ECOLOGY the ecosystems affecting the entire  Community:

globe. This includes all the populations in a

Ecology (from Greek: "house" or "living specific area at a given time. A
relations";"study of") is the scientific study of community includes populations of
the distributions, abundance and relations of organisms of different species.
Examples of Ecology  Ecosystem:
organisms and their interactions with
the environment. Ecology is not  Human Ecology- aspects of As explained in the pages earlier,
synonymous with environment, ecosystems include more than a
ecology looks at the relationship
community of living organisms (biotic)
environmentalism, or environmental between the humans and ecosystem interacting with the environment
science. Ecology is closely related to the as a whole. (abiotic).
disciplines of physiology, evolution, genetics  Niche Construction- is an example  Biome:
and behavior. of ecology dealing with the study of A biome, in simple terms, is a set of
how organisms are able to alter their ecosystems sharing similar
 Ecosystems describe the web or
environment for their benefits and characteristics with their abiotic factors
network of relations among adapted to their environments.
also for the benefit of other living
organisms at different scales of  Biosphere:
things.
organization. When we consider all the different
biomes, each blending into the other,
with all humans living in many different
Importance of Ecology geographic areas, we form a huge
TYPES OF ECOLOGY
community of humans, animals and
 It helps in environmental
1. Microbial ecology - smallest plants, and micro-organisms in their
conservation defined habitats. A biosphere is the sum
fundamental levels of life
 Ensures proper resource allocation of all the ecosystems established on
2. Organism/ Behavioral Ecology- study
 Enhances energy conservation planet Earth. It is the living (and
of the organism at its fundamental levels
 Promotes eco-friendliness decaying) component of the earth
and can encompass microbial ecology.
 Aids in disease and pest control system.
3. Population Ecology- focuses on the
population, defined as a group of
organisms of the same species living in
LEVEL OF ORGANIZATION Interactions in Ecosystems
the same area at the same time.
4. Community Ecology- defined as all the  Individual, Species, Organism:
An individual is any living thing or Symbiosis - When two species live cosely
populations that live in a given area.
organism. Individuals do not breed with together in a relationship that lasts over time
5. Ecosystem Ecology- adding abiotic symbiosis occurs.
individuals from other groups. Animals,
(non-living) factors to the items
unlike plants, tend to be very definite
analyzed, alongside the biotic (living) There are three forms of symbiosis:
with this term because some plants can
factors involved. cross-breed with other fertile plants. Mutualism
6. Global Ecology (Biosphere)- is  Population: Mutualism occurs when there is a
principally important in understanding all A group of individuals of a given species relationship between two different
that live in a specific geographic area at organisms, in which each partner benefits
a given time. from the relationship. Examples include:
3-way Mutualism between an ant, a butterfly caterpillar, and
an acacia plant.

Parasitism Consumers- also called heterotrophs,rly

Parasitism occurs when there is a upon producers from food. Here are some
relationship between two different examples consumers:
organisms, in which one partner benefits
from the relationship, while the other parner
is harmed. Typically, the partner that
benefits (the parasite), lives on or in the
other organism (the host) and feeds on it.
Examples include:
APHID MUMMY- RESULT OF PARASITISM
Commensalism
Commensalism occurs when there is a
relationship between two different
organisms, in which one partner benefits
from the relationship, while the other neither
benefits, nor is harmed. An example is:
An orchid plant will attach itself high up a tree trunk to have
a safe, sheltered place to grow and receive water dripping
down the tree trunk .

Biotic Factors- are the living components

of an ecosystem. They are sorted into three
groups:
producers or autotrophs, consumers or
heterotrophs, and decomposers or
detritivores.
Producers- also called autotrophs, convert
energy into food, some using
photosynthesis. Here are some examples of
Producers.

 Air Plants
 Bamboo
 Banana Trees
 Orchids
 Rubber Trees