BIO 4 LG 1.1 Environmental Interrelationships

Ecology vs Environmental Science 🌿

Ecology is focused on how organisms interact with each other and their surroundings.

Environmental Science is a broader, interdisciplinary field where ecologists work with other physical, chemical, and biological components of the environment to study and seek solutions to environmental problems.

Impact of Living Organisms to their Environment 🐝

Beaver Dams

• A beaver dam is a dam made of logs and mud, built by a beaver.

• A dam is something that blocks or slows down the flow of water in a river or a stream.

• A lake or pond is created behind a dam.

Why do beavers build dams? 🐾

• Beavers build dams across streams to create a pond where they can build a "beaver lodge" to live in.

• These ponds provide protection from predators like wolves, coyotes, or mountain lions.

Why are beaver dams important? 💦

• Beaver dams don't just create a place for beavers to live!

• The ponds that beaver dams create are important habitats for other wetland animals, including birds and fish.

• These ponds also help control soil erosion and reduce flooding.

Keystone Species 🌟

• Beavers are "keystone species" because they play a crucial role in maintaining their ecosystems.

Other Keystone Species

• Mangroves and Coastal Protection:

  • Mangrove forests along the coastlines of the Philippines play a crucial role in protecting coastal communities from storm surges and erosion.

• Coral Reefs and Fisheries:

  • Coral reefs are essential habitats for marine biodiversity and support local fisheries that provide livelihoods for many Filipinos.

• Deforestation and Watershed Health:

  • Deforestation in the upland areas of the Philippines can lead to soil erosion, reduced water quality, and disrupted water flow downstream.

Concept Check 📚

Identifying Ecosystems

• Rainforest Ecosystem:

  • Biotic factors: animals, plants, insects, reptiles, amphibians, fungi, and microorganisms

  • Abiotic factors: temperature, humidity, soil composition, air, topography, rainfall

• Coral Reef Ecosystem:

  • Biotic factors: zooxanthellae, algae and seagrasses, crabs, fish, and coral

  • Abiotic factors: water, wind, soil type, nutrient availability, temperature, sunlight, salt, and waves

• Mangrove Ecosystem:

  • Biotic factors: mangrove trees, their roots, the species present and other living organisms

  • Abiotic factors: water, soil, air, and sunlight

• Grassland Ecosystem:

  • Biotic factors: mammals (bison, deer, antelope), arthropods (scorpions, grasshoppers), different types of grasses (lily, wildflowers, goldenrod)

  • Abiotic factors: rocks, rivers, soil, lakes, climate, and rainfall

Ecological Interactions

Producers

• Definition: Organisms that can produce their own food through photosynthesis

• Examples: plants, algae, and bacteria

• Importance: Producers are the base of the food web, providing energy for other organisms

Consumers

• Definition: Organisms that depend on other living things for energy and food

• Types:

  • Herbivores: animals that eat green plants and trees

  • Carnivores: animals that eat other animals

  • Omnivores: animals that eat both plants and animals

  • Detritivores: organisms that consume dead organic matter

• Detritivores:

  • Definition: Organisms that consume dead organic matter, specifically detritus, which includes decomposing plant and animal parts as well as feces

  • Examples: earthworms, millipedes, and dung beetles

• Decomposers:

  • Definition: Organisms, typically fungi and bacteria, that break down dead organic matter by chemically decomposing it

  • Examples: fungi, bacteria, and protozoa

Abiotic Factors

• Climate: the weather conditions and the overall temperature of an ecosystem

• pH: measures the acidity or alkalinity of a substance, affecting the availability of nutrients, solubility of minerals, and overall health of organisms

• Light: essential for photosynthesis, affecting plant growth and development

• Water Currents: vital for nutrient distribution, oxygen levels, temperature, habitat formation, and organism dispersal

Environmental Challenges 🌪

Climate Change

• Definition: Gradual rise in Earth's average temperature due to increased greenhouse gas emissions

• Impact: Rising sea levels, more frequent natural disasters, and changes in precipitation patterns

Habitat Loss

• Definition: Destruction of natural habitats due to deforestation, urbanization, and agricultural expansion

• Impact: Loss of biodiversity, displacement of wildlife, disruption of ecological balance

Pollution

• Definition: Introduction of harmful substances into the environment, such as air, water, and soil pollution

• Impact: Degraded air quality, contaminated water sources, negative health effects on humans and wildlife

Biodiversity Loss

• Definition: Decline in the variety and abundance of plant and animal species in various ecosystems

• Impact: Disruption of ecosystem functioning, reduction in genetic diversity, potential loss of valuable medicinal resources## Environmental Challenges 🌎

Deforestation

• Large-scale removal of forests, often for timber, agriculture, or urban development

• Impact:

  • Loss of habitat for countless species

  • Increased greenhouse gas emissions

  • Disruption of local and global climates

Water Scarcity 💧

• Insufficient access to clean, fresh water due to overuse, pollution, and poor management

• Impact:

  • Threat to human health

  • Agricultural productivity

  • Ecosystem stability

Air Quality ❄

• Deterioration of the quality of the air due to emissions from industries, vehicles, and other sources

• Impact:

  • Respiratory illnesses

  • Smog formation

  • Damage to plants and ecosystems

Ocean Acidification 🌊

• Increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere lead to higher carbon dioxide concentrations in oceans, resulting in lower pH levels

• Impact:

  • Harm to marine life, particularly organisms with calcium carbonate shells or skeletons (corals, mollusks)

Ecology vs Environmental Science

• Ecology: The study of the relationships between living organisms and their environment

• Environmental Science: The study of the natural world and the impact of human activities on the environment

Concept Checks

Biotic and Abiotic Factors

• Biotic factors: Living components of an ecosystem (plants, animals, microorganisms)

• Abiotic factors: Non-living components of an ecosystem (water, air, soil, sunlight)

Identifying Ecosystems

• Ecosystem: A community of living and non-living components interacting in a specific environment

Ecological Interactions

• Trophic pyramid: A representation of the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem

Environmental Changes

Social and Economic Implications

• Economic consequences of environmental issues:

  • Increased healthcare costs

  • Reduced agricultural yields

  • Damage to infrastructure

  • Decreased property values

Case Study: Economic Impact of Deforestation on Local Communities

• Local Jobs Lost: Timber industry layoffs due to diminished forest resources

• Tourism Decline: Decreased ecotourism potential, leading to income loss

• Increased Costs: Expenses incurred for flood control and erosion prevention after deforestation

Collaborative Efforts

• Multidisciplinary approach: Bringing together expertise from fields such as environmental science, engineering, policy-making, economics, and social sciences to develop comprehensive solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change

Concept Check: Ecological Interactions

1. Mutualism

   • This is a type of interaction where both organisms benefit from each other.

2. Commensalism

   • This is an interaction where one organism benefits while the other is not affected or harmed.

3. Predation

   • This involves one organism (the predator) killing and consuming another (the prey) for sustenance.

4. Parasitism

   • In this type of interaction, the parasite benefits while the host organism suffers.

5. Competition

   • This involves two or more species or individuals competing for the same resources.

6. Amensalism

   • A type of interaction where one organism is harmed, while the other organism is not affected.

7. Neutralism

   • In this type of interaction, the species live together without affecting each other.

   Allelopathy is a biological phenomenon by which an organism produces one or more biochemicals that influence the germination, growth, survival, and reproduction of other organisms from the same community.

Concept Check: Trophic Levels

• Producers: Organisms that make their own food (plants)

• Primary consumers: Organisms that consume producers (herbivores)

• Secondary consumers: Organisms that consume primary consumers (carnivores)## 🌎 Sustainability

Four Pillars of Sustainability

Sustainability is built on four interconnected pillars: social, economic, environmental, and cultural.

Social Sustainability

• Human investments: health and education systems, access to services, nutrition, knowledge, skills

• Natural resources and spaces available are limited, and there is a need to balance continual growth with improvements to health and achieving economic wellbeing for everyone.

Economic Sustainability

• Efficient use of assets to maintain profitability over time

• Aims to maintain the capital intact, improve the standard of living, and maintain high and stable levels of economic growth

Environmental Sustainability

• Improve human welfare through protection of natural capital

• Ensure needs of population are met without risk of compromising the needs of future generations

Cultural Sustainability

Concept Checks

• Can you name and briefly describe each of the four pillars of sustainability?

• What are the potential consequences if one of the four pillars of sustainability (economic, social, environmental, or cultural) receives disproportionate support and attention from its stakeholders, while the others are neglected or receive less focus?

Principle of Population

Thomas Malthus (1766-1834) first articulated the Principle of Population in his essay "An Essay on the Principle of Population". He was influenced by the conditions of his time, such as the scarcity of food resources and the rapid population growth in the 18th century.

Population checks can be caused by:

• Resource scarcity

• Other factors (not specified in the transcript)