intro to envi - ecology

7/31/2019 Intro to Envi - Ecology

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ECOLOGYIntroduction to Environmental Engineering


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Derived from the Greek word oikos,meaning "household," and logos, meaning"study.

The term was invented in 1866 by ErnstHaeckel, a German pro-darwinist biologist.

Study of the Interactions betweenOrganisms and the Nonliving Componentsof their Environment

DEFINITION OF ECOLOGY


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Physiological ecology has to do with theresponse and effect of environmentalconditions on a specific species.

Population ecology studies the amount anddistribution of species and the environmentalfactors affecting this distribution.

Community ecology is concerned with

particular number of species found in an areaand their interactions.

Ecosystems ecology studies the structureand function of entire population of living

(biotic components) things, abiotic

CATEGORIES OF ECOLOGY


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LEVELS OF BIOLOGICALORGANIZATION


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The surface of the Earth as a whole is anECOSYSTEM. We call the surface of theEarth the BIOSPHERE.

The BIOSPHERE is the surface of theEarth (AIR, WATER, and LAND) whereliving things exist.

LEVELS OF BIOLOGICALORGANIZATION(contd)


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ECOSYSTEM

An ecosystem is a system whose membersbenefit from each other's participation via symbiotic

relationships (positive sum relationships). It is aterm that originated from biology, and refers to self-

sustaining systems



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Simplest level of organization in ecology isthe ORGANISM



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Populations are individual species, all theinteracting organisms that live in aparticular area make up a COMMUNITY



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The physical location of a community iscalled the HABITAT.


Jurong Bird Park, Singapore


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An ecosystem possesses both livingcomponents orBIOTIC FACTORS andnon-living components orABIOTIC

FACTORS

BIOTIC AND ABIOTICFACTORS


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The nonliving factors are physicaland chemical characteristics of theenvironment. They include solar

energy (amount of sunlight), oxygen,CO2, water, temperature, humidity,pH, and availability of nitrogen

ABIOTIC FACTORS


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The living components of the environmentare called BIOTIC FACTORSThey include all the living things that affect

an organism.Biotic Components are often categorizedas Producers, Consumers, andDecomposers

BIOTIC FACTORS


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The most important factor determiningHOW MANY and WHAT KIND oforganisms that can live in an Ecosystem is

the amount ofENERGY Available.

FLOW OF ENERGY INECOSYSTEMS


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The primary source of energy for anecosystem is the SUN.

FLOW OF ENERGY INECOSYSTEMS(contd)


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Energy in an ecosystem flows from thesun to autotrophs (producers) then toorganisms that eat the autotrophs, then to

organisms that feed on other organisms(consumers)

FLOW OF ENERGY INECOSYSTEMS(contd)


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Decomposers consumerswho feed on remains of deadplants and animals

Herbivores eat producersor plant eaters

Carnivores eat otherconsumers; meat eaters

Omnivores eat bothproducers and consumers;plant and meat eaters

Detritivores feed on thegarbage of an ecosystem

HETEROTROPHS ORCONSUMERS


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A Trophic Level is a group of organismswhose feeding source is the same numberof steps from the Sun.

Producers (Autotrophs) are the FirstTrophic Level.

Herbivores are the Second Trophic Level.

Carnivores are the Third, Forth and FifthTrophic Levels

TROPHIC LEVELS ORFEEDING LEVELS


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TROPHIC LEVELS ORFEEDING LEVELS(contd)


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Energy is lost or used as it flows through the

trophic levels of an ecosystem

Producers (plants) absorb energy from the

sun, but only about of the energy capture

from the sun becomes part of the plantsbody. The other is used for living and

growing or lost as HEAT.


TROPHIC LEVELS OR


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At each Trophic Level, the energy stored

in an organism is about 1/10 that of the

level below it. (10%)

Because Energy diminishes at each

successive Trophic Level, few Ecosystems

can contain more than 4 or 5 Trophic

Levels.


TROPHIC LEVELS OR


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TROPHIC LEVELS OR


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FOOD CHAIN

Is an idealized pattern of flow ofenergy in a natural ecosystem.

In the classical food chain, plants areeaten only by primary consumers,primary consumers are eaten by

secondary consumers, and so on.


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FOOD CHAIN


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FOOD CHAIN


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FOOD WEB

Is the actual pattern of foodconsumption in a natural ecosystem.

A given organism may obtain

nourishment from many differenttrophic levels, thus giving rise tocomplex, interwoven series of energytransfers

Productivity (is the rate of fixation ofenergy into tissue. Primaryproductivity is energy fixation by

plants; secondary productivity is at


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FOOD WEB


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FOOD WEB


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FOOD WEB


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FOOD WEB


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FOOD WEB


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FOOD WEB


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Substances that are nonbiodegradable by nature, that entersa food chain that led to many

environmental problemsThe best well known example is DDT-

organic pesticide (chlorinatedhydrocarbons)

The concentration of DDT can beincreased many thousand fold in thefatty tissues of carnivores

DDT can enter bodies of water by

BIOMAGNIFICATION


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Drastic declines in the no. of manybirds of prey that survive on aquaticlife have resulted from this

bioaccumulation, since one effect ofDDT is interference with calciummetabolism, this leads to the

production of thin walled eggshells,which easily broken

EFFECTS OF DDT

OTHER ADVERSE EFFECTS


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Mercury-as a fungal seedingdressing, which is then picked up bygrain feeding birds, such as

pheasants and grouse, and in anumber of instances hasaccumulated to lethal levels.

Being at the end of food chains onwhich they depend, humans can alsobe recipients of accumulations oftoxic chemicals in the food they eat.

F d i d lit t l

OTHER ADVERSE EFFECTSOF BIOMAGNIFICATION

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