Lec1 Ecology

ECOLOGY Lec:1
Earth is the only planet in the solar system that supports life. This is because
of the three physical systems on it that is, soil, water and air which provide material
essential for life. All the living beings differ from each other but they are all
interdependent and interact with each other as also with, their environment directly
or indirectly. In this lesson we study the earth’s own life support system, the
organizational levels of living beings and their characteristics.
 Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relationship and interactions between
organisms and their environment. The term ecology is derived from a Greek word
Oekologie where “oikos” meaning “household” and “logos” means “the study of”.
Ecological Organization of Life

Various levels of organization exist in the living systems starting from the molecules
such as DNA (genes) to the whole biosphere. The levels of organization are as
follows:
Gene → Cell → organ → organism → Species Population → Community →
Ecosystem → Biome → Biosphere.
 Environment
The term environment denotes all the physical, chemical and biotic conditions
Surrounding and influencing a living organism. Favorable environmental conditions
are required to sustain life on earth.
The environment can be divided into two main components: Non-Living and
Living components.
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1. Abiotic or Non-living components include the physical (climatic), edaphic
(nature of soil) and chemical. as temperature, light, pressure, humidity, precipitation,
wind, mineral elements of soil and composition of air. Some of these environmental
factors serve as resources (air, soil and water) while others act as regulatory factors
(light, temperature and pressure etc).
2. Biotic or Living components include All living organisms found in the
environment including plants, animals and microorganisms.
1- Definition and Concept

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) defines environment as “the
whole outer physical and biological system in which man and other organisms
live”.
P. Gisbert says, “environment is anything immediately surrounding an object
and exerting a direct influence on it”.
According to E. J. Ross, “environment is an external force which influences us”.
As per Environment (Protection) Act of 1986, environment refers to the “sum
total of air, water and land and the interrelationships among themselves and
also with the human beings, other living organisms or property.”
Some other definitions of the term ‘environment’ given by eminent scientists or
important environmental agencies are:
‘A person’s environment consists of the sum total of the stimulation which he receives
from his conception until his death.’ It can be concluded from the above definition
that Environment comprises various types of forces such as physical, economic,
political, cultural, social, moral and emotional. Environment is the sum total of all the
external forces, influences and conditions, which affect the life, nature, behavior and
the growth, development and maturation of living organisms’.
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Boring
‘The term environment is used to describe, in the aggregate, all the external forces,
influences and conditions, which affect the life, nature, behaviour and the growth,
development and maturity of living organisms.’
Douglas and Holland
‘All of the biotic and abiotic factors that act on an organism, population, or
ecological community and influence its survival and development. Biotic factors
include the organisms themselves, their food, and their interactions. Abiotic factors
include such items as sunlight, soil, air, water, climate, and pollution. Organisms
respond to changes in their environment by evolutionary adaptations in form and
behavior.’
The place where an organism lives is known as the habitat of that organism. The
habitat of an organism actually represents a particular set of environmental
conditions suitable for its successful growth and survival. In its habitat an organism
or group of organisms is surrounded and affected by other organisms or groups of
organisms, materials, forces, conditions, etc. This whole of the factors which
influence an organism is known as its environment. Man, like any other living
organism on the earth, is also surrounded and affected by his environment. In fact,
the main focus of environmental studies is man and the environment refers to what
surrounds and affects man’s life. But man cannot exist in isolation from other forms
of life. These other forms of life including innumerable species of plants, animals and
micro-organisms are part of man’s environment and affect his life in many ways.
The Environment around us, therefore, constitutes a “Life Support System”. We
can generalize that everything which surrounds us forms a part of the
‘environment’.
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2- Importance of Environment
It is the environment which provides us a life support system which is vital for
sustaining life on this planet. Environment is a storehouse of various resources which
are essential for life. Different components of environment interact within
themselves and with living organisms present over there. These interactions have
great bearing on organisms’ survival and health. A good, safe and healthy
environment is always a prerequisite condition for life.
A living organism is a product of its genotype (genetic makeup) and phenotype
(environment). Besides an organism’s genetic make-up, its environment decides
what type of individual it should become. Likewise it is environment which shapes
the nature, distribution and prosperity of a population. A healthier and favorable
environment guarantees a better and longer survival of an individual or a
population.
We all share same environment on the earth. Every one irrespective of his age,
sex, profession or place of living is affected by the environment he or she lives in
and also affects his environment by his deeds. Any damage or disturbance caused to
or happened in the environment is bound to affect all human beings equally. Air,
water, earth and biodiversity are the major parts of our environment. Our life heavily
depends on these interrelated components of environment. Any disturbance to any
of these components will badly affect entire environmental complex and thus all
humanity will have to suffer.
Human interventions in the natural environment have already caused a great deal
of detrimental changes in the environmental complex. These changes are being seen
as a tremendous threat to human existence itself. Global warming, ozone depletion,
climatic change, etc.. are some of the problems resulted mainly due to man. These
problems are of global scale.
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i. Types of Environment
Though everything that surrounds a living organism is its environment and affects
its life. However on the basis of proximity or nearness and the nature of the
influences exerted on the organisms by the environment it can be of following
types
a. Micro-environment: It refers to the immediate local surroundings of an organism.
b. Macro-environment: It refers to all the physical and biotic conditions that surround
the organism externally. Microenvironment is merely a part of it.
Similarly on the basis of the composition or nature of the environmental
components following types of environment can be enumerated.
a. Terrestrial environment where a major components of environment is land
b. Aquatic environment where water forms the major portion of an individual’s
environment
c. Aerial environment where air is the dominant environmental factor.

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ECOLOGY Lec:1

Ecological Organization of Life

1- Definition and Concept

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