Introduction to Ecology and Population Ecology (5)

Ecology

Study of organism-environment interactions.

Ecosystem

Community of organisms and their physical environment.

Community

Group of populations of different species.

Population

Group of individuals of the same species.

Organismal ecology

How organisms structure, physiology, and behavior meet environmental challenges.

Population ecology

Factors affecting population size over time. (a group of individuals of the same species living in an area)

Community ecology

Interactions of species within a community ( a group of populations of different species in an area).

Ecosystem ecology

Focus on energy flow and chemical cycling.

Landscape ecology

Exchanges of energy, materials, and organisms across ecosystems.

Climate

Long-term prevailing weather conditions.

Major abiotic components of climate

Temperature

Precipitation

Sunlight

Wind

Macroclimate

Patterns on global, regional, and landscape levels.

Microclimate

Fine-scale environmental patterns

Abiotic factors

Nonliving components like temperature and light.

Biotic factors

Living components, including other organisms.

Biomes

Major life zones defined by vegetation or environment.

Ecotone

Area of intergradation between biomes.

Layers of aquatic biomes

Photic zone

Aphotic Zone

Benthic zone

(together its the pelagic zone)

Photic zone

Light-penetrated layer in aquatic biomes.

Aphotic zone

Light-deprived layer in aquatic biomes.

Benthic zone

Sediment layer at the bottom of water bodies.

Abyssal zone

Deepest part of the ocean, 2,000-6,000 m.

Hadal zone

Below 6,000m in the ocean

Demography

Study of population statistics and changes.

Life table

an age-specific summary of the survival pattern of a population

Cohort

Group of individuals of the same age.

Survivorship curve

Graphical representation of survival data.

Exponential growth

Population increase under ideal conditions.

Logistic growth

Population growth model with carrying capacity.

Carrying capacity (K)

Maximum sustainable population size.

What influences K (Carrying capacity)

Foodm water, shelter, space, predation, competition, disease, and climate conditions

Density

Number of individuals per unit area.

Dispersion

Pattern of spacing among individuals.

Clumped

Uniform

Random

Clumped dispersion

Individuals grouped due to environmental factors.

Uniform dispersion

Even spacing due to competition.

Random dispersion

Independent positioning of individuals. Occurs in the absence of strong attractions or repulsions