EnviSci Ecology & Ecosystem Introduction PDF

ECOLOGY and ECOSYSTEM INTRODUCTION to Prepared by: Engr. Jarlie R. Clemeña, AAE  INTRODUCTION to ECOLOGY The meaning of the word ecology was given by German Biologist Haeckel in 1869. The word ecology is derived from Greek words ‘Oikos’...

ECOLOGY and ECOSYSTEM INTRODUCTION to Prepared by: Engr. Jarlie R. Clemeña, AAE  INTRODUCTION to ECOLOGY The meaning of the word ecology was given by German Biologist Haeckel in 1869. The word ecology is derived from Greek words ‘Oikos’ meaning house, habitat or place of living and ‘Logos’ meaning to study. Ecology is defined as the study of interrelationship of different organisms with each other and with their environment. It is concerned with the general principles that apply to both animals and plants.  CLASSIFICATION of ECOLOGY 1. Based on Study Area Autecology It deals with the study of an individual species of organisms and it’s population. The ecologists study the behavior and adaptations of particular species to the environmental condition at every stage of that individual’s life cycle. It is also called the Species ecology. ( Ex: tree in a forest ) Synecology It deals with the study of communities, their composition, their behavior and relation with the environment. It is also called as Ecology of communities.( Ex. Forest ). It is further divided into 3 types: : 1) Population Ecology 2) Community Ecology 3) Ecosystem Ecology  CLASSIFICATION of ECOLOGY 2. Based on Environment or Habitat I. Aquatic Ecology : The study of interaction of organisms in the water A.) Marine water ecology 1.) Ocean 2.) Deep Sea 3.) Estuary B.) Freshwater Ecology 1.) Lotic (Running water) a) River Freshwater River b) Stream c) Spring 2.) Lentic (Standing Water) a) Pond b) Lake Coral Reefs  CLASSIFICATION of ECOLOGY 2. Based on Environment or Habitat II. Terrestrial Ecology : The study of interaction of organisms on land : a. Grassland Ecology b. Forest Ecology c. Desert Ecology Forest Ecology Grassland Ecology Desert Ecology  CLASSIFICATION of ECOLOGY 3. Based on the Advancement in the Field of Ecology a. Productive ecology b. Population ecology c. Community ecology d. Ecosystem ecology e. Microbial ecology f. Radiation ecology g. Pollution ecology h. Space ecology  ECOSYSTEM The term Ecosystem was first proposed by Sir Arthur George Tansley in 1935. he defined it as “the system resulting from the interaction of all the living and non living factors of the Environment. An ecosystem consists of the biological community that occurs in some locale, and the physical and chemical factors that make up its non-living or abiotic environment. There are many examples of ecosystems - a pond - a forest - an estuary - a grassland. Various Kinds of Ecosystem  TYPES of ECOSYSTEM 1. Natural Ecosystems : These operate under natural conditions without Lentic (standing water) any major interference by man. lake ecosystem A. Terrestrial Ecosystem : Forest, grassland, desert, etc. B. Aquatic Ecosystem : a. Fresh water : Lotic (running water like spring, stream, or rivers) or Lentic (standing water as lake, pond, pools, etc.) Lotic (flowing water) river b. Marine water : Such as deep bodies ecosystem as ocean or shallow ones as sea or an estuary.  TYPES of ECOSYSTEM 2. Artificial (Man Engineered) Ecosystems : These are maintained artificially by man where by addition of energy and planned manipulation, natural balance is disturbed regularly e.g., crop land ecosystem. Crop land ecosystem COMPONENTS of ECOSYSTEM  COMPONENTS of ECOSYSTEM 1. Abiotic Consists of Non-living chemical and physical components such as water, air, nutrients in the soil or water & Solar Energy. Physical & chemical factors that influence living organisms in land (terrestrial) ecosystem & aquatic life zones. Abiotic factors can act as LIMITING FACTORS that keep a population at a certain level. Abiotic Components are mainly of two types: 1) Climatic Factors: which include rain, temperature, light, wind, etc. 2) Edaphic Factors: which include soil, pH, topography, Minerals, etc.  COMPONENTS of ECOSYSTEM 2. Biotic factors All the living things that directly or indirectly affect the ecosystem. Biotic factors interact with other living organisms and the physical environment can also be Limiting Factors ex. disease (bacteria), predators, food resources. Made up of biological components consisting of living and dead plants, animals and microorganisms.  COMPONENTS of ECOSYSTEM The Major Biological Components of Ecosystem : A. Producers (Autotrophs)(self-feeders) – Make their own food from compounds that are obtained from their environment. – Are the source of all food in an ecosystem. – On land most producers are green plants. – In freshwater and marine ecosystems, algae and plants are the major producers near shorelines. – In open water, the dominant producers are phytoplankton (most of them microscopic) that float or drift in the water. – Most producers capture sunlight to make carbohydrates (such as glucose) by photosynthesis.  COMPONENTS of ECOSYSTEM The Major Biological Components of Ecosystem : B. Consumers (Heterotrophs) (“other feeders”) They get their energy and nutrients by feeding on other organisms or their remains. 1. Primary consumers : Are those that eat producers (plants) as a source of food. They are also known as herbivores. 2. Secondary consumers or carnivores : Eat other animals. 3. Tertiary Consumers : Large Carnivores which feed on secondary consumers. 4. Quaternary Consumers : Largest Carnivores that feed on tertiary consumers. They are not eaten by any animals. 5. Omnivores : Have mixed diet that include both plants and animals.  COMPONENTS of ECOSYSTEM The Major Biological Components of Ecosystem : C. Decomposer : Mostly certain types of bacteria and fungi are specialized consumers that recycle organic matter in ecosystems. They do this by breaking down (biodegrading) dead organic material to get nutrients and releasing the resulting simpler inorganic compounds into the soil and water, where they can be taken up as nutrients by producers.  ECOLOGICAL PYRAMID Graphic representation of trophic structure & functioning of ecosystem starting with producers at the base & successive trophic levels forming the apex  ECOLOGICAL PYRAMID Pyramid of Numbers A pyramid of numbers is a graphical representation of the numbers of individuals in each population in a food chain. Often it is drawn from the autotrophic level up. A pyramid of numbers can be used to examine how the population of a certain species affects another. Often, the autotrophic level in a pyramid of numbers is much larger than any of the higher trophic levels, and the numbers decreases upon ascending the pyramid. There are exceptions, however. For example, in a tree community, a single tree could support many different populations of larger numbers.  ECOLOGICAL PYRAMID Pyramid of Biomass Illustrates the amount of biomass in each trophic level – Biomass weight is determined after dehydration Shows the amount of matter lost between trophic levels. Measured in kilograms, grams or pounds  ECOLOGICAL PYRAMID Pyramid of Energy Shows the energy available at each trophic level. – The size of the blocks represents the proportion of productivity – Measured in Joules or Calories  TROPHIC STRUCTURE All organisms in an ecosystem can be placed in trophic levels depending on what energy source they rely upon and how they provide energy for other organisms in the food web. With the exception of life near hydrothermal vents in the deep ocean, life is always dependent directly or indirectly on the energy from the sun. In every ecosystem, there is an organism at the lowest level that converts energy from the sun into useable energy for other organisms.  FOOD CHAIN Every organism needs to obtain energy in order to live. For example, plants get energy from the sun, some animals eat plants, and some animals eat other animals. A food chain is the sequence of who eats whom in a biological community (an ecosystem) to obtain nutrition  FOOD WEB A food web (or food cycle) depicts feeding connections (what-eats-what) in an ecological community and hence is also referred to as a consumer resource system. The food web is a simplified illustration of the various methods of feeding that links an ecosystem into a unified system of exchange. Various food chains are often interlinked at different tropic levels to form a complex interaction between different species from the point of view of food. Food Web provides more than one alternatives of food to most of the organisms in an ecosystem and thus increases their chances of survival.  FOOD WEB Example : Food Web of organisms residing in the soil ( Soil Ecosystem)  FOREST ECOSYSTEM They have a predominance of trees that are interspersed with large number of species of herbs, shrubs, climbers, lichens algae & a variety of wild animals & birds. Depending upon the climatic conditions forests can be of different types : 1. Tropical Rain Forest 2. Tropical Deciduous forests 3. Tropical Scrub Forests 4. Temperate Rain Forests 5. Temperate Deciduous Forests 6. Evergreen Coniferous Forests  DESERT Desert – an ecosystem found where there is very little rainfall. They occur in regions where evaporation exceeds precipitation (rainfall, snow , etc.) Mainly two kinds of deserts: – Hot deserts – Cold deserts Hot deserts – Temperatures are very warm all year round – The summers are very hot Cold deserts – Short, warm summers – Long, cold winters – Found in places near the north and south poles  DESERT Main Components : Camel 1. Desert Plants 2. Desert Animals Gila Monster (lizard) Roadrunner  GRASSLAND A grassland ecosystem is an ecological unit that has physical factors like water, soil and air, which help to establish that animals live there. The plants, animals, microbes along with the water, soil and air they live in help to create the ecosystem. About 1.2 × 108 mi2 (4.6 × 107 km2) of the Earth's surface is covered with grasslands, which make up about 32% of the plant cover of the world. Grasslands occur in regions that are too dry for forests but that have sufficient soil water to support a closed herbaceous plant canopy that is lacking in deserts. Different kinds of grasslands develop within continents, and their classification is based on similarity of dominant vegetation, presence or absence of specific dominant species, or prevailing climate conditions. 1. Temperate grasslands 2. Tropical grasslands 3. Polar grasslands Grassland Soils are highly fertile & contain large amount of exchangeable bases and organic matter.  ESTUARIES An estuary is a semi closed coastal body of water that has free connection with sea. An area in which fresh water from a river mixes with salt water from the ocean; a transition area from the land to the ocean. Other names: bay, sound, lagoon, harbor, or bayou The Ocean Area where fresh and salt water mix River bringing freshwater to the sea  CHARACTERISTICS of ESTUARIES Very nutrient rich ecosystems → leads to high productivity and high biodiversity. There is a gradual increase in salinity as you go from the river (0-5ppt) to the middle of the estuary (5- 25ppt), to the ocean (>25 ppt). ppt = parts per thousand Sediment settles out in the estuary when the water slows down. Nutrients accumulates on the bottom (benthic zone). Pollutants are absorbed in estuaries.  AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM An aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem in a body of water. Communities of organisms that are dependent on each other and on their environment live in aquatic ecosystems Aquatic Ecosystem can be further classified into : 1. Fresh water Ecosystem - Pond Ecosystem : small bodies of freshwater with shallow and still water, marsh, and aquatic plants - Lake Ecosystem : slow moving water like pools, ponds, and lakes. - River Ecosystem : large streams flowing downwards from the mountain highlands into the sea 2. Marine Ecosystem : cover approximately 71% of the Earth's surface and contain approximately 97% of the planet's water  AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM Detailed image of an Aquatic Ecosystem  BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLE  Energy flows through an ecosystem and is dissipated as heat, but chemical elements are recycled.  The ways in which an element—or compound such as water—moves between its various living and nonliving forms and locations in the biosphere is called a biogeochemical cycle.  Biogeochemical cycles which are important to living organisms include : water, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulfur cycles  Water, which contains hydrogen and oxygen, is essential for living organisms.  Water makes up more than half of our bodies, but humans cannot live by water alone.  Instead there are some other key elements that keep our bodies running and are part of biogeochemical cycles  WHICH BIOLOGICAL FACTORS are KEY to LIFE?  Carbon is found in all organic macromolecules and is also a key component of fossil fuels.  Nitrogen is needed for our DNA, rNa, and proteins and is critical to human agriculture.  Phosphorus is a key component of DNA, rna, and is one of the main ingredients—along with nitrogen—in artificial fertilizers used in agriculture.  Sulfur is key to protein structure and is released to the atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels. How do elements move through the biogeochemical cycle?  THE CARBON CYCLE  Carbon enters plants, algae and cyanobacteria as Co₂ which is incorporated into organic molecules by photosynthesis.  Cellular respiration by plants, by animals that eat plants, and by decomposers returns co₂ to the atmosphere, making it available for producers again.  Combustion and weathering also return co₂ to the atmosphere.  The level of atmospheric co₂ has increased dramatically during the last of the 20th century and beginning of 21st century. This increase may cause human induced changes in climate change called global warming  THE NITROGEN CYCLE  Nitrogen is a key component of the bodies of living organisms. Nitrogen atoms are found in all proteins and DNA.  Nitrogen exists in the atmosphere as N₂ gas. In nitrogen fixation, bacteria convert N₂ into ammonia, a form of nitrogen usable by plants. When animals eat the plants, they acquire usable nitrogen compounds.  Nitrogen is a common limiting nutrient in nature, and agriculture. A limiting nutrient is the nutrient that's in shortest supply and limits growth.  When fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorous are carried in runoff to lakes and rivers, they can result in blooms of algae—this is called eutrophication  THE NITROGEN CYCLE 1. Nitrogen fixation is the conversion of nitrogen gas to ammonia. 2. Nitrification is the conversion of ammonia or ammonium to nitrate, one of the main forms of nitrogen used by plants. 3. Assimilation is the biological conversion of nitrates, ammonia, or ammonium into proteins and other nitrogen-containing compounds by plants; the conversion of plant proteins into animal proteins is also part of the assimilation. 4. Ammonification is the conversion of organic nitrogen to ammonia and ammonium ion. 5. Denitrification converts nitrates to nitrogen gas.  THE PHOSPHOROUS CYCLE  Phosphorous is an essential nutrient found in the macromolecules of humans and other organisms, including DNA.  The phosphorous cycle is slow. Most phosphorous in nature exists in the form of phosphate ion - PO⁻ᵌ₄  Phosphorous is often the limiting nutrient, or nutrient that is most scarce and thus limits growth, in aquatic ecosystems.  When nitrogen and phosphorous from fertilizer are carried in runoff to lakes and oceans, they can cause eutrophication, the overgrowth of algae. The algae may deplete oxygen from the water and create a dead zone.  THE PHOSPHOROUS CYCLE 1. The phosphorous cycle has no biologically gaseous compounds. 1. Phosphorous erode from rocks as inorganic phosphates and is absorbed from the soil by the roots of the plants. 1. Plants incorporate phosphorous into organic compounds. Animals obtain the phosphorous they need from their diet. Decomposers release inorganic phosphate into the atmosphere. 1. Phosphorous can be lost from terrestrial cycles for million of years when it washes into the ocean and is deposited on the sea floor  SULFUR CYCLE  Sulfur - A chemical element that occurs naturally as a pure element.  It is a abundant and a bright yellow crystalline solid when at room temperature- An essential element of life that is vital and widely used in the biochemical cycle  Most of the Earth’s sulfur is tied up on rocks and salts buried in the depths of the ocean.  Important in the functioning of proteins and enzymes in plants and animals and is present in proteins, amino acids, vitamins, and enzymes, necessary for plants and animals  The 10th most abundant element in the environment- Used for things such as fertilizers, matches and insecticides  SULFUR CYCLE The essential steps of the sulfur cycle are: 1. Mineralization of organic sulfur to the inorganic form, hydrogen sulfide(H2S). 2. Oxidation of sulfide and elemental sulfur (S) and related compounds to sulfate (SO⁻2₄). 3. Reduction of sulfate to sulfide. 4. Microbial immobilization of the sulfur compounds and subsequent incorporation into the organic form of sulfur.  THE WATER CYCLE  The vast majority of Earth's water is saltwater found in oceans. Only a tiny fraction is readily accessible freshwater, which is what humans need.  Water found at the Earth's surface can cycle rapidly, but much of Earth's water lies in ice, oceans, and underground reservoirs; this water cycles slowly.  The water cycle is complex and involves state changes in water as well as the physical movement of water through and between ecosystems.  Groundwater is found underground between soil particles and in cracks of rocks. Aquifers are groundwater reservoirs often tapped by wells  THE WATER CYCLE 1. Water enters the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration and leaves the atmosphere as precipitation. 2. On land, water filters through the ground or runs off to lakes, rivers, and the ocean. Groundwater is stored in underground caverns and porous layer of rock. The movement of surface water from land to rivers, lakes. Wetlands, and ultimately the ocean is called runoff. 3. Aerosols, tiny particles of air pollution produced from fossil fuel combustion and the burning of forests, enhance the scattering and adsorption of sunlight in the atmosphere and cause brighter clouds to form. Scientists think that aerosols may weaken the water cycle (hydrologic cycle). THANK YOU!!! Mam Jarlie