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Topic 8 Introduction To Ecology

Ecology is the science that studies living organisms and their interactions with their environment. It is a holistic and interdisciplinary field that integrates various areas of biology and requires knowledge from other sciences. Ecologists use the scientific method to make observations, form hypotheses, perform experiments to test hypotheses, and draw conclusions. A key part of ecology is studying the environment, which consists of biotic factors like living organisms and abiotic factors such as climate, soil, water, atmosphere, and solar energy. Biotic factors include producers, consumers, and decomposers, while abiotic factors are non-living physical and chemical conditions that affect organisms.

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59 views

Topic 8 Introduction To Ecology

Ecology is the science that studies living organisms and their interactions with their environment. It is a holistic and interdisciplinary field that integrates various areas of biology and requires knowledge from other sciences. Ecologists use the scientific method to make observations, form hypotheses, perform experiments to test hypotheses, and draw conclusions. A key part of ecology is studying the environment, which consists of biotic factors like living organisms and abiotic factors such as climate, soil, water, atmosphere, and solar energy. Biotic factors include producers, consumers, and decomposers, while abiotic factors are non-living physical and chemical conditions that affect organisms.

Uploaded by

Juan Carlo Ozorio
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Topic 8 Introduction to

ecology
Professor: Misael Gómez Mondragón
Introduction
• Ecology is the science that studies
living beings and their relationship
with the environment, meaning,
with their habitat. It comes from
the Greek words oikos (house) and
logos (study), or, the study of our
home.
Ecology, a multidisciplinary science

• García (2011) defines ecology as


a holistic and interdisciplinary science. It is holistic "because it
integrates all branches of biology, such as botany, zoology,
physiology, anatomy, microbiology, genetics, among others; and
interdisciplinary, since it requires other sciences, such as physics,
chemistry, mathematics, geography, and economics, to complement
its studies and objectives."
Ecology is the science that studies the levels of
organization of greater complexity of living beings
Method of Study

• All scientists base their investigation on research questions. For ecology, this is
no different; this science uses the scientific method that can be summarized in
three main steps:

1. Observe and measure phenomena or characterization: perform observations


using the senses, define and measure the phenomena being studied.
2. Form Hypothesis: theoretical, hypothetical explanations of observations and
measurements of the subject of study or phenomenon.
3. Experiment: tests the predictions done by the hypothesis in order to prove it
right or wrong.
4. Make Conclusions: if the hypothesis was proved correct, then it turns into a
theory or scientific knowledge. If wrong a new hypothesis needs to be formed or
more observations, measurements and experiments need to be performed.
8.3 Environment

• The environment is the global system consisting of natural and


artificial elements of physical, biological, chemical and
sociocultural nature, constantly modified by human or nature
action, and that governs the existence and development of life.
Biotic and abiotic factors

• Biotic factors are any living components in an ecosystem that


affect organisms in relationships like competition,
commensalism, parasitism predation, and mutualism. All living
organisms found in the environment and having any kind of
exchange with other are included in the biotic factors, for
example: plants, animals, fungi, protozoa, and bacteria.
• All living organisms can be classified according their energy
pathways as follows:
• Autotrophs: those that produce their own food (plants,
algae), also called producers.
• Heterotrophs: they are also called "consumers", as they
do not have the ability to produce their own food and
therefore "consume" those who do or “producers”. This
group includes animals and fungi.
• Decomposers are those that destroy other organisms that
were once alive and return chemical elements to the soil
(fungi and bacteria). This is a special kind of heterotrophs.
• Abiotic factors refer to the physical and chemical conditions in the environment, such as
climate, temperature, salinity of water, minerals in the soil.

• Carbon dioxide: This chemical substance is the basis of photosynthesis, and, therefore, the
primary food source for photosynthetic organisms. In the food chain, this element is converted
into organic carbon, which is an energy reserve for consumers.
• Soil: This is the main source of raw materials that provide for the photosynthetic process and
the basis of food production for the rest of the environment. Soil is affected by a lot of factors,
such as temperature, rainfall, climate and the action of living organisms (such as animals,
plants, bacteria and fungi); this is what makes the soil to constantly change and, therefore, also
changes the ecosystem in which it is located.
• Water: It is necessary for all chemical elements to move across the ecosystem in a perennial
cycle of nutrition and decomposition. Water is vital for the survival of all living beings on the
planet.
• Atmosphere: This is the gaseous layer (nitrogen, oxygen,
water vapor, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and other gases)
surrounding the Earth’s crust. The atmosphere is important
not only because oxygen is necessary for the survival of
living beings, but because multiple phenomena occur in it,
which are necessary for life, such as the exchange of air
masses, responsible for temperature changes; rainfall,
which is essential part of the water cycle on Earth;
and atmospheric circulation that causes surface
circulation patterns in the oceans.
• Solar Energy: The energy that Earth receives from the Sun,
in the form of ultraviolet light, heat and visible light. It is the
main source of energy on Earth and precursor of
the photosynthetic process.

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