iACADEMY Principles of Ecology PDF

iACADEMY The premier school for tech and design Module 1: INTRODUCTION TO PRINCIPLES OF ECOLOGY TOPICS IN THIS MODULE The Science of Ecology The Importance and Flow of Energy The Ecosystem, Organisms and the Environment Food Chains and Food Webs Community Interactions Impor...

iACADEMY The premier school for tech and design Module 1: INTRODUCTION TO PRINCIPLES OF ECOLOGY TOPICS IN THIS MODULE The Science of Ecology The Importance and Flow of Energy The Ecosystem, Organisms and the Environment Food Chains and Food Webs Community Interactions Importance of Biodiversity The Impact of Human Activities on Ecosystems THE SCIENCE OF ECOLOGY The term “Ecology” was coined in 1866 by German biologist Ernst Haeckel from Greek “oikos” which means “household” and “logos” which means “knowledge.” The study of household of nature. Ecology is the branch of science that studies the distribution and abundance of living organisms, and the interaction between organisms and their environment. The environment of an organism includes both its physical habitat, which can be described as the sum of local abiotic factors, as well as the other organisms which share its habitat. It is a major branch of biology, but has areas of overlap with geography, geology, climatology, environmental science, and other sciences. THE IMPORTANCE OF ENERGY Energy is defined as the ability move things, do work, or transfer heat, and comes in various forms, including light, heat, and electricity. Energy flow is governed by two laws: First Law of Thermodynamics/The Law of Conservation of Energy: States that energy may change from one form to another, but the total amount of energy will remain constant. Simply, energy is neither created nor destroyed, it just changes form. Second Law of Thermodynamics: States that when energy transforms from one form to another, some part of it is lost as heat to the surroundings. Thus, the energy at one level is never completely transferred to the other. THE IMPORTANCE OF ENERGY The Sun is our source of energy. It provides direct and indirect energy to all life on Earth. Energy flow is the phenomenon that is responsible to sustain life on this planet. All the biotic components in this ecosystem need energy for their survival. If the energy flow in an ecosystem is disturbed, then it leads to ecological imbalance. When humans use non-renewable resources (such as oil) they are converting them into less-useful energy. When those energy sources are depleted, they are gone. Use of these energy sources often also releases different elements back into the environment. ORGANISMS AND THE ENVIRONMENT Organisms are individual living things that have the same basic needs: energy and matter. These must be obtained from the environment. Organisms interactions may be competitive or beneficial. Two types of factors in an environment: i. Abiotic – nonliving aspects of the environment. They include factors such as sunlight, soil, temperature, and water. ii. Biotic - living aspects of the environment. They consist of other organisms, whether members of the same or different species. LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION Species – Closely related organisms which can interbreed to produce fertile young offsprings. Ex. Mouse Population – A group of organisms of the same species living in a particular area. Ex. A group of mice Community – An assemblage of all the living organisms of different species living in a particular area. Ex. Ecosystem – The basic functional unit of nature, including the different communities and the non-living environment in an area. It is a unit of space in which all biotic and abiotic factors interact in a balanced manner so that energy flow is maintained. Biome – A collection of similar ecosystems extending over a large natural area. Biosphere – Part of the Earth and its atmosphere inhabited by organisms. These are all the biomes combined together. Habitat – The place in which an organism lives. It is the place in which the organism feeds and breeds. Ecological Niche – The role played by an organism in an ecosystem. It is the way of life, which enables species to occupy a particular place within a community and maintain ecological balance. TYPES OF ECOSYSTEMS NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS Terrestrial - a land-based communities of organisms and the interactions of biotic and abiotic components in a given area. Forest (ex. tundra, taiga, temperate deciduous forest, tropical rainforest) Grassland Desert Aquatic – communities of organisms found in and around bodies of water. Freshwater (ex. rivers, lakes, ponds, springs, etc) Marine (ex. estuaries, salt marshes, mangrove forests, coral reefs, open ocean, deep-sea ocean) ARTIFICIAL ECOSYSTEMS Man-made or man-engineered ecosystems. They are maintained artificially by man where, by addition of energy and planned manipulation, natural balance is disturbed regularly. (ex. croplands such as sugarcane, maize, wheat, rice-fields; orchards, gardens, villages, cities, dams, aquarium and manned spaceship.) FLOW OF ENERGY: PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS PRODUCERS - are organisms that produce food for themselves and other organisms. They use energy and simple inorganic molecules to make organic compounds. The stability of producers is vital to ecosystems because all organisms need organic molecules. Also called Autotrophs, the 2 types are: Photoautotrophs - use energy from the sun to make food by photosynthesis. Include plants, algae and certain bacteria Chemoautotrophs - use energy from chemical compounds to make food by chemosynthesis. They include some bacteria and also archaea. FLOW OF ENERGY: PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS CONSUMERS - are organisms that depend on the producers (phototrophs or chemotrophs) organisms for food. They take in organic molecules by essentially “eating” other living things. They include all animals and fungi. Also called Heterotrophs, the 3 types are: Herbivores - consume producers such as plants or algae. They are a necessary link between producers and other consumers. Examples include deer, rabbits, and mice. Carnivores - consume animals. Examples include lions, polar bears, hawks, frogs, salmon, and spiders. Omnivores - consume both plants and animals. They include humans, pigs, brown bears, gulls, crows, and some species of fish. Decomposers - break down the remains and other wastes and release simple inorganic molecules back to the environment. Producers can then use the molecules to make new organic compounds. Scavengers – consume soft tissues of dead animals Detrivores – consume dead leaves, animal feces and other organic debris Sapotrophs – feed on remaining organic matter after other decomposers FOOD CHAINS AND FOOD WEBS FOOD CHAIN - represents a single pathway through which energy and matter flow through an ecosystem. FOOD WEB - represents multiple pathways through which energy and matter flow through an ecosystem. It includes many intersecting food chains. TROPHIC LEVELS AND ENERGY TRANSFER TROPHIC LEVEL - feeding positions in a food chain or food web. The first trophic level consists of producers, the second of primary consumers, the third of secondary consumers, and so on. ECOLOGICAL/ENERGY PYRAMID – shows how energy decreases from lower to higher trophic levels. Only about 10 percent of the total energy stored in organisms at one trophic level is actually transferred to organisms at the next trophic level. COMMUNITY INTERACTIONS COMMUNITY – the biotic component of an ecosystem. It consists of populations of different species that live in the same area and interact with one another. 3 TYPES OF COMMUNITY INTERACTIONS: 1. PREDATION - is a relationship in which members of one species (the predator) consume members of other species (the prey). 2. COMPETITION - a relationship between organisms that strive for the same limited resources. The resources might befood, nesting sites, or territory. 3. SYMBIOSIS - close association between two species in which at least one species benefits. For the other species, the outcome of the association may be positive, negative, or neutral. Mutualism– symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit. Commensalism - one species benefits while the other species is not affected. Parasitism - one species (the parasite) benefits while the other species (the host) is harmed. SIGNIFICANCE OF ENERGY FLOW IN AN ECOSYSTEM It is vital for all living things in an ecosystem to survive and function properly. It helps us to understand who eats whom in nature. More the diversity of organisms, the more stable the ecosystem is. It shows how all creatures in an ecosystem depend on each other and how changes can affect each other. It helps us to see how human action are affecting the ecosystem. Understanding the flow of energy in an ecosystem helps us to devise proper conservation techniques to save the ecosystem. THE IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY BIODIVERSITY – refers to the variety of life on Earth at all its levels, from genes to ecosystems, and can encompass the evolutionary, ecological, and cultural processes that sustain life. KINDS OF BIODIVERSITY 1. A common way to measure biodiversity is to count the total number of species living within a particular area. Tropical regions have the most biodiversity, temperate regions, have less biodiversity. Regions with cold or dry conditions have even less biodiversity Generally, the closer a region to the equator, the greater the biodiversity. 2. Can also refer to the variety of ecosystems, or communities of livings things and their environment. 3. Another way to measure biodiversity is through genetic diversity. Genes are the basic units of biological information that are passed on when living things reproduce. Greater genetic diversity within a species can make that species more resistant to diseases, and it allows a species to better adapt to a changing environment. THE IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY UTILITARIAN VALUE – includes the many basic needs humans obtain from biodiversity such as food, fuel, shelter, and medicine. It includes the crucial services ecosystems provide such as pollination, seed dispersal, climate regulations, water purification, nutrient recycling and control of agricultural pests, and potential benefits not yet recognized, such as new medicines and other possible unknown services. It also has cultural value to humans, for spiritual and religious beliefs. INTRINSIC VALUE – refers to its inherent worth, which is independent of its value to anyone or anything else. An intangible, philosophical concept, which can be thought of as the inalienable right to exist. RELATIONSHIP VALUE - Pertains to the relationships we form and strive for each other and for the rest of nature. We value biodiversity because of how it shapes who we are, our relationships to each other, and social norms. These relational values are part of people’s individual or collective sense of well-being, responsibility for, and connection with the environment. THE IMPACT OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES ON ECOSYSTEMS Human activity altering and destroying natural habitats is a major reason for the loss of biodiversity. As habitats shrink, fewer species can live there. Or those that survive have fewer breeding partners leading to a decline in genetic biodiversity. People and corporations clear and pollute land to plant crops, raise livestock, develop more cities, mine precious metals or build housing and factories. Human-driven climate change and development have destroyed 35% of the world’s wetlands since 1970. People cut down forests for lumber and to make space for cattle ranching which accounts for 80% of deforestation in Amazon countries. Companies have cleared large areas of rainforest Indonesia and Malaysia to create vast plantations of palm oil trees. This large-scale deforestation is destroying habitats for critically endangered wildlife. THE IMPACT OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES ON ECOSYSTEMS Pollution, overfishing and overhunting, including the rise in temperature around the globe linked to human activity caused major drops in biodiversity. Warmer ocean temperatures damage fragile ecosystems such as coral reefs, which provide shelter to thousands of fish species and other sea creatures. Introduction of non-native species also harms biodiversity. When people introduce species from one part of the world to another, they typically have no natural predators. These non-native species thrive in their new habitat, often destroying native species in the process. The underlying causes of biodiversity loss, such as growing population and overconsumption are often complex and stem from many interrelated factors. THE IMPACT OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES ON ECOSYSTEMS The good news is that it is within our power to change our actions to help ensure the survival of species and the health and integrity of ecological ecosystems. Around the globe, thousands of wilderness areas have been set up to conserve plants, animals and ecosystems. Local, national and international organizations are cooperating to preserve the biodiversity or regions threatened by development of natural disasters. The UNESCO World Heritage Site Program recognizes areas of global importance, such as the enormous wetland region of the Pantanal in South America. Many national parks protect biodiversity within the parks by restricting extractive activities such as mining and drilling. In Ecuador, Jocotoco Foundation has purchased lands across the country to protect the habitats of threatened wildlife. THE IMPACT OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES ON ECOSYSTEMS In the Philippines, here are some of the policy outcome arising from our country’s commitments in various global conservation treaties:  Philippine Wildlife Act (RA 9147)  National Integrated Protected Areas System (RA 7586 and 11038)  Clean Air Act (RA 8749)  Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003)  The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (RA 8371)  Philippine Plant Variety Protection Act (RA 9168)  Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes (RA 6969) The DENR, specifically the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), is the focal agency representing the Philippines in several multilateral environmental agreements related to biodiversity conservation. SEATWORK: ESSAY Please answer below question in not less than 100 words. Please submit via NEO, preferably, during class hours. But you may also submit until 10pm today. Thank you. Why is there a need to study Ecology in relation to Real Estate Management? THANK YOU! See you next week! PRINECOL_RFN21 - Principles of Ecology Tuesday, 6:00 – 7:45pm Time zone: Asia/Manila Google Meet joining info Video call link: https://meet.google.com/iad-xfec-ncc  iACADEMY The premier school for tech and design