An overview of Ecology

1. ECOLOGY
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
ABHIJITH RAJ. R, BSC,MSC

2. ECOLOGY (GK : OIKOS AND LOGOS)
• Ecology is the branch of biology that deals with the study of living system in
relation to their environment.
• According to the Taylor , Ecology is the science of all relation of all organisms to
all their environment.
• Andrewartha’s definition states that Ecology is the scientific approach to the study
of environmental interactions which control the welfare of living things ,
regulating their distribution , abundance , reproduction and evolution.

3. ECOSYSTEM
• An ecosystem is a system consisting of living and non living components that
function together as a unit.
• Simply, a place where community or group of living organism with non living
factors such as water, air , soil etc in mutual relationship constitute the ecosystem.
• Ecosystem is defined as a complex of living organisms, physical environment and
all their interrelationships in a particular unit of space.

4. STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF ECOSYSTEM
• The structure indicates compositional aspects of biotic community and the
functions means the rate of energy flow.
• Ecosystem composed of two major components Abiotic(non living), and
Biotic(living).

5. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

6. ABIOTIC SYSTEM
• The non living factors or the physical environment prevailing in an ecosystem
form the abiotic components.
• It includes soil , water, land , air, minerals etc.
• Abiotic constituents are further classified into two;
• Physical constituents-Soil, temperature, light and water.
• Chemical constituents(inorganic and organic)-Carbon, hydrogen , nitrogen,
carbohydrates, fats, protein etc.

7. BIOTIC ECOSYSTEM
• The living organism including plants, animals and microorganisms like bacteria,
fungi, that are present in an ecosystem form the biotic components.
• Biotic components are classified into producers (Autotrophs) and
consumers(Heterotrophs).
• Consumers are further classified into Macroconsumers and Microconsumers.

8. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

9. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

10. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY