The Science of Ecology

1
The Science of Ecology
2
Introduction to Ecology What is ecology? -Greek
Oikos the home or household -ology study
of -The study of the distribution and abundance
of organisms in relation to their
environment -Focus is on interactions
3
(No Transcript)
4
(No Transcript)
5
Hierarchical organisation of ecological
systems -Organism - a unique individual -Populati
on - group of potentially interbreeding
individuals (i.e., species) -Community - all
populations within an ecosystem (i.e., multiple
species) -Ecosystem - community physical
environment -Biosphere - ecosystems of the Earth
6
(No Transcript)
7
Galaxies
ECOLOGY
Solar system
Scale
Earth
Ecosystem ecology
Ecosystems
PHYSIOLOGY
Community ecology
Communities
Populations
Population ecology
Organisms
Organs
Behavioral ecology
BIOCHEMISTRY
Tissues
CELL BIOLOGY
Cells
Molecules
Atoms
8

• Four ecological subdisciplines
• Behavioural Ecology
• How does behaviour contribute to survivorship,
  reproduction and population growth?
• Population Ecology
• What controls the abundance of a species?
• How do populations grow?
• What are the controls on population growth rate?

9

• Community Ecology
• Interactions among organisms with and across
  environments
• Biodiversity on earth
• Preservation of species-rich areas
• Linkages between species richness and community
  and ecosystem function
• Ecosystem Ecology
• Passage of energy and nutrients through
  communities
• Effects of energy and nutrients on communities
• Human alterations of global nutrient cycles

10
Ecology is an integrative/ interdisciplinary
science -Understanding of the biological
(biotic) and physical (abiotic)
sciences -Closely tied to genetics and
evolution -Includes the role of humans in their
environment ( global change)