Introduction to Ecology- Biodiversity

The Role of Ecology in Our Lives

The many specialties within ecology, such as marine, vegetation, and statistical ecology, provide us with information to better understand the world around us. This information also can help us improve our environment, manage our natural resources, and protect human health.

Levels of Ecological Research

Global Ecology
Landscape Ecology
Ecosystem Ecology
Community Ecology
Population Ecology
Organismal Ecology

Biodiversity

Refers to the variety of life on Earth at all its levels, from genes to ecosystems, and can encompass the evolutionary, ecological, and cultural processes that sustain life. 

Biocultural

Describes the dynamic, continually evolving and interconnected nature of people and place, and the notion that social and biological dimensions are interrelated. This concept recognizes that human use, knowledge, and beliefs influence, and in turn are influenced, by the ecological systems of which human communities are a part.

Ecosystem

Is a group or community composed of living and non-living things and their interactions with each other.

Structure of Ecosystem

• Biotic Components

• Abiotic Components

Biotic Components

Refer to all living components in an ecosystem.  Based on nutrition, biotic components can be categorised into autotrophs, heterotrophs and saprotrophs (or decomposers).

Biotic Factors

Producers
Consumers

Producers

Include all autotrophs such as plants. They are called autotrophs as they can produce food through the process of photosynthesis. Consequently, all other organisms higher up on the food chain rely on producers for food.

Consumers

Heterotrophs are organisms that depend on other organisms for food. Consumers are further classified into primary consumers, secondary consumers and tertiary consumers.

Decomposers

Include saprophytes such as fungi and bacteria. They directly thrive on the dead and decaying organic matter

Abiotic components

Are the non-living component of an ecosystem.  It includes air, water, soil, minerals, sunlight, temperature, nutrients, wind, altitude, turbidity, etc. 

Provisioning Services

This includes the products/raw materials or energy outputs like food, water, medicines and other resources from ecosystems. Ecosystems are a source of food, water, medicines, wood, biofuels, etc. Also, they provide conditions for these resources to grow.

Regulating Services

This includes the services which regulate the ecological balance. For example, terrestrial environs like forest purify and regulates air quality, prevent soil erosion, and control greenhouse gases. Biotic components such as birds, rats, frogs, act as natural controllers and thus help in pest and disease control. Hence, ecosystems act as regulators.

Supporting services

Supporting services form the basis for other services. They provide habitat for different life forms, retain biodiversityLinks to an external site., nutrient cycling, and other services for supporting life on the earth.

Cultural services

It includes tourism; provides recreational, aesthetic, cultural and spiritual services, etc. Most natural elements such as landscapes, mountains, caves, are used as a place for cultural and artistic purposes. Even a few of them are considered sacred. Moreover, ecosystems provide enormous economic benefits in the name of tourism.