Ecology

Ecology is the study of the interaction between organisms and their environment.

Term Definition

Biodiversity The variety of different species present in the community of an ecosystem

Regions of the planet which are characterised by their climate and

Biome
contains distinctive communities of plants and animals

Community All the organisms present in an ecosystem

All the organisms living in a particular area and the non-living

Ecosystem
components that the organisms interact with

Habitat The place where an organism lives

Population All the organisms of one species found in a particular area

A group of organisms capable of breeding with each other to produce

Species
fertile offspring

Feeding relationships in ecosystems

All organisms require an energy supply for cell activities such as growth and cell division.
Organisms release energy from their food by the process of respiration. In most ecosystems on
the planet the ultimate source of energy is the sun.
Producers make their own food using light energy from the sun. Green plants produce their own
food by carrying out photosynthesis using light energy from the sun. Consumers cannot make
their own food and obtain their energy by eating other organisms.

The feeding relationships that exist in an ecosystem can be shown

by a food chain.

The arrows represent the flow of energy and mean 'gets eaten by'.
The feeding relationships in most ecosystems are more complicated
than simple food chains. Producers are consumed by a range of
 different animals and these primary consumers may be eaten
by a range of different secondary consumers.
The various interconnecting food chains in an ecosystem
make up the food web.
The diagram below is an example of part of a food web in a
Scottish loch.

Impact of the addition or removal of a species

If one species is lost from a food web all the others are affected. In the food web above, if the
mosquito larvae were removed the ducks will have less food and the floating algae will be eaten
less. So the duck population is likely to decrease and the floating algae population may increase.
Other populations will also be affected. For instance, the water flea population might be expected
to increase as there will be more floating algae to eat. The snails do not appear to have any
connection to the mosquito larvae, and yet their population may decrease if the hungry ducks eat
more of them.

Biomes
The area of the Earth and its atmosphere where living organisms
are found is called the biosphere. The biosphere can be divided
into large areas called biomes that are characterised by their
climate and contain distinctive communities of plants and animals.
Terrestrial biomes are found on the land and aquatic biomes
include freshwater and marine environments.
The map beside shows the Earth’s major terrestrial biomes.

Abiotic factors
Abiotic factors are non-living environmental factors that can affect the organisms in ecosystems.
Examples of abiotic factors are:
● light intensity
● soil moisture level
● soil pH
● temperature
The values of the abiotic factors in an ecosystem affect the variety of different species that are
found. This is because the individuals in each species are adapted to particular environmental
conditions.

Measuring abiotic factors

Light intensity
Light meters can be used to measure light intensity. The meter is held at the soil surface and
pointed in the direction of the maximum light intensity and the meter is read.
Errors can be made when measuring light intensity by accidentally shading the light meter. The
reliability of the results can be checked by taking many readings and obtaining an average.

Measuring the pH and moisture of the soil

Soil moisture and soil pH meters are used by simply pushing the probe into the soil and reading
the meter.
Errors can be made when measuring abiotic factors when the soil moisture or pH meter probes
are not cleaned between readings. The reliability of the results can be checked by taking many
readings and obtaining an average.
Measuring temperature
The temperature of the air can be measured with a thermometer.
The temperature of the soil can be measured with a temperature probe.

Biotic factors
Biotic factors are interactions associated with living organisms.
Examples of biotic factors are:
● food availability
● competition for environmental resources
● grazing
● predation
● disease
Competition in ecosystems
The competition will occur between organisms in an ecosystem when both try to use the same
resource and the resource is in limited supply.
Animals compete for food, water and space to live.
Plants compete for light, water, minerals and root space.

Redwood trees competing for light

The extreme height to which redwood trees grow is a consequence of competition for light.

Using sampling techniques

Sampling plants
It is impossible to count all the plants in a habitat, so a sample is taken. A technique that is often
used to sample plants is a quadrat. It marks off an exact area so that the plants in that area can be
identified and counted. The number of plants counted in a sample of areas can be multiplied up
to give an estimate of how many of that plant type are in the whole habitat.

About quadrats:
● Quadrats should be placed randomly so that a
representative sample is taken.
● Many quadrats should be placed so that a
representative sample is taken.
● Quadrats may also be used for slow moving
animals such as snails/slugs.
Sampling animals
It is impossible to find and count all the animals in an area. You can get an idea of the variety and
number by taking a sample. Pitfall traps are often used to sample the small invertebrates living
on the ground. You are likely to trap beetles and other insects, as well as spiders and slugs.

Setting up pitfall traps:

● The top of the container should be level
with the soil surface.
● Cover the trap with a stone or piece of
wood to keep out the rain, to make it dark and
to stop birds eating your catch.
● The traps must be checked often to
avoid the animals escaping or being eaten
before they are counted.
● As with most methods a large number
of traps makes results more reliable and
minimises the effects of unusual results.
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