Concept of Ecology & Ecosystem

Ecology Ecology is the integrated study of biotic

and abiotic components of ecosystems and their interactions within an ecosystem framework. This science examines how ecosystems work and relates this to their components such as chemicals, bedrock, soil, plants, and animals. Ecosystem ecology examines physical and biological structure and examines how these ecosystem characteristics interact.

•Ecosystem--Biological Community: A set of species that occupies a particular locality and interact with each other.--Ecosystem: A biological community together with its associated physical environment. --Unique set of resources that is used by a particular species in a community.

Ecosystems are functional units consisting of living things in a given area, non-living chemical and physical factors of their environment, linked together through nutrient cycle and energy flow.

•Example of Ecosystems-ecosystems can be small and large, for example, from a small pond to a large forest resource system

•The term ecosystem refers to ecological system that deals with a set of biological community interacting together in an abiotic environment. •The physical (abiotic) environment can be defined as an ecosystem.•Ecosystems are an essential part for the species for their existence.

Classification of Ecosystem

-1. Natural (terrestrial & aquatic ecosystems)-Lentic, the ecosystem of a lake, pond or swamp.Lotic, the ecosystem of a river, stream or spring.

2. Artificial (human made ecosystems)

Classification of Ecosystem

•Ecosystem functions-to maintain supportive environment & services to the biological community including humans-to create & maintain favourable food chain and resource supply-to ensure ecosystem stability-to maintain resilience

Ecosystem Services

•The existence of all ecosystems on earth is essential to all species including humans (particularly for the existence of the civilization)-regulating (climate, floods, nutrient balance, water filtration) -provisioning (food, medicine, minerals) cultural (science, spiritual, ceremonial, recreation, aesthetic) -supporting (nutrient cycling, photosynthesis, soil formation).

Biomes (Ecological Terms) Biomes are a classification of

globally similar areas, including ecosystems, such as ecological communities of plants and animals, soil organisms and climatic conditions

Biomes are in part defined based on factors such as plant structures (such as trees, shrubs and grasses), leaf types (such as broadleaf and needle leaf), plant spacing (forest, woodland, savanna) and climate.

Unlike ecozones, biomes are not defined by genetic, taxonomic or historical similarities. Biomes are often identified with particular patterns of ecological succession and climax vegetat

Biomes World

Classification of biomes A fundamental classification of

biomes is:1. Terrestrial (land) biomes.2. Freshwater biomes.3. Marine biomes.

Terrestrial Biomes

Fresh water biomes

Human ecosystem Human ecosystems are complex

cybernetic systems that are increasingly being used by ecological anthropologists and other scholars to examine the ecological aspects of human communities in a way that integrates multiple factors as economics, socio-political organization, psychological factors, and physical factors related to the environment.

Human ecosystem