Ecological Balance

By Judimae C. Silvano

Cell is the basic unit of life. Every life has its own living. How do we live? A scientific
explanation for this is that the group of cells form tissues. Then the group of tissues form organs.
And the group of organs form an organism. This organism is a living thing. A living thing just
like us human being, animals, plants and any other life forms. Then these groups of living things
form a population. The group of population is called community which live and interact each
other in the environment or the so-called ecosystem. Ecology plays a big role to understand more
about these interactions and the home life of organism. And I, Judimae Cañeda Silvano has a
privilege to share to you a story about ecology since one of my subjects I am taking up is
Fundamentals of Ecology.

In support with how do we live, I am a human being. Same with other organisms, I have
several key characteristics or functions to live. One is order, I have an organized structure made
up of cells and organs. I also have sensitivity which make me respond to stimuli. I can reproduce,
in the right time of course I will have my children. I have growth and development in physical,
emotional, and mental aspect. And my organs have a regulation system which I can respire gas
like oxygen, digest my intakes, and circulate fluids such as my blood and other internal
functions. Like other organisms who have metabolism, so am I because I am taking in and using
energy also.

To begin with, ecology is defined as the scientific study of the interactions that determine
the distribution and abundance of organism. Through this study, we can understand the
importance of ecology to life. Since the applications of ecology are essential for living just like
agriculture, forestry, wild fire management, fishery or aquaculture, rangeland management,
watershed management, soil conservation and pollution control. I witnessed all of these. And you
may have also your own observation that this subject is not for academic purposes only. Those
applications able to help the living organisms to survive and studying the fundamentals of
ecology somehow have an impact in the ways how we care for our surroundings.

Another important part of the survival of organisms are the nutrient cycles discussed in
ecology. Oxygen cycle is one. Plants are the main creators of oxygen in the atmosphere through
the process of photosynthesis. Plants just like the trees here in our yard use sunlight and carbon
dioxide to produce energy and releases oxygen. We human beings, and the animals breathes in
the oxygen and then breathes out carbon dioxide. The plant can then use this carbon dioxide and
the cycle is complete. Another cycle is the carbon cycle. Combustion, for example heating
activities like when I am cooking, or when my brother or father start the engine of our
motorcycle to ride on, it gives off carbon into the atmosphere. Human and animals also introduce
carbon into the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide during respiration as I mentioned in the
oxygen cycle. The carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is absorbed by plants to make food in
photosynthesis. Nitrogen and phosphorus are also important components. Nitrogen is an element
that builds up proteins in animals and plants reproduction. Phosphorus is also important in the
growth of animals and plants. So the nitrogen and phosphorus cycle is useful. And it is
significant to human beings for we need farm animals like the carabaos, pigs etc., and fruits or
vegetables from plants or trees for our food consumption.

These consumptions has a feeding arrangement called food chain. For example in the
farm, the grass produce their own food through photosynthesis. The carabao eat the grass. The
meat of the carabao is consumed by human beings. This is a common process of food chain
which is called grazing food chain because the trophic level start with autotrophs or the self-
feeder plants as producers followed by herbivores as primary consumers and so on and so forth.
On the other hand, there is a detritus food chain. It starts with the dead organic matter of plants
or animals and then consumed by algae, bacteria, fungi, insects etc.

In connection with today’s world crisis which is the pandemic of COVID19, I can say
that the earth is slowly restoring. An implication of ecology is that many people today practice
agriculture or fishery as their source of living. Air pollution slowly decreasing because of less
combustion from vehicles and factories. People learn to regulate consumptions of survival
necessities. I assume that illegal logging, illegal mining and other environmental abuse was
stopped. I bet that the population now is not as increasing as of the previous times because of the
stay at home and social distancing policy of the government. Though, I have no statistical
records of the current and previous birth rate and death rate.

To sum these up, the nature build its own way for healing the world, cleaning the
environment, sanctifying people. As a human being, and having a subject of ecology, I learned
the lessons about fundamentals of ecology not only in the school but also in my life as what I can
observe and realize in today’s current events happening not just in my home, in my community
but all over the world. This is restoring Ecological Balance.