Introduction and

Scope of Ecology
Ecology
The study of the
relationships of living
organisms with one another
and with their environment.
The word ecology comes
from the Greek words oikos
and logos, and literally means
"study of the home."
 Levels of
Ecological
Organization
1. Organism
 It is the lowest level of
organization in an ecosystem.
 An organism or individual is a
single organism, plant, animal, or
microorganism, such as bacteria
and fungi, capable of independent
existence, functioning
independently, and can reproduce.
 Thus, an individual is the smallest
component of the ecosystem and
its building block.
 organisms can be classified into
two types: eukaryotes and
prokaryotes
Eukaryotic Cell Prokaryotic Cell
Organisms can also be classified according to how they acquire
energy.

Autotrophs Heterotrophs
“self feeders” “other feeders”
2. Population
 A population is a group of similar
individuals, usually of a given
species occupying a particular
habitat at a particular time.
 This group consists of organisms
that feed and move together
and interbreed among
themselves to reproduce.
 It is the second smallest of all
the levels of organization in an
ecosystem.
 Populations can vary in size.
3. Community
 includes populations of different
species living together and
sharing the same habitat in a
given area.
 Various factors determine the
characteristics of a community.
They are its role in the
ecosystem, the range of its
various populations, the
geographic area where it resides,
the diversity of the species, and
the interactions between various
populations.
4. Ecosystem
 The term ‘ecosystem’ was
introduced by A.G. Tansley in
1935.
 It is a functional unit of nature
consisting of more than a
community of living organisms and
their interaction with non-living
ones.
 Ecosystems can vary in size based
on the scope of the study.
 two types of ecosystems in nature
such as terrestrial and aquatic.
Components of Ecosystem
1. Biotic
 The living components of an
ecosystem.

Classification of Biotic Components

based on the energy requirement source
 Producers
 Consumers
 Decomposers
2. Abiotic
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.
o In an aquatic ecosystem, the abiotic factors may include water
pH, sunlight, turbidity, water depth, salinity, available nutrients
and dissolved oxygen.
o In terrestrial ecosystems can include soil, soil
types, temperature, rain, altitude, wind, nutrients, sunlight etc.
 Limiting Factors
Abiotic Factors
involve the physical and chemical characteristics
of the environment. Some of these factors include:
amounts of sunlight, annual rainfall, available
nutrients, oxygen levels and temperature.
Biotic Factors
involve interactions between different populations,
such as competition for food and habitat.
5. Biosphere
is the region of the earth that
encompasses all living organisms:
plants, animals and bacteria.
it is a feature that distinguishes
the earth from the other planets
in the solar system. "Bio" means
life.
the term biosphere was first
coined by a Russian scientist
(Vladimir Vernadsky) in the
1920s.
The biosphere can be divided into relatively large
regions called biomes.
A biome has a distinct climate and certain living
organisms (especially vegetation) characteristic to the
region and may contain many ecosystems.
The major types of biomes
include: aquatic, desert, forest, grassland and tundra.
 Three Factors that Sustain Life on Earth
1.The one-way flow of solar energy into the earth's systems. As radiant
energy, it is used by plants for food production. As heat, it warms the
planet and powers the weather system. Eventually, the energy is lost
into space in the form of infrared radiation. Most of the energy
needed to cycle matter through earth's systems comes from the sun.

2.The cycling of matter. Because there are only finite amounts of

nutrients available on the earth, they must be recycled in order to
ensure the continued existence of living organisms.

3.The force of gravity. This allows the earth to maintain the

atmosphere encompassing its surface and provides the driving force for
the downward movement of materials in processes involving the cycling
of matter.
Thank You for Listening and
Participating