2. Ecology
๏ฎ Ecology is the integrated study of biotic and
abiotic components of ecosystems and their
interactions within an ecosystem framework.
This science examines how ecosystems work
and relates this to their components such as
chemicals, bedrock, soil, plants, and animals.
Ecosystem ecology examines physical and
biological structure and examines how these
ecosystem characteristics interact.
3. โขEcosystem
--Biological Community: A set of species that
occupies a particular locality and interact with
each other.
--Ecosystem: A biological community together
with its associated physical environment.
--Unique set of resources that is used by a
particular species in a community.
4. ๏ฎ Ecosystems are functional units
consisting of living things in a given
area, non-living chemical and physical
factors of their environment, linked
together through nutrient cycle and
energy flow.
6. โขThe term ecosystem refers to ecological system
that deals with a set of biological community
interacting together in an abiotic environment.
โขThe physical (abiotic) environment can be defined
as an ecosystem.
โขEcosystems are an essential part for the species
for their existence.
7. Classification of Ecosystem
-1. Natural (terrestrial & aquatic ecosystems)
-Lentic, the ecosystem of a lake, pond or swamp.
Lotic, the ecosystem of a river, stream or spring.
2. Artificial (human made ecosystems)
10. โขEcosystem functions
-to maintain supportive environment & services to
the biological community including humans
-to create & maintain favourable food chain and
resource supply
-to ensure ecosystem stability
-to maintain resilience
11. Ecosystem Services
โขThe existence of all ecosystems on earth is essential to
all species including humans (particularly for the
existence of the civilization)
-regulating (climate, floods, nutrient balance, water
filtration)
-provisioning (food, medicine, minerals)
cultural (science, spiritual, ceremonial, recreation,
aesthetic)
-supporting (nutrient cycling, photosynthesis, soil
formation).
12. Biomes (Ecological Terms)
๏ฎ Biomes are a classification of globally
similar areas, including ecosystems,
such as ecological communities of
plants and animals, soil organisms and
climatic conditions
13. ๏ฎ Biomes are in part defined based on
factors such as plant structures (such
as trees, shrubs and grasses), leaf
types (such as broadleaf and needle
leaf), plant spacing (forest, woodland,
savanna) and climate.
14. ๏ฎ Unlike ecozones, biomes are not
defined by genetic, taxonomic or
historical similarities. Biomes are often
identified with particular patterns of
ecological succession and climax
vegetat
20. Human ecosystem
๏ฎ Human ecosystems are complex
cybernetic systems that are increasingly
being used by ecological anthropologists and
other scholars to examine the ecological
aspects of human communities in a way that
integrates multiple factors as economics,
socio-political organization, psychological
factors, and physical factors related to the
environment.