Ecology: Definitions, Branches, and Ecosystem Types
Ecology, the study of interactions within nature, has various levels of organization from species to biosphere. It encompasses biotic and abiotic components and includes branches like autecology and synecology. Various ecosystem types, both natural (aquatic and terrestrial) and artificial, play a crucial role in understanding the relationship between living organisms and their environment.
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Presentation Transcript
OIKOLOGY OR ECOLOGY OIKOS MEANS HOME LOGOS MEANS STUDY. THE TERM ECOLOGY WAS FIRST USED BY REITER IN 1885, BY ERNST HAECKEL IN 1886. A.G.TANSLEY FIRST DESCRIBED ECOSYSTEM.
DEFINITIONS OF ECOLOGY----- 1.THE STUDY OF INTERACTION BETWEEN THE BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC COMPONENTS IN NATURE---HAECKEL. 2.STUDY OF STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF NATURE EUGENE ODUM.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ORGANISATIONS SPECIES---POPULATION--- COMMUNITY---ECOSYSTEM---- BIOSPHERE.
BRANCHES OF ECOLOGY 1.AUTECOLOGY DEALS WITH STUDY OF THE INDIVIDUAL ORGANISM OR INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 2.SYNECOLOGY---DEALS WITH STUDY OF GROUPS OF ORGANISMS WHICH ARE ASSOCIATED TOGETHER AS A UNIT.
SYNECOLOGY IS DIVIDED INTO A.AQUATIC ECOLOGY WHICH INCLUDES-- FRESHWATER ECOLOGY, ESTUARINE ECOLOGY AND MARINE ECOLOGY. B.TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY WHICH INCLUDES-- FOREST ECOLOGY, GRASSLAND ECOLOGY, CROP LAND ECOLOGY,DESERT ECOLOGY.
ECOSYSTEM LIVING ORGANISMS IN RELATION TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT TYPES OF ECOSYSTEM 1.NATURAL 2.ARTIFICIAL
NATURAL ECOSYSTEM TWO TYPES A)AQUATIC, B)TERRESTRIAL. AQUATIC-- TWO TYPES----FRESH WATER, MARINE. FRESH WATER-- CAN BE DIVIDED INTO RUNNING WATER OR LOTIC TYPE AND MARINE ECOSYSTEM INTO OCEANS,ESTUARIES .
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM INCLUDES MAINLY GRASS LAND, FOREST,DESERT ECOSYSTEMS. 2.ARTIFICIAL ECOSYSTEM------- CROP LAND,LAB ENVIRONMENT, ORCHARDS,FISH CULTURE, AQUARIUM.
COMPONENTS OF ECOSYSTEM TWO MAJOR COMPONENTS BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC ABIOTIC COMPONENTS ARE 1.CLIMATIC FACTORS 2.INORGANIC SUBSTANCES 3.ORGANIC SUBSTANCES
BIOTIC COMPONENTS THREE TYPES NAMELY 1.PRODUCERS 2.CONSUMERS 3.DECOMPOSERS. 1.PRODUCERS ALL PLANTS, PHOTOSYNTHETIC AND CHEMOSYNTHETIC BACTERIA. THEY OCCUPY FIRST POSITION IN FOOD CHAIN.
2.CONSUMERS---THEY ARE HETEROTROPHES.DIVIDED INTO MACRO-CONSUMERS AND MICRO-CONSUMERS. A.MACRO-CONSUMERS BASED ON THEIR FOOD REQUIREMENT, THEY ARE CLASSIFIED INTO PRIMARY CONSUMERS,SECONDARY, AND TERITIARY.
a)PRIMARY CONSUMERS ARE HERBIVORES.THEY OCCUPY SECOND POSITION IN FOOD CHAIN. EX COW,GRASSHOPPER, DEER, GOAT, RABBIT etc.
SECONDARY CONSUMERS THEY ARE CALLED OMNIVORES. THEY OCCUPY THIRD POSITION IN THE FOOD CHAIN. EX---FROG,DOG,CAT, MAN,BIRDS, LARGE FISH etc.
TERTIARY CONSUMERS ---THEY DEPEND UPON PRIMARY AND SECONDARY CONSUMERS. EX----SNAKES,BIRDS etc. THEY OCCUPY FOURTH POSITION IN FOOD CHAIN.
TOP CARNIVORES---THEY DEPEND ON PRIMARY,SECONDARY AND TERTIARY CONSUMERS.THEY ARE NOT KILLED OR EATEN BY OTHER ANIMALS. EX LION,LEOPARD,VULTURE,etc.
MICROCONSUMERSTHEY FEED UPON DEAD ORGANIC MATTER OF PRODUCERS AND MACROCONSUMERS.THEY ADD MINERALS TO THE SOIL.THEY ARE DECOMPOSERS. EX BACTERIA,ACTINOMYCETES, FUNGI etc.
FOOD CHAIN ALL ORGANISMS WITH SIMILAR FOOD HABITS---TROPHIC LEVEL. PLANTS ARE PRODUCERS.THEY FORM FIRST TROPHIC LEVEL.THEY ARE CONSUMED BY HERBIVORES SECOND TROPHIC LEVEL OR PRIMARY CONSUMERS.
SECONDARY CONSUMERS LIKE FROGS, FORM THIRD TROPHIC LEVEL. TERTIARY CONSUMERS LIKE HAWK,SNAKE FORM FOURTH TROPHIC LEVEL.
TYPES OF FOOD CHAINS THREE TYPES 1.GRAZING OR PREDATER FOOD CHAIN 2.DETRITUS FOOD CHAIN 3.PARASITIC FOOD CHAIN
FOOD WEB IN NATURE,FOOD CHAINS ARE NOT INDEPENDENT. THEY ARE INTERCONNECTED WITH EACHOTHER FORMING AN INTERLOCKING PATTERN, KNOWN AS FOOD WEB . IN AN ECOSYSTEM,AN ORGANISM OPERATES AT MORE THAN ONE TROPHIC LEVEL,AND OBTAINS ITS FOOD REQUIREMENTS FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES.THESE ORGANISMS INTERLINK VARIOUS FOOD CHAINS FORMING FOOD WEB.
IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO EXTEND FOOD CHAIN BECOZ,THERE IS ENERGY LOSS AT EVERY TROPHIC LEVEL. A FOOD WEB, UNLIKE A FOOD CHAIN SHOWS SEVERAL ALTERNATE PATHWAYS FOR THE FLOW OF ENERGY. IT ALSO ALLOWS THE ORGANISM TO OBTAIN FOOD FROM TWO OR MORE TYPES OF ORGANISMS OF THE LOWER TROPHIC LEVEL. FOOD WEBS ARE VERY IMPORTANT IN MAINTAINING STABILITY OF AN ECOSYSTEM.
