Species and Community

Species

• A species is a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
• Members of a species share common characteristics and genetic makeup.
• The Maltese Falcon (Falco peregrinus) and the Maltese Rock-Centaury (Centaurium somedanum) are species that are endemic to Malta.
• Species play a critical role in maintaining biodiversity and ecological balance.
• The Maltese Falcon helps control populations of smaller birds.
• The Maltese Rock-Centaury support local plant biodiversity and attracts pollinators.

Community

• A community is a group of different species living in the same area and interacting with each other.
• Interactions include predation, competition, and symbiosis.
• A Maltese coastal community includes species like sea urchins (Paracentrotus lividus), Mediterranean parrotfish (Sparisoma cretense), and seagrass (Posidonia oceanica).
• A community is vital for maintaining ecosystem services.
• Seagrass beds provide habitat for juvenile fish.
• Sea urchins help control algae growth, maintaining balance in the ecosystem.

Population

• A population refers to a group of individuals of the same species living in a specific area at a given time.
• The Maltese Wall Lizard (Podarcis filfolensis) which thrives in the rocky coastal areas of Malta is an example of a population.
• Populations are important for genetic diversity and ecosystem health.
• The Maltese Wall Lizard helps control insect populations, which in turn supports plant growth.
• A population could refer to a group of Maltese frogs (Rana ridibunda) found in specific freshwater habitats in Malta, such as the Ghadira Nature Reserve focusing on factors like birth rates and migration.

Ecosystem

• An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with each other and their physical environment, including abiotic factors like soil, water, and climate.
• Ghadira Nature Reserve is a wetland ecosystem in Malta that contains various species like frogs, herons, and cattails, interacting within a freshwater environment.
• Ecosystems provide essential services such as water purification, soil formation, and habitat for wildlife.
• Wetlands like Ghadira act as natural filters for water and support bird migration.
• The Mediterranean scrubland ecosystem in areas like Simblija includes species like Maltese Rock-Centaury, Mediterranean tortoises, and various shrubs.

Biome

• A biome is a large geographic biotic unit characterized by the dominant forms of plant life and the climate conditions of the region.
• Malta is part of the Mediterranean biome, characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters.
• This biome supports species like olive trees and cistus shrubs, as well as animals such as the European chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon) and Mediterranean tortoises.
• The Mediterranean biome shapes the types of species found in Malta and influences agriculture and human settlements.
• It plays a role in regulating local weather patterns.

Habitat

• A habitat is the natural environment where an organism lives, including all the factors that affect it, such as climate, food availability, and shelter.
• Examples of habitats in Malta include the coastal cliffs that house species like the Maltese Falcon and the Garrigue (scrubland) that provides shelter for reptiles like the Maltese Wall Lizard.
• Habitats provide the necessary conditions for species to survive and reproduce.
• Coastal habitats are crucial for nesting birds.
• Scrubland habitats provide shelter and food for reptiles.
• Rocky shores around the cliffs of Dingli and Fomm ir-Rih are home to Mediterranean sea urchins, mussels, and various marine algae.
• In places like St. Paul’s Bay, Posidonia oceanica thrives, providing habitat and food for numerous marine species, including fish and crustaceans within seagrass beds habitats.
• Garrigue, a type of scrubland with plants like Thyme and Oregano, is home to species like lizards, Maltese wild rabbits, and Maltese honeybees.
• Maquis, a dense scrub forest found in areas like Il-Majjistral Nature and History Park, is home to species like Mediterranean Cistus and Kermes Oak.
• Areas like Buskett Gardens or Imtarfa provide agricultural lands that supports both crops (e.g., carob trees, olive groves) and wild animals like European wild boars.
• Ghadira Nature Reserve in Mellieha represents wetland habitats that support diverse bird species (e.g., Purple Heron) and aquatic plants (e.g., Cattails).

Niche (Fundamental vs Realized)

• Fundamental Niche: The full range of environmental conditions an organism can potentially occupy and utilize in the absence of competitors or predators.
• Realized Niche: The actual range of conditions an organism occupies, considering interactions with other species such as competition and predation.
• The Maltese honeybee (Apis mellifera melitensis) has a fundamental niche where it can forage across a wide variety of plants.
• The realized niche of the Maltese honeybee is limited by pesticide use and competition with non-native bees.
• Niche dynamics help maintain ecological balance.
• The realized niche of the Maltese honeybee is important for local pollination, which supports agriculture and wild plant reproduction.
• The Maltese Wall Lizard (Podarcis filfolensis) has a fundamental niche that includes rocky habitats, shrubland, and forests, where it can forage, bask, and reproduce.
• The Maltese Wall Lizard may be limited in its realized niche due to human activity, such as urbanization or predation by non-native species (e.g., rats), which reduce available habitat.
• The Maltese honeybee has a broad fundamental niche, feeding on a variety of flowers across the Maltese countryside and other regions.
• The Maltese honeybee might face a reduced realized niche due to agricultural pesticide use, limiting the variety of flowers it can safely forage from.

Energy Transmission/Loss/Recycling

• Energy transmission refers to how energy moves through an ecosystem, typically starting from the sun and passing through producers and consumers.
• Energy loss occurs at each trophic level, usually as heat.
• Recycling refers to the breakdown of dead organisms and organic matter by decomposers, which return nutrients to the ecosystem.
• In a coastal ecosystem, seagrasses capture solar energy and are consumed by herbivores like sea urchins.
• Carnivores like octopuses feed on the herbivores, but much of the energy is lost as heat.
• Energy transmission supports the functioning of ecosystems.
• Recycling ensures the continuous availability of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, crucial for plant growth.
• Decomposers like fungi and bacteria break down organic matter, which is critical in maintaining soil fertility.
• Phytoplankton and seagrass capture energy from sunlight through photosynthesis in a Maltese coastal ecosystem (e.g., near Ramla Bay).
• Herbivorous fish eat the plants, and carnivorous fish eat the herbivores.
• Energy decreases as you move up the trophic levels.
• In the food web, each step loses about 90% of the energy to heat and metabolism.
• Decomposers recycle nutrients back into the soil or water, which can be used by plants like seagrass.

Food Web/Chain

• Food Chain: A simple linear sequence of organisms through which energy flows (e.g., producer → primary consumer → secondary consumer).
• Food Web: A more complex network of interconnected food chains, showing the relationships between various organisms in an ecosystem.
• Food Chain Example: Posidonia oceanica → Sea Urchins → Mediterranean Sea Bass → Maltese Falcon.
• Food Web Example: In a Maltese coastal ecosystem, various species of fish, sea urchins, and birds are interconnected through multiple food chains, with some species acting as both predator and prey.
• Food webs and chains are important for regulating population sizes and ensuring energy is distributed efficiently throughout the ecosystem.
• Controlling sea urchin populations helps prevent overgrazing of seagrasses, maintaining biodiversity in marine ecosystems.
• A Maltese coastal food web could include various producers (like algae and seagrass), primary consumers (like herbivorous fish), secondary consumers (like predatory fish), and tertiary consumers (like Maltese Falcons or hawks).

Trophic Dynamic Model

• The Trophic Dynamic Model illustrates how energy moves through an ecosystem and is typically depicted as a pyramid.
• Energy flows from producers (e.g., plants) to primary consumers (e.g., herbivores), secondary consumers (e.g., carnivores), and so on.
• A simplified trophic pyramid might look like this: Producers (Bottom): Seagrasses, algae, phytoplankton, Primary Consumers: Herbivorous fish, sea urchins, Secondary Consumers: Carnivorous fish, octopus, Tertiary Consumers: Maltese Falcon, hawks.
• The Trophic Dynamic Model helps understand energy efficiency in ecosystems.
• It demonstrates how energy flows from the sun through plants and animals, supporting biodiversity and ecosystem stability.
• The Trophic Dynamic Model helps illustrate how energy moves through an ecosystem.
• Producers (bottom): Seagrasses, algae.
• Primary Consumers: Herbivorous fish (e.g., Mediterranean parrotfish).
• Secondary Consumers: Carnivorous fish (e.g., barracuda).
• Tertiary Consumers: Maltese Falcon or hawks.
• This model helps in understanding the efficiency of energy transfer and how human activities like overfishing or pollution can disrupt trophic dynamics by removing key species or reducing energy flow.