ECOLOGY REVIEWER (PRELIMS)

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO
ECOLOGY
Ecology study of interactions among
organisms, between the organisms and their
environment; study of all those complex
interrelations needed for struggle of
existence
Organism expression of species
Population interbreeding group of
organisms of the same species that inhabit a
defined geographical area
Community collections of different species
living together; an assemblage of living
organisms sharing the same habitat and
having distinctive unity
Producers autotrophs; self-feeders;
synthesize their own organic substance from
simple organic substances
Consumers heterotrophs; organisms
that feed on other population; they ingest
other living organisms in whole or in part to
obtain organic nutrients as a source of
energy
Decomposers fungi and bacteria;
organisms that decay; obtain organic
nutrients by breaking down the remains or
products of organisms; recycling compounds
back to autotrophs
Detritovores organisms that feed on
particles of organic matter that would be
produced by partial decomposition
Herbivore eats plants
Carnivore eats meat
Omnivore eats plants and meat
Scavenger eats food left by others
Parasite lives in or on other
organism; using it for food
Ecosystems communities of species
interacting with each other and their nonliving environment; consists of biotic and
abiotic community

Biosphere entire portion of the earth that is

inhabited by life
HISTORY OF ECOLOGY
Theophrastus started the study of ecology;
Father of Botany; interested with the study of
the interrelationship between organisms and
the living environment
Thomas Maltus wrote an essay on
Principle of Population; recognized the
conflict between expanding population and
the earths capability to supply food
Alexander Von Humboldt plant
communities and plant distribution to abiotic
environment
Charles Darwin Origin of Species
Ernst Haeckel the term oekologie or
ecology in Generelle Morphologie der
Organismen
Karl Mobius interactions among members
of the community, bio coenosis in his study
on oysters
Stephen A. Forbes The Lake as a
Microcosm
Eugene Warming Plantesamfund
R. Pound and F. Clements The
Phytogeography of Nebraska
Henry Chandler Cowles study of plant
succession; The Ecological Relations of the
Vegetation of the Sand Dunes of Lake
Michigan
Victor E. Shelford animal communities in
temperature
Frederic E. Clements publication of
monograph on plant succession
Alfred J. Lotka demography, nutrient
cycling, energy flow; Elements of Physical
Biology
Charles Elton regulation of population size,
ecological riches and community function
related as food chain; Animal Ecology

John E. Weaver and F. Clements published

most influential book during WWII; Plant
Ecology
W.I. Vernadsky introduced ecological
system; gave the term biographer
R.A. Fisher Genetic Theory of Natural
Selection led to fusion of ecology and
evolution
G.F. Gause interspecific competition and
predator-prey relations; The Struggle for
Existence
W.C. Allee, Alfred E. Emerson, Orlando Park,
Thomas Park, Karl P. Schmidt Principles of
Animal Ecology
Eugene P. Odum most influential ecology
book of mid 20 - Fundamentals of Ecology
John T. Curtis model for the discipline
ecology The Vegetation of Wisconsin
W.D. Hamilton Evolution of Altruistic
Behavior provided new direction for
thinking about evolution
Paul R. Ehlrich and Peter H. Raven
Butterflies and Plants: A Study of
Coevolution
R.H. MacArthur and E.E Pianka emphasized
the role of natural selections in molding an
organisms use of time and energy; On
Optimal Use of a Patchy Environment
F.H. Borman and G.E. Likens Nutrient
Cycling
J.L. Harper The Population of Plants
Society for Conservation Biology (1985)
provides focus for the scientific study of
biodiversity and extinction of species
1960s and 1970s period of rapid growth in
both fundamental and applied ecology
Ecological Problems: extinction of
endangered species; soil poisoning
SUBDIVISIONS OF ECOLOGY
Autecology ecology of individual organisms
or an individual species with the objective of

seeing how it adopts itself into the ecological

picture
Synecology study of animal and plant
communities in relation to their environment;
group of individuals associated with each
other
------------------------------------------------------------------Genetics heredity and variation
Evolution series of changes by which a
given type of organism has acquired
physiological and structural characteristics
differentiating with other types
Physiology life processes of plants and
animals
Morphology forms and parts of plants and
animals
Taxonomy names and classifications of
plants and animals
Chemistry deals with structure,
composition, properties of substances and of
the transformations which they undergo
Physics studies with matter and energy and
the laws governing their reciprocal interplay
Mathematics logical study of quantity,
form, arrangement and magnitude
Mathematical Tools provide new
insights and help in understanding better
study of organisms and their interactions
Environmental Science composite of
natural and social sciences; encompasses
many complex and interconnected problems

CHAPTER 2: ECOSYSTEMS
Ecological Time ecologists seek to
understand the short-term consequences of
such events to ecosystem and to their
resident organisms
Evolutionary Time every environmental
event affecting organism is potentially a
selective force that may shape the course of
their evolution
1. Energy flows through an ecosystem in a
one way path
2. Materials recycle through an ecosystem
3. Individuals in an ecosystem have an
absolute need for energy and materials
4. Human activities can drastically affect the
health of the ecosystems
Trophic Levels hierarchy of energy
transfers; where food chain is made up;
decomposers ARE NOT assigned in particular
trophic level
Food Chain transfer of food energy from
one organism to another with its sequence of
eating and being eaten; made out of trophic
level
*Flow of materials in ecosystem is the result
of PREY-PREDATOR Relationship
Predator organism which feeds directly on
other organism
3 Important Principles on Food Chain
1. Photosynthesis should be in the beginning
of food chain and decay on end
2. The shorter the food chain, the greater
waste of energy
3. Size of population is ultimately determined
by the number of steps in food chain
Predator Chain smaller to larger organism
Parasite Chain organism lives on body of
the other organism and get nourishment
from it

Saprophytic Chain decomposers act on

dead bodies of plants and animals
Food Web complex network of
interconnected food chain; actual feeding
relationship
Components of Ecosystem water, CO2,
various minerals, oxygen, various kinds of
organisms
Sun ultimate source of energy for almost
organisms
*Self-sustaining Ecosystem needs inorganic
nutrients, producers, decomposers,
continuous renewed source of energy
2 Important Aspects energy flow; chemical
cycling
Homeostasis tendency for biological
system to resist change and to maintain in a
state of equilibrium
*The interplay of material cycles and energy
flow in an ecosystem generates a selfcorrecting homeostasis with no outside
control or set point required
Mature Ecosystem has autotrophic
organisms producing organic matter
including grazers and decomposers, and
other species with talent of finding and
colonizing habitats
NATURAL
ECOSYSTEM
Independent
Cyclical (except
energy)
Non Polluting
Conserve Resources

HUMAN
ECOSYSTEM
Dependent
Noncyclical
Polluting
Non Renewable
Fossil Fuels

2 Parts of Ecosystem requires fuel energy

and raw materials that results to pollution
as output
Country agriculture and animal husbandry
City where people live