecological Pyramids

An ecological pyramids is a geographical representation of an ecological parameter which

was developed by Charles Elton is 1927 , therefore it is also known as Etonian Pyramids.
It is of three types → Pyramid of Number, Pyramid of Biomass and pyramid of energy.
(1) Pyramid of Number → It is geographical representation of the number of Individuals
of different trophic levels in a food chain in an ecosystem.
For Example
A. In predatory food chain (Grassland, Pond) the pyramid of number is Upright, where
producers are maximum in number and primary, secondary, tertiary consumers constitute
the successive tires.
B. In a tree ecosystem (Single large tree attacked by numerous minute plant eating insects
prayed upon by fewer spiders and carnivores insects which are further prayed upon by
lesser number of small sized brids which are finally prayed upon by only a few number of
large sized birds of prey) the pyramid of number is spindle in shape.
C. In parasitic food chain pyramid of number is inverted. (One single tree is primary
producer supports large number of fruits eating birds which in trun supports large number
of parasite like lice, bugs etc.
(2) Pyramid of Biomass → A total amount of living or organic matter in an organisms
known as biomass. This pyramid is upright in terrestrial ecosystem and invented in Aquatic
ecosystem.
(3) Pyramid of Energy → It is graphical representation of amount of energy trapped per
unit time and area in a different trophic levels of food chain pyramid of energy is governed
by 10% law which was proposed by Lindeman 1942 . It is always upright.

Ecological Succession
A natural process by which different communities colonise the same area over a period of
time in a definite sequence due to variation in climatic and physiographic factor and the
activity os the species of the communities themselves.
Types → Ecological Succession is of following types:-
(1) Primary Succession → It starts from a primitive substratum, where there was no
previously any sort of living matter.
(2) Secondary Succession → It starts from previously built up substratum with already
organic matter present there. It is more rapid and stat after the existing community
disappear due to climatic factors, biotic intervention, fire etc.
(3) Autogenic Succession → When a community itself causes own replacement by another
community as result of reaction with its environment.
(4) Allogenic Succession → Replacement of existing community due to influence of any
external factor like fire, volcanic eruption etc.

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