BASIC ECOLOGICAL CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES INTRODUCTION PRESENTLY Alarming rate of environmental degradation Adverse environmental issues and

and problems Bring havoc and poses a very serious problem WHAT CAN WE DO? Need for environmental movement toward environmental conservation and sustainable development People must collaborate, cooperate and work hand in hand to save our mother earth Need for environmental awareness, consciousness and understanding Need for environmental education, information and advocacy activities ECOLOGY study of interrelationships between living organisms and their environment. 2 types of Ecology Autecology deals with the relationships between an organism or population and the environment. Synecology focuses on the relationships between communities and their environment Hierarchy of Organization of Matter in Living Things SOME IMPORTANT TERMS IN ECOLOGY: POPULATION group of organisms belonging to the same species living together in a certain area or habitat. COMMUNITY group of organisms belonging to different species living together and interacting in a certain area or habitat. ECOSYSTEM group of organisms and their interaction or interrelationships with the nonliving environment. SOME IMPORTANT TERMS IN ECOLOGY: ECOLOGICAL NICHE physical space occupied by an organism and its functional role in the ecosystem.

HABITAT place where an organisms lives. 2 Components of the ecosystem from the trophic (nutritional) standpoint:

AUTOTROPHS organisms that fix light energy and use the simple organic substances to build up complex substances. Ex. Plants

HETEROTROPHS organisms which utilize, rearrange and decompose the complex materials. Ex. Animals, bacteria, fungi Ecosystem Abiotic Air Water

Soil Inorganic substances Organic substances Climate regime

Living components of the ecosystem: PLANTS primary producers Ex. Rice, corn, gumamela ANIMALS Herbivores plant eaters; primary consumers. Ex. Horse, goat Carnivores meat eaters; secondary consumers. Ex. Lion, tiger Omnivores those which eat both plants and animals. Ex. Man, pigs, rats, cochroaches Living components of the ecosystem: MICROORGANISMS organisms responsible for the decomposition or breaking down of dead organic matter. Ex. Bacteria and fungi DETRITUS FEEDERS extract nutrients from presently decompose matter. Ex. Crabs, carpenter ants, termites, earthworms Producers and Consumers Non-living component of the ecosystem: WATER (HYDROSPHERE) Properties of Water universal solvent - lubricant carrier - high heat capacity temperature regulator - high heat conductivity protectant Non-living component of the ecosystem: Biological functions of Water Dissolve minerals and nutrients for use by the living organism in the natural processes Reagent in hydrolysis Support for aquatic organism For dispersal of seeds Medium for the germination of seeds Reagent in photosynthesis Habitat for aquatic organisms Non-living component of the ecosystem: SOLID EARTH (LITHOSPHERE)
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SOIL ROCKS SEDIMENTS

Role of Soil to Ecosystem Source of nutrients and water to living organisms in terrestrial environent. Role of Rocks to Ecosystem Facilitate the storage and movement of ground water Source of mineral constituents of sediments and soil Medium of storage and transportation of ground water Role of Sediments to Ecosystem Habitat of aquatic organisms Source of nutrients needed by the aquatic organisms. Soil as a Detritus-Based Ecosystem Dynamic Relationships of Soils Non-living component of ecosystem: AIR (ATMOSPHERE) Role of Air to Ecosystem Medium of weather and different gases which are needed by the organisms Absorb ultraviolet radiation (UV) from the sun thus preventing UV light to enter the surface of the earth (Stratosphere) Structure and Temperature Profile of the Atmosphere Atmospheric Water Vapor Versus Temperature Global Air Movement and Precipitation Role of Humans in the Ecosystem Humans as Ecological Dominants Humans as Tool Making Animals Humans as Robber Animals Humans as Agent of Evolution Humans as Dirty Animals FOOD CHAIN AND FOOD WEB FOOD CHAIN series of feeding relationships between organism that shows who eats whom. FOOD WEB comprise a group of food chains. TROPHIC LEVEL number of steps the organism is away from the primary production.

Feeding Relationships among Producers and Consumers Feeding Relationships among Detritus Feeders Terrestrial Food Web Marine Food Web Important Concepts to Remember on Trophic Level The initial capacity of green plants to fix solar energy will determine the amount of energy available to other trophic levels in the ecosystem.

Because there is some energy lost in the transfer of energy from one trophic level to another, less energy is available to other higher trophic levels. This is exemplified by the pyramid of energy. Some materials which are absorbed at a lower trophic level are not easily broken down and are biologically magnified as they transferred from one trophic level to another. Biomass Pyramid Some Important Concepts to Remember on Trophic Level Biological magnification is the tendency of certain elements or compounds to increase in concentration towards higher food chain or trophic level.

4. Man as a living organism and component of the ecosystem operates at various trophic level. Biomagnification of DDT Decreasing Biomass in Energy Flow Energy Flow Through Trophic Levels Some Human Implications to Energy Flow The effect of humans on net primary productivity is generally to reduce the productivity of wild system and to increase that of cultivated system. Humans exploit the biosphere by increasing their crop yield and shortening their food chains. Increased crop yields are achieved by plant breeding, genetic engineering/biotechnology and energy subsidation of the cropping system. Even in the shortest and most efficient of food chains, loss of energy flow may be high. Energy intensification in cropping system has been accompanied by a substitution of fossil fuels for human and animal power. Crop and livestock production is generally characterized by comparatively shortroute, short-run energy flow, and wide variations in energy intensity. Biogeochemical Cycles Characteristic Movement of the nutrient elements from the environment to organisms and back to the environment. Involvement of biological organisms. A geological reservoir (atmosphere or lithosphere) Presence of chemical change. The Nitrogen Cycle The Carbon Cycle The Phosphorus Cycle Human Implication on the Biological Cycling Human intervene in the water cycle in two main ways (Miller, 1994): Withdrawing large quantities of fresh water from streams and lakes. In heavily irrigated areas, withdrawals have led to groundwater depletion or intrusion of ocean salt water into underground water supplies. Clearing vegetation from land for agriculture, mining, roads construction, and other activities. These activities reduce seepage that recharges groundwater supplies,

increase the risk of flooding and speed surface run off. These produce more soil erosion and landslides. Human Impacts on Biological Cycle: A. Human disturbance of the biological cycle Human activities disturb the biological cycle of altering the composition volume and rate of turnover of nutrients. They can also effect the cycle by the addition of synthetic non-essential substances. B. Increase in volume and rate of biological cycling The most important way humans increase the volume and rate of biological cycling is by the addition of organic and, more particularly, inorganic fertilizers. Inorganic fertilizers increase the volume and rate of nutrient cycle but are more susceptible to leaching. Human Impacts on Biological Cycle: C. Increase in volume and decrease in rate of biological cycling Addition of nutrients from agricultural, domestic and industrial waste has resulted in cultural eutrophication (nutrient enrichment) in water bodies and soil. D. Reduction in volume and rate of biological cycling Extraction of nutrients, generally by grazing and cropping, at a rate greater than replacement, leads to a reduction in volume and rate of nutrient cycling. Reduction is most marked in the case of deforestation because of the relative volume of nutrients stored in the living plant. Deforestation also causes further, indirect reduction in nutrient volume and turnover, through leaching and soil erosion. Human Impacts on Biological Cycle: F. Addition of synthetic materials to the biological cycle The most harmful synthetic materials which enter the biological cycle are pesticides and herbicides. These accumulate in the physical environment or these rapidly become concentrated in animal tissues. High solubility in organic (fatty) tissue combined with high stability and mobility in the environment to make organo-chlorine insecticides which is a serious pollution threat to the biological cycle. Water Cycle All biogeochemical cycles are closely tied to the water cycle and the flow of energy thru the biosphere. The following are the roles of water in biogeochemical cycles: Dissolved nutrients are carried from the earths surface either into the ground or into the ocean. Atmospheric nutrients are often brought to the earths surface in rainwater. Nutrients held in rocks are gradually released by weathering accomplished by rain, by erosion through flowing water and by freezing and defrosting of ice. Nutrients are usually dissolved in water when they are absorbed into the roots of plants.

Water is critical in accomplishing the various chemical changes that nutrients undertake as they pass thru the biophase of their cycle. Function of energy flow in facilitating biogeochemical cycles: Keeps the earth warm enough so that chemical reactions are possible. Makes it possible for living organisms to carry on their vital processes. Powers the atmospheric, geological and water cycles. Energy is needed by the plants to pump water and consequently to extract dissolved nutrients from the soil. Bacteria require considerable amount of energy to carry out their vital processes and thereby change nutrient from one form to another. Movement of Nutrients and Energy Through Ecosystem Interaction Among Organism

Community Properties Productivity measure of the rate at which photosynthesis produces biomass made of energy rich compounds. Primary productivity rate of biomass production Net primary productivity rate at which all the plants in an ecosystem produce net useful chemical energy. Community Properties Diversity measure of the number of different species, ecological niches or genetic variation present. Abundance total number of organisms in a community. Complexity number of species at each trophic level and the number of trophic levels in a community. Community Properties Connectedness composed of many trophic levels which are compartmentalized into subdivisions. Ex. Herbivores grouped into guilds based on the various ways they feed on plants. - fruit eaters - seed gnawers - root borers - sap suckers - leaf nibblers Community Properties Resilience and Stability 3 kinds of Stability. Constancy lack of fluctuations in composition of functions. Inertia - resistance to perturbations. Renewal ability to repair damage after disturbance. Terrestrial Communities/Ecosystems BIOMES communities that cover large geographical areas and that exhibit similar plant and animal associations as well as community structure. BIOME TYPES:

- Desert - Deciduous Forest - Grassland - Coniferous Forest - Tropical Rainforest - Tundra World Distribution of the Major Terrestrial Biomes Climate and Major Biomes Decreasing Temperature and Biome Shifts Terrestrial Communities/Ecosystems Deserts and Areas Subject to Desertification Terrestrial Communities/Ecosystems Terrestrial Communities/Ecosystems Terrestrial Communities/Ecosystems Terrestrial Communities/Ecosystems Terrestrial Communities/Ecosystems Aquatic Communities/Ecosystems Saltwater/Marine Ecosystem a. Brackish water b. Open Ocean c. Estuaries d. Coastal ecosystem Aquatic Communities/Ecosystems Aquatic Communities/Ecosystems Aquatic Communities/Ecosystems Aquatic Communities Ecosystem Aquatic Communities/Ecosystems AGROECOSYSTEM Characteristics of Agroecosystem Characteristics of Agroecosystem Properties of Agroecosystem Properties of Agroecosystem Problems Affecting Agroecosystem Urban Ecosystem Why people are pulled to urban areas? Jobs Better life Better livelihood opportunities Introduction of modern mechanical agriculture which use less farm labor Major urban resource and environmental problems Scarcity of trees, shrubs and other natural vegetation Alteration of local and regional climate which cause urban heat island Lack of water Rapid runoff of water from asphalt and concrete Production of large quantities of air pollution, water pollution, garbage and other solid wastes. Excessive noise Total Product Life Cycle and Hazardous Chemicals Temperature Inversion

Acid Deposition Greenhouse Effect Pollution and Human Endeavors Prime Sources of Major Air Pollutants Human Activities Causing Water Pollution Negative Impacts of Sediments INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY AS AN INNOVATIVE MANAGEMENT Goals of Industrial Ecology Key Concepts of Industrial Ecology System Analysis Material and Energy Flows and Transformations Linear (open) Versus Cyclical (closed) Loop Systems Industrial Ecology Framework STRATEGIES TO DEMONSTRATE THE IE CONCEPT STRATEGIES TO DEMONSTRATE THE IE CONCEPT STRATEGIES TO DEMONSTRATE THE IE CONCEPT