Fabillar, Yeldez Arra N.

BSMA – 4
MWF 10:00-11:00 am Mr. Jake Joshua C. Garces

1. What is ecosystem structures and dynamics? Discuss the importance of knowing the structure
and ecosystem as well as the processes involved in different ecosystems.

The ecosystem structures and dynamics are the interaction and inter-relation of the different
components of the ecosystem. There two main components of the ecosystem, they are the
living and non-living entities. Non-living entities are the ones that help the living organism build
and stabilize a structure. That structures involve the producers, consumers, and decomposers.
Knowing those is important because it will make us aware of what to uphold and what to
conserve as part of that structure.

2. Define and discuss the different scopes of ecological research:

a. Global Ecology
This studies the interaction of species to the Earth’s atmosphere, ecosystems, land, and
ocean. This interaction may cause consequences and problems, this study could help in
the larger scale of interaction that the species are in.

b. Landscape Ecology
This focuses on the patterns and processes in a certain landscape. Those patterns and
processes, and their relationship to the landscape, and the relationship of the human
activity in the changes of the landscape is also focused on this study.

c. Ecosystem Ecology
This studies about the interaction of the community of living organisms to the non-living
organisms. This focuses on the chemical and energy flow of the non-living component to
the living organisms.

d. Community Ecology
This is interested in the processes of interations and consequences of organisms in a
community. Community is the different species interacting in one area. This study
focuses on the reason why different species interact with one another, and what
reactions or consequences will it bring to the population.

e. Population Ecology
This studies about the coexistence of the species, and population growth and density in
the environment. This focuses on how and why the members of a population decrease
or increase in number over time. It finds out the reason why and how the size changes.

f. Organismal Ecology
This studies the behavioral, physiological, and morphological adaptation of an organism
in a specific habitat. This is the adaptation that will enable an organism to survive in the
environment that they belong to.

3. Discuss the role of human actions leading to these species’ distribution by disrupting its:
 a. Dispersal
Human roles in and organism’s distribution by disrupting its dispersal may be done
intentionally or accidentally. Organisms are intentionally transferred through means of
transportations and it may accidentally be dispersed when it is subconciously
transferred without notice.

b. Biotic interactions
Distribution of species and taking them away from their population could affect greatly
on the interactions that those species adapted. This can gain a consequence on such
interaction.

4. As an ecologist focusing on the physical and chemical factors of the wide distribution of plants
and animals, explain the significance of knowing the limit of tolerance for a species’ evolution
and survival?

Physical and chemical factors affects the organism in such a way that the organism would be
able to have tolerance to it. Being able to tolerate these factors would also mean that too much
of this factor would greatly affect the organism in a negative way. Knowing their level of
tolerance is very important because species from time to time changes and adapts to the
environment, it is only vital to know their level of tolerance to help the organism survive.

5. Discuss the complexity of the coexistence between humans and other living organisms (e.g.
humans and bacteria, humans and protists, humans and fungi, humans and plants, and humans
and animals). Give one example for each that shows species coexistence.

The coexistence of human and bacteria could either be parasitic or mutual. Mutual relationship
is when both bacteria and human benefits each other, for example, the bacteria in the digestive
system which helps in the digestion, while parasitic is when the bacteria benefitted from the
human which cause the human to be harmed. Human and protist coexist with the help of the
protists’ production of oxygen from photosynthesis. Human and fungi coexist because fungi are
decomposers and human needs those to have nutrients to their other necessities. Human and
plants coexist because they exchange carbon dioxide with oxygen which is very vital to both’s
survival. Humans and animals coexistence may, like the bacteria, be parasitic or mutual, they
may benefit or harm each other.

6. Define the following terms:

a. Habitat Fragmentation
It is when a habitat belongs to a larger habitat but is isolated and fragmented into
smaller and more isolated area.

b. Introduction of alien species

It is when an organism that is not a native to the place or area is being intorduced and
transferred by human in an environment that they do not occur often. This is a great
factor for the extinction of native species in the area.

c. Population growth
It is the growth of a group of the same species in one area. This occurs when there is
abundance of food, space, and resources and there are few or maybe no predators.
 d. Pollution
This happens when there are a lot of waste that the resource or environment can
handle.

e. Climate change
It is the change of the usual weather in a certain place. This may be caused by the
increase of production of gases into the air.

f. Overexploitation
It is taking excess amount of renewable resources to the point that it would not be able
to keep a few amount. The reasons to this is because of consumption, and economics.

7. Discuss the difference between conservation biology and restoration ecology. What is the
importance of studying these fields considering the current condition of the earth’s biodiversity
as a whole?

Conservation Biology focuses on the understanding of the factors that influences the loss,
protection and restoration of biodiversity within an ecosystem while Restoration Ecology
focuses on the creation or improvement of habitat.

8. Identify 1 (one) environmentally-sustainable management in the preservation of biodiversity in

the whole world.

One would be the protection and preservation of endangered species everywhere in the globe.
In this way, these endangered species will be given the time to reproduce and increase in
number. Although, there are people that could surpass this rule, most of the hunters who hunts
endangered species always pay for the consequences.

9. Give 2 environmental social movements and give its importance in maintaining the earth’s biotic
and abiotic factors.

Two environmental social movements would be WWF and PNPCS. WWF means World Wide
Fund for Nature, it is an organization that reduces human impact to the environment and
preserves the environment. PNPCS means Philippine Native Plants Conservation Society, it is
devoted in the conservation of indigenous plants in the Philippines and their habitat.

10. Can humans continue to overexploit our resources with our ever-increasing population? Why do
you say so? Discuss by giving a very concrete example.

No, because increasing population occupies a lot of space. As a result to that, there would be no
more space for the organism (animals and plants) to grow and increase in number. If the
population of humans continue to increase, the space of other organisms will be compromised.
For example, in the Pasig River, in the past, Pasig River is abundant with its biodiversity. Due to
the increasing number of citizens being added up, the river is being compromised and it turned
into a very dirty one.