Ecology

Overview: Discovering Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the interactions between organisms and the environment
These interactions determine the distribution of organisms and their abundance
Modern ecology includes observation and experimentation

The Scope of Ecological Research
Ecologists work at levels ranging from individual organisms to the planet

Global Ecology
The biosphere is the global ecosystem, the sum of all the planet’s ecosystems
Global ecology examines the influence of energy and materials on organisms across the biosphere

Landscape Ecology
A landscape or seascape is a mosaic of connected ecosystems
Landscape ecology focuses on the exchanges of energy, materials, and organisms across multiple ecosystems

Ecosystem Ecology
An ecosystem is the community of organisms in an area and the physical factors with which they interact
Ecosystem ecology emphasizes energy flow and chemical cycling among the various biotic and abiotic components

Community Ecology
A community is a group of populations of different species in an area
Community ecology deals with the whole array of interacting species in a community
Community ecology
How organisms interact and form functional communities.

Population Ecology
A population is a group of individuals of the same species living in an area
Population ecology focuses on factors affecting population size over time
Population ecology
Studies species interactions
Predation
Competition
Parasitism

What is an exotic species?
……….and can it be harmful?

Organismal Ecology
Organismal ecology studies how an organism’s structure, physiology, and (for animals) behavior meet environmental challenges
Organismal ecology includes physiological, evolutionary, and behavioral ecology
Physiological ecology
How organisms are physiologically adapted to their environment and how much the environment impacts the distribution of species.
Behavioral ecology
How the behavior of an