Ecology
Introduction of ecology:
• Ecology is the study of how living things interact with eachother and with their environment.
• It looks at how plants, animals, and other organisms depend on air, water, soil and other living things to survive.
• A scientist who learns the study of ecology is called an ecologists
Ecosystem
• Definition - An ecosystem is a system where living and non-living things interact.
Sub-topics:- Biotic and abiotic components
Biotic:
• Definition - Biotic components are the living parts of an organism inside the ecosystem.
They include:
• Plants - They make their own food and provide energy for others.
• Animals - They eat plants or other animals.
• Microorganisms - Bacteria, fungi, Protozoa etc..
Abiotic components:
• Definition - abiotic components are the non-living parts of an ecosystem.
They include:
• Sunlight - Provides the light plants need to make food with.
• Air - supplies essential gasses like oxygen and carbon dioxide to living organisms.
• Temperature - effects how well plants and animals survive.
Adaption of organisms:
Definition - Adaptation is the process by which organisms develop features or behaviours that help them survive and live successfully in their environment.
1. Behavioural adaptation - Behavioural adaptation: A behavioural adaptation is a modification in an organism’s actions, patterns, or activities that enhances its survival and reproductive success.
2. Structural adaptation: A structural adaptation is a morphological or anatomical feature of an organism that increases its ability to survive in its environment.
Food chain and web:
• Food chain: A food chain shows how energy passes from one organism to another in a single line.
• Food web: A food web is a network of many connected food chains that shows how organisms in an ecosystem depend on each other.
Biodiversity and conservation:
• Biodiversity: Biodiversity is the variety of different plants, animals, and other living organisms in an environment.
• Conservation: Conservation is the careful protection and management of nature to keep species and habitats safe.