Ecology - Organismal, Population, and Ecosystem Interactions - PDF
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This document provides an overview of ecology, explaining how organisms interact with each other and their environment. Topics covered include organismal, population, and ecosystem ecology, and how these aspects all relate to the environment. The interactions between biotic and abiotic components are discussed, along with key concepts in this field.
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Ecology The study of the interaction of an organism(s) with the environment The environment consists of biotic and abiotic components Organismal ecology Population ecology Community ecology Ecosystem ecology Landscape ecology...
Ecology The study of the interaction of an organism(s) with the environment The environment consists of biotic and abiotic components Organismal ecology Population ecology Community ecology Ecosystem ecology Landscape ecology Global ecology Population Ecology A population is a group of individuals of the same species living in the same area Population ecology focuses on factors affecting how many individuals of a species live in an area – Most mathematically based subdiscipline of ecology Populations A species is composed of multiple populations – The populations experience different environments and genetic variations (selection, mutation, and drift) Individuals can start new populations moving to novel environments (dispersal) or join different populations (gene flow) Populations can move among different environments (migration) Dispersal The movement of individuals – One-way trip – Ecological migration is a round trip Dispersal is natural Community Ecology A community is a group of interacting populations of different species in an area Community ecology deals with the whole array of interacting species in a community Ecological Interactions Organisms and Environment Environment is composed of: – Biotic Factors – Abiotic Factors Biotic Factors Organisms interacting with other species – Interactions can be positive, negative or neutral Interactions Mutualsims (+/+) – Plant / Pollinator Commensalisms (+/0) Positive/Negative interactions – Predator/Prey – Herbivore/Plant – Parasitism Competition (-/-) Symbiosis Ecosystem Ecology An ecosystem is the community of organisms in an area and the physical factors with which they interact Ecosystem ecology emphasizes energy flow and chemical cycling among the various biotic and abiotic components – Movement of Carbon, Nitrogen and other chemicals through the ecosystem – Climate Change
