Ecology G7-8 PDF

ECOLOGY - The study of organism-environment interaction - The study of how organisms interact with one another and with their physical environment. FUNCTIONS OF ECOLOGY ❖ Ecosystem Insight ➢ Organism interactions, energy flow, matter cycling ➢ Unveils ecosystem mechanism ❖ Conservation & Biodiversit...

ECOLOGY - The study of organism-environment interaction - The study of how organisms interact with one another and with their physical environment. FUNCTIONS OF ECOLOGY ❖ Ecosystem Insight ➢ Organism interactions, energy flow, matter cycling ➢ Unveils ecosystem mechanism ❖ Conservation & Biodiversity species ➢ Emphasizes interdependence endangered species ➢ Aids protection ❖ Sustainable Resource Management for balanced ➢ Guidelines resource use. ➢ Prevent resource depletion ❖ Environmental Problem Solving issues (pollution, ➢ Identify habitat loss) ➢ Solutions for a healthier environment ❖ Predicting & Mitigating Impacts ➢ Foresee human activities’s effects ➢ Strategies to minimize harm ❖ Biotech & Agriculture ➢ Enhance farming, pest control eco-friendly ➢ Biotech’s applications ❖ Medical & Human Health Insights ➢ Disease dynamics, zoonoses ➢ Ecosystems impact health ❖ Education & Awareness ➢ Inform public, policy-makers ➢ Foster responsible behavior ❖ Restoration Ecology ➢ Restore Damaged Ecosystems ➢ Recover Biodiversity, services ❖ Evolutionary Insights ➢ Species’ adaptational evolution. ➢ Environment-driven changes IMPORTANCE OF ECOLOGY ❖ Biodiversity Conservation species ➢ Recognize interconnections ➢ Prevent extinction, protect diversity ❖ Ecosystem Services ➢ Clean water, pollination, climate regulation ➢ Understand value to Humans ❖ Climate Change ➢ Predict climate impacts ➢ Develop mitigation strategies ❖ Sustainable Resource Management forests, fisheries, ➢ Preserve agricultural lands ➢ Long-term resource viability ❖ Human Health Impact ➢ Link ecosystems to well-being ➢ Disease, clean air, water ❖ Environmental Problem Solving causes, find ➢ Understand solutions ➢ Address pollution, habitat loss ❖ Policy & Decision Making ➢ Inform land use, conservation ➢ Shape environment policies ❖ Education & Awareness ➢ Raise public consciousness ➢ Encourage habitat protection ❖ Adaptation & Resilience ➢ Prepare for disturbances ➢ Natural, human-induced ❖ Restoration & Conservation ➢ Rehabilitate ecosystem, save species ❖ Scientific Discovery ➢ Advancing knowledge ➢ Evolution, species interactions. KEY PRINCIPLES OF ECOLOGY ❖ Interdependence ➢ Organisms interconnected, rely on each other ➢ Changes in one species affect others ❖ Energy Flow ➢ Energy flows Sun - Producers Consumers - Decomposers ➢ Sustains life within ecosystem ❖ Nutrient Cycling cycle through ➢ Nutrients organisms and environment ➢ Taken up, released, reused in ecosystem ❖ Biotic and Abiotic Factors Organisms and ➢ Biotic: interactions ➢ Abiotic: Temperature, water, soil, etc. ❖ Species Niches ➢ Each species has specific niche ➢ Role, Interaction, resource use ❖ Succession ➢ Ecosystem change over time ➢ Primary, secondary succession ❖ Adaptation ➢ Organisms adapt to environment ➢ Survival-enhancing traits pass on ❖ Population Dynamics ➢ Population changes due to birth, death, migration ➢ Impact on ecosystem dynamics ❖ Carrying Capacity ➢ Max sustainable species number in ecosystem ➢ Balance between resources and population ❖ Ecological Pyramids ➢ Trophic structure depiction ➢ Energy, biomass decrease with trophic level ❖ Ecosystem Services ➢ Ecosystem benefits to humans regulating, ➢ Provisioning, cultural, supporting ❖ Human Impact ➢ Human actions alter ecosystems ➢ Habitat loss, pollution. Climate change CARRYING CAPACITY - In biology and environmental science, it refers to the maximum number of individuals that the environment can carry and sustain - In ecology, it is measured as the maximum load of an environment. - The maximum population of a certain species in a certain environment that has the adequate resources to support the species so they can thrive without affecting their quality of life. IMPORTANCE OF CARRYING CAPACITY - Reveals the maximum sustainable population an ecosystem can support with its available resources and functioning - It plays a role in addressing food security, climate change, effects, and economic sustainability. HOW HUMANS CHANGE CARRYING CAPACITY - Humans create sub-population with different needs according to lifestyle - Nature has many factors that limit population growth - Despite technological advancement to limit resource competition, the human population has to deal with other variables. FACTORS CAPACITY AFFECTING CARRYING ❖ Availability of Resources ➢ The basic need for any species to live and as population increases, the demand of resources also increases ❖ Environmental Conditions ➢ Factors such as climate, temperature, precipitation, and soil quality plays a significant role in determining carrying capacity ❖ Competition ➢ When different species occupy the same environment and consume the same resources, the carrying capacity is affected as this leads to population fluctuation. ❖ Human Influence ➢ Habitat destruction, harvesting of resources and pollution greatly hinders the available resources. ❖ Migration Patterns and Invasive Species ➢ Once a new species is introduced to an environment, this affects the ration of resources and may stunt the growth of the other species Examples BIODIVERSITY - Refers to the variety of life forms in an ecosystem including the diversity of species, genes, and ecosystems. - Measure of variation at the genetic species, and ecosystem level. - High biodiversity is crucial for ecosystem stability, resilience, and overall ecosystem health. BIODIVERSITY COMPONENTS 1. Genetic Diversity a. The variety of genes within a single species b. It enables species to adapt to changing environments and plays a vital role in evolution c. Refers to the range of different inherited traits within a species 2. Species Diversity a. The variety of different species within an ecosystem. b. High species diversity enhances ecosystem stability and resilience c. Defined as the number of different species present in an ecosystem and relative abundance of each of those species 3. Ecosystem Diversity a. Variety of ecosystem and habitat types in an area of land and water b. The range of different ecosystems present in a region. c. Each ecosystem provides unique services and functions, contributing to planetary health. d. Describes the full variety of ecosystems of an area IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY - Biodiversity is essential for maintaining the stability, resilience, and functioning of ecosystems, while also providing crucial ecosystem services and contributing to human well-being through resources, cultural values and health benefits. - Ecosystem Services - Medicinal Resources - Cultural and Aesthetic Value THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY ❖ Habitat Loss and Fragmentation ➢ When large ecosystems become fragmented species with large ranges may not have enough area to survive ❖ Pollution and Climate Change ➢ Loss of biodiversity can lead to land degradation, effects on water supply and changes in farming productivity ❖ Invasive Species ➢ Capable of causing extinctions of native plants and animals, reducing biodiversity, competing with native organisms for limited resources, and altering habitats. ❖ Overexploitation ➢ It means harvesting species from the wild at rates faster than the natural population can recover. CONSERVATION EFFORTS ❖ Species Preservation and Restoration ➢ Effort to restore environmental resources such as water, forests, energy, air, minerals, and others that have been used without letting those resources become extinct. ❖ Sustainable Land Use Practices ➢ Such as conservation tillage, cover cropping, and crop rotation can improve soil health by reducing erosion, increasing organic matter, and enhancing soil structure. BENEFITS AND BIODIVERSITY - VALUES OF Ecological Balance Resilience and Adaptation Medicinal and Agricultural Resources Cultural and Aesthetic Value Scientific Understanding Economic Importance BIODIVERSITY LOSS Human activities have led to a significant decline in biodiversity due to factors like habitat destruction, pollution, invasive species, overexploitation and climate change. ❖ Habitat Loss ➢ Deforestation, urbanization, and agricultural expansion lead to habitat destruction, using many species to the brink of extinction ❖ Invasive Species ➢ Non-native species introduced by human activities can outcompete native species, disrupting ecosystems. ❖ Ecosystem Instability ➢ Reduced biodiversity can make ecosystems more vulnerable to disturbances ❖ Climate Change ➢ Altered climatic conditions can force species to migrate or adapt, posing challenges to their survival ❖ Pollution ➢ Accumulate in the environment and affect organisms across the food chain. FUTURE CHALLENGES OPPORTUNITIES AND ❖ Scientific Research Understanding of ➢ Further ecosystems and species dynamics can guide effective conservation strategies ❖ Education and Awareness ➢ Raising public awareness about biodiversity’s importance can drive individual and society changes ❖ International Cooperation ➢ Collaborative efforts across nations are essential to address global biodiversity challenges BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION - Evolution - process that results in changes in the genetic material of a population over time - Evolution - reflects the adaptation of organisms to their changing environments and can result in altered genes, novel traits, and new species. - Provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the diversity of life on Earth, its origin, and the intricate processes that have shaped it over billions of years - Any change in heritable traits within a population across generation - - - Evolution suggests that all living things share a common ancestor and all are related. Therefore, biological evolution is a fundamental concept in field biology that explains how species of living organisms change overtime. The process by which new species arise and existing species adapt to their environment through gradual changes in their genetic makeup. Evolution is driven by the mechanisms of variation, selection, and inheritance, collectively known as the theory of natural selection. NATURAL SELECTION - Discovered by two men name, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace in the mid 1800s - Breeder is not necessarily needed and that there is another force capable of guiding random evolution to produce order and complex function - Process by which random evolutionary changes are selected for by nature in a consistent, orderly, non-random way. DESCENT MODIFICATION - Descended from parents with Modification - Difference found in offspring are partially due to random genetic mutations - Traits are passed down from generation to generation - Sometimes undergo changes or modification over time - Changes caused by natural selection or even a mutation of DNA. COMMON DESCENT - All life on Earth is related - Conclusion based on massive observable facts found independently in the study of fossils, genetics, comparative anatomy, mathematics, biochemistry, and species distribution. - Stated that we descended from a common ancestor through the gradual process of descent with Modification over tons of generations - A single original species is thought to have a given rise to all life we see today KNOWN CONTRIBUTORS Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882) - English naturalist, Geologist, and Biologist - “On the Origin of Species” published in 1859 - Inspired by a Philosopher name, William Paley, who wrote “The Natural Theology” in 1802 - Used a ship known as HMS Beagle to collect and document plants and animals all around the world - Natural Selection - proposed that species evolve over generations through a process of differential survival and reproduction Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) - A fan of Charles Darwin - Explorer, Naturalist, Geographer, Anthropologist, Collector, and Political Commentator. - Formulated a theory of evolution by natural selection - Wrote a letter to Darwin saying that he also discovered natural selection - Works on similar theory with Charles Darwin and joint for publication HOW DARWIN'S THEORY INFLUENCES MODERN ECOLOGY? - Modern Ecologists study how species interact with each other and their environment through interactions such as competition, predation, and mutualism that drives biodiversity and shape ecosystem - Examine how traits that enhance survival and reproduction are favored by natural selection - Ecologists use models and data to study factors that influence population sizes, growth rates, and dynamics MECHANISMS OF EVOLUTION ❖ Natural Selection ➢ Organisms that are more adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and pass on the genes that aided their success. ➢ This process causes species to change and diverge overtime ❖ Mutations changes in an ➢ Random organism’s genetic material. ➢ Some mutations can introduce new traits that may be beneficial, detrimental, or neutral. ➢ Beneficial mutations can drive evolutionary change when they provide advantages in specific environments. ❖ Genetic Drift ➢ Involves random changes in the frequency of alleles (different version of gene) within a population over generations. ➢ Arises due to chance events ❖ Gene Flow ➢ Known as gene migration or allele flow ➢ Transfer of genetic material (alleles) from one population to another within the same species. ➢ Occur when individuals from different populations interbreed and produce offspring, causing their genes to mix and be introduced into the gene pool of the recipient population. ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION - Occurs due to - Physical environment and population of species - Sudden and drastic changes in environment ❖ Primary Succession ➢ Occurs in environments where no previous community existed, such as on bare rock surfaces formed from volcanic activity or glacial retreat. ❖ Secondary Succession ➢ Occurs in environments that have been previously inhabited but have experienced some form of disturbance, such as a forest fire, agricultural activity, or human intervention. CLIMAX COMMUNITIES - A climax community is the endpoint of succession within the context of a particular climate and geography. MECHANISMS SUCCESSION OF ECOLOGICAL ❖ Facilitation ❖ Tolerance ❖ Inhibition SIGNIFICANCE OF ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION - Starts new species colonization in an ecosystem. It turns areas that have been devastated by various biotic and abiotic sources into spaces where living organisms can flourish - Changes in the barren or devastated region promote the growth of taller plants such as shrubs and grass. 1. Biodiversity Enhancement 2. Soil Formation and Fertility 3. Nutrient Cycling and Ecosystem Functioning 4. Carbon Sequestration 5. Habitat Creation and Support EXTINCTION - Occurs when a species disappears from the Earth - In biology, it refers to the death of a species - In actuality, scientists are unsure of the exact number of plant, animal, fungal, and bacterial species that exist on Earth WHY STUDY EXTINCTION NECESSARY? - Learn more about how life has evolved on Earth - Know the effects of significant changes to our planet’s atmosphere - Discover how life recovers TYPES OF EXTINCTION ❖ Mass Extinction ➢ Ordovician-Silurian extinction 444 millions years ago ➢ Permian-Triassic Extinction 252 million years ago ➢ Triassic-Jurassic Extinction 201 million years ago ➢ Cretaceous-Paleogene Extinction 66 million years ago ❖ Background Extinction ➢ Caused by environmental and ecological aspects ❖ Human Induced Extinction ➢ Major cause is human activities CAUSES OF EXTINCTION Human Induced ❖ Poaching & Illegal Hunting ➢ Selling or trading animals, especially endangered species has become a large business in the market ❖ Deforestation ➢ Common habitat destruction ➢ They become vulnerable to hunters and poachers ❖ Converting of Habitats ➢ Habitats are converted into villages, subdivisions, cities, etc. making the other animals homeless ❖ Climate Change ➢ Weather pattern have changed drastically as a result of the unprecedented increase in greenhouse gasses ❖ Natural Disasters ➢ Includes typhoons, landslides, wildfires, earthquakes, etc. ❖ Invasive Species ➢ They compete with the native species for the resources they need to survive which can cause the death of the native species. LEVELS OF EXTINCTION - Extinct - Extinct in the Wild - Critically Endangered - Endangered - Vulnerable - Near Threatened - Least Concern - Data Deficient - Not Evaluated