Introduction To Ecology

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Ecology is the cornerstone of the Life Sciences. It provides the link between the different branches of Life Sciences, structuring them as a complete concept of life. Ecology studies the relationships between living beings, be it animal, plants or microorganisms, and with their environment. How we interact, benefit or compete with each other, how we evolve together, how the environment presents opportunities for change, and how living beings alter the environment to provide for their own needs.

Lesson Structure

There are 7 lessons in this course:

1. Ecosystems & Populations
   • Components of an ecosystem, Biomes, Detrital & grazing webs, trophic levels, energy flows etc
2. The Development Of Life
   • Lifespans, Natural selection, Genetics, Understanding arguments for and against theory of evolution, etc
3. Animals, Parasites & Endangered Species
   • Comparative anatomy, how animals fit in ecosystems, animals in the human community, parasites, etc
4. Fungi, Tundra, Rainforests & Marshlands
   • Physiology, anatomy, classification and ecology of fungi; Location, the climate, the plant and animal life
   • related to different systems including tundra, marshes and rainforests.
5. Mountains, Rivers & Deserts
   • Formation ecology and importance of mountains (including erosion, volcanoes etc), formation & types of rivers, catchments, dams, deserts and their ecology, etc.
6. Shallow Waters
   • Shore lines, coral reefs, intermediate reefs, estuaries, sandy shores, etc.
7. Ecological Problems
   • The Greenhouse Effect, The Ozone Layer, Poisons & Waste Materials

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

• To identify the components of an ecosystem and how they interact.
• Discuss the basis of the Theory of Evolution and those elements of science which influenced the theory.
• To discuss the existence of animals in the ecosystem.
• To discuss the presence of plant life in a range of ecological situations
• To discuss the ecological features of mountains, rivers and deserts.
• To discuss the ecological features of shallow water regions and coral seas.
• To discuss the ecological implications of human activities on the environment.

What You Will Do

• Observe an ecosystem in your local area. Identify the inhabitants of the ecosystem and their location in the food web of that system.
• Compare the similarities and differences between the detrital web and the grazing web
• Discuss what scientific discoveries the Theory of Evolution, both past and present, is based on.
• List and explain the four arguments of evolution.
• Define Natural Selection.
• Discuss how genetics are related to evolution.
• Go to an ecological environment (as natural and un-human interfered as possible) and observe the plants and relationships that exist.
• Visit a local stream or river. Observe the condition of the stream, particularly the presence of indigenous vegetation and its affect on stream bank condition. Also look for evidence of human activity on the condition of the stream or river
• Discuss, in your own words, the theories which have been advanced in the past regarding the formation of coral reefs.

WHAT IS ECOLOGY

The word “ecosystem” was coined by Sir Arthur George Tansley in 1935. He used the word to stress the concept of each habitat as an integrated whole. A system is a collection of interdependent parts that function as a unit and involve inputs and outputs.

The major parts of an ecosystem are:

• Producers - Green plants
• Consumers - Herbivores and carnivores
• Decomposers - Fungi and bacteria
• Abiotic - Non living components, including dead organic matter and soil and water nutrients.

There are elements that need to be put into the ecosystem in order for it to work. The ecosystem also contributes to the natural environment overall. Inputs and outputs of an ecosystem include:

Inputs

• Solar energy
• Water
• Oxygen
• Carbon dioxide
• Nitrogen
• Other elements and compounds

Outputs

• Heat from respiration
• Water
• Oxygen
• Carbon Dioxide

TYPES OF ECOLOGY

Behavioural Ecology

Behavioural ecology looks at how behaviour effects the survival, reproduction and growth of a species. The way individuals of a species behave can affect the survival of a population. Zoologist/Ethologist Nikolaas Tinbergen (1963) addressed the issue of “why” animals behave in certain ways by asking four questions:

• Function – How do prey and patch choice contribute to the survival of an animal and its offspring?
• Causation – What causes an animal to select a particular site? This can include abundance of prey, vegetation cover and the activity of other animals in the area (competition).
• Development – How does the genetic disposition of the animal affect its behaviour?
• Evolutionary History (Phylogeny) – How did a particular animal adapt to occupy a particular ecological niche (position of a species within its ecosystem)?

An example of behavioural ecology would be when certain species group together in herds, they lessen their individual chance of predation. Ecologists would address the four aspects above to understand why the species behaved in this way.

Population Ecology

Populations are groups of individuals of the same species, all of which can interbreed occupying a defined area. Population ecology examines dynamics such as how these populations grow, interact and how they are limited by the resources around them by competition and by predation. Population ecology is central in the role of wildlife managers and examines such factors as birth rate (fecundity), death rate (mortality), age structure and immigration of new individuals into the population (recruitment).

Community Ecology

Community ecology examines how different species interact with each other and their environment within a specific geographic area (or community). It looks at why some environments support many species where others don’t.

Community ecology takes factors such as demography, distribution, abundance and interactions between populations into consideration. The interactions between different species are called interspecific interactions. An example of an interspecific interaction might be a Barn Owl preying upon a field vole living in the same community.

Ecosystem Ecology

Ecosystem ecology looks at how energy and nutrients flow through communities and the effects that energy and nutrients have on those communities. It looks at trophic (feeding) levels and how solar energy flows from plants to herbivores, carnivores and detrivores.

WHY CHOOSE US?

If you wish to further your studies in this field, we offer Certificates, Diplomas and Vocational (career) studies in Wildlife Management, Waste Management, Plant Ecology, Environmental Studies, Marine Studies, Botany and Earth Science. See more at: