Ecology Fundamentals

Ecology

Definition and Scope

• Study of the relationships between living organisms (biotic factors) and their environment (abiotic factors)
• Examines the interactions between organisms and their environment, and how these interactions affect the distribution, behavior, and abundance of species

Key Concepts

• Ecosystem: A community of living and non-living components (biotic and abiotic factors) interacting with each other
• Biodiversity: The variety of different species of plants, animals, and microorganisms that live in an ecosystem
• Ecological niche: The unique role and position of a species within an ecosystem
• Food web: A network of food chains that show the feeding relationships between species in an ecosystem
• Ecological succession: The process of change in the species composition of an ecosystem over time

Levels of Organization

• Organism: An individual living thing (e.g., plant, animal, fungus)
• Population: A group of individuals of the same species living in a specific area
• Community: A group of different species living in a specific area
• Ecosystem: A community of living and non-living components interacting with each other
• Landscape: A larger geographic area containing multiple ecosystems
• Biosphere: The global sum of all ecosystems on Earth

Ecological Principles

• Energy flow: Energy is lost as it moves through an ecosystem, from producers to top predators
• Nutrient cycling: Nutrients are reused and recycled within an ecosystem
• Interactions: Species interact with each other and their environment through competition, predation, symbiosis, and mutualism
• Adaptation: Species adapt to their environment through natural selection and genetic variation

Test your understanding of ecology, including the definition and scope of ecology, key concepts, levels of organization, and ecological principles. Learn about ecosystems, biodiversity, ecological niches, and more.