The branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to

one another and to their physical surroundings.

Thebranchofbiologydealingwiththerelationsand
interactionsbetweenorganismsandtheir
environment,includingother
organisms.
Levels of Studying Ecology
Biosphere: The earths ecosystem interacting with the physical
environment as a whole to maintain a steady state system
intermediate in the flow of energy between the high energy input of
the sun and the thermal sink of space (merges with atmosphere,
lithosphere, hydrosphere).
Biome: Large scale areas of similar vegetation and climatic
characteristics.
Ecosystem: Set of organisms and abiotic components connected by
the exchange of matter and energy (forest, lake, coastal ocean).
 Community: Interacting populations which significantly
affect each others distributions and abundance (intertidal,
hot spring, wetland). Population: Group of interacting and
interbreeding organisms Cell/Organism Organelle
Molecule Atom

Ecology is the study of living beings in their habitat or a study

of the interaction of the organisms with their environment
and among themselves.
 An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting
of all plants, animals and micro-
organisms (biotic factors) in an area
functioning together with all of the non-
living physical (abiotic) factors of the
environment.
 1.Natural Ecosystems
Natural Ecosystems are self-regulatory ecosystems and are driven by
the solar energy: Forest Ecosystem, Grassland Ecosystem, Desert
Ecosystem,Lake, Pond, SwampEcosystem.

2. Artificial Ecosystems
It is also known as human engineered Ecosystems. These are not
self- regulated ecosystems. These ecosystems depend on human
interventions to meet their energy requirements e.g paddy field
ecosystem ,plantation crops ecosystems etc.
 1. The components of Ecosystem are Biotic
and Abiotic
Biotic All living members , microbes, plants

and animals.
Abiotic components include different media

such as soil, wter, minerals, sunlight,

atmospheric, gases etc.
 The biotic components are classified into Autotrophs
(producers and Heterotrophs (Consumers)
The consumers are classified into macro-consumers i.e
herbivores, carnivores, omnivores
Micro consumers i.e Saprotrops or decomposers.
Abiotic further classified into physical and chemical
components.
 1. Soils are much more complex than simple sediments. They
contain a mixture of weathered rock fragments, highly altered
soil mineral particles, organic matter, and living organisms.
Soils provide nutrients, water, a home, and a structural
growing medium for organisms. The vegetation found
growing on top of a soil is closely linked to this component of
an ecosystem through nutrient cycling

2. The atmosphere provides organisms found within

ecosystems with carbon dioxide for photosynthesis and
oxygen for respiration. The processes of evaporation,
transpiration and precipitation cycle water between the
atmosphere and the Earths surface.
 3. Solar radiation is used in ecosystems to heat the
atmosphere and to evaporate and transpire water into the
atmosphere. Sunlight is also necessary for photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis provides the energy for plant growth and me
tabolism, and the organic food for other forms of life .
4. Most living tissue is composed of a very high percentage
of water, up to and even exceeding 90%. The protoplasm of a
very few cells can survive if their water content drops below
10%, and most are killed if it is less than 30-50%
 5. Water is the medium by which mineral nutrients enter and
are trans-located in plants. It is also necessary for the
maintenance of leaf turgidity and is required for
photosynthesis chemical reactions
Biotic Components:
The living organisms including plants, animals and micro-
organisms (Bacteria and Fungi) that are present in an
ecosystem form the biotic components.
On the basis of their role in the ecosystem the biotic
components can be classi fied into three main groups:
(A) Producers
(B) Consumers
(C) Decomposers or Reducers.
(A) Producers:
(A) Producers:
The green plants have chlorophyll with the help
of which they trap solar energy and change it into
chemical energy of carbohydrates using simple
inorganic compounds namely water and carbon
dioxide. This process is known as photo
synthesis. As the green plants manufacture their
own food they are known as Autotrophs (i.e. auto
= self, trophos = feeder)
The chemical energy stored by the producers is
utilised partly by the producers for their own
growth and survival and the remaining is stored
in the plant parts for their future use.
(B) Consumers:
The animals lack chlorophyll and are unable to
synthesise their own food. Therefore, they depend
on the producers for their food. They are known as
heterotrophs (i.e. heteros = other, trophos = feeder)
The consumers are of four types, namely:
(a)Primary Consumers or First Order Consumers
or Herbivores:
These are the animals which feed on plants or the
producers. They are called herbivores. Examples are
rabbit, deer, goat, cattle etc.
(b)Secondary Consumers or Second Order
Consumers or Primary Carnivores:
The animals which feed on the herbivores are called
the primary carnivores. Examples are cats, foxes,
snakes etc.
(c)Tertiary Consumers or Third Order Consumers:
These are the large carnivores which feed on the
secondary consumers. Example are Wolves.
(d) Quaternary Consumers or Fourth Order
Consumers or Omnivores:
These are the largest carnivores which feed on the
tertiary consumers and are not eaten up by any other
animal. Examples are lions and tigers.
 (C) Decomposers or Reducers:
Bacteria and fungi belong to this category. They
breakdown the dead organic materials of
producers (plants) and consumers (animals) for
their food and release to the environment the
simple inorganic and organic substances
produced as by-products of their metabolisms.
These simple substances are reused by the
producers resulting in a cyclic exchange of
materials between the biotic community and the
abiotic environment of the ecosystem. The
decomposers are known as Saprotrophs (i.e.,
sapros = rotten, trophos = feeder)
 A dense, impenetrable thicket of shrubs
or dwarf trees. A vegetation type
dominated by shrubs and small trees,
especially evergreen trees with thick,
small leaves
 A large underwater formation created
from the calcium carbonate skeletons of
coral animals; can also refer to the
animals living on and near the coral reef.
 A desert is a landscape form or region
that receives very little precipitation.
Deserts can be defined as areas that
receive an average annual precipitation of
less than 250 mm (10 in), or as areas in
which more water is lost than falls as
precipitation.In the Kppen climate
classification system, deserts are classed
as BWh (hot desert) or BWk (temperate
desert).
 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.
 Any marine environment, from pond to
ocean, in which plants and animals
interact with the chemical and physical
features on the environment.
 Mixed rainforest or mixed forest) is a
rainforest classification where eucalypt
forest grows in combination with Cool
Temperate rainforest species.
 A tropical or subtropical grassland
containing scattered trees and drought-
resistant undergrowth.
 Is the subfield of ecology which deals with
the interaction of plants, animals and humans
with each other and with their environment in
urban or urbanizing settings. Analysis of
urban settings in the context of ecosystem
ecology (looking at the cycling of matter and
the flow of energy through the ecosystem)
can result in healthier, better managed
communities. Studying the factors which
allow wild plants and animals to survive (and
sometimes thrive) in built environments can
also create more livable spaces. It allows
people to adapt to the changing environment
while preserving the resources.
 This figure with the plants, zebra, lion,
and so forth illustrates the two main ideas
about how ecosystems function:
ecosystems have energy flows and
ecosystems cycle materials . These two
processes are linked, but they are not
quite the same
 Energy enters the biological system as light
energy, or photons, is transformed into
chemical energy in organic molecules by
cellular processes including photosynthesis
and respiration, and ultimately is converted
to heat energy. This energy is dissipated,
meaning it is lost to the system as heat; once
it is lost it cannot be recycled. Without the
continued input of solar energy, biological
systems would quickly shut down. Thus the
earth is an open system with respect to
energy
 During decomposition these materials are not
destroyed or lost, so the earth is a closed
system with respect to elements (with the
exception of a meteorite entering the system
now and then). The elements are cycled
endlessly between their biotic and abiotic
states within ecosystems. Those elements
whose supply tends to limit biological activity
are called nutrients.
 The transformations of
energy in an ecosystem
begin first with the input of
energy from the sun.
Energy from the sun is
captured by the process of
photosynthesis. Carbon
dioxide is combined with
hydrogen (derived from the
splitting of water
molecules) to produce
carbohydrates (CHO).
Energy is stored in the high
energy bonds of adenosine
triphosphate, or ATP