ECOLOGICAL CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES

Ecology - field of science that focuses on the study of the relationship between these
components, the biotic factors, and their interaction with each other and with the environment.

- This term was coined by a German Biologist, Ernst Haeckel, which comes from the
two Greek words, oikos, which means ‘house’ or ‘dwelling place’, and logos, which
means, ‘study of’.

- This study provides information on how the earth’s resources are utilized and what
has to be sustained.

2 Subdivisions of Ecology

1. Autecology- which deals with the study of the individual organism, its history,
behavior, characteristics, and adaptation to the environment.
2. Synecology - which deals with the study of groups of organisms that are associated as
a unit about its environment.

Planet Earth has spheres that are uniquely different with natural characteristics that is
amazingly capable of supporting life:

1. Atmosphere - is the gaseous portion that protects all life forms from the sun’s
ultraviolet radiation.
2. Lithosphere- covers all the hard, solid land of the earth including the soil, rocks, and
minerals.
3. Hydrosphere- various forms of water.
4. Biosphere- zone with all its life forms performing biochemical processes.

- These are all interrelated which plays an essential role needed to sustain life. Each sphere
encompasses every component of the earth.

OVERALL LEVEL OF ORGANIZATION OF EARTH’S SPHERE

BIOME

1. Atom- the smallest particle of matter

2. Molecules- basic chemical unit that makes up the parts of a cell and other compounds
3. Organelle- part of a cell
4. Cell- smallest functional unit of living things
5. Tissue- group of similar cells
6. Organ- group of tissues that function as one
7. Organ system- group of organs that work together for a specific function
8. Organism- an individual living thing
9. Population- group of similar organisms occupying the same area
10. Community- group of different populations interacting with one another
11. Ecosystem- group of communities interacting with one another and their physical
factors
12. Biosphere- all the ecosystems on earth with the physical environment.
 Ecosystem - The basic functional unit in nature is the ecosystem. It comprises all living
organisms (biotic factors) and their interaction with non-living components (abiotic or physical
factors) of the environment.
- It can be natural or artificial and is capable of sustaining the energy within through
the processes of transformation, accumulation, and circulation.

Continuous interaction among the biotic factors of the same kind and with different organisms is
inevitable for survival.

Intraspecific relationship - The interaction among the same organisms such as which is for
reproduction, assistance, or competition for food or space.

2 types of Intraspecific Relationship

1. Symbiosis- one or both organisms are benefited.

A. Mutualism- both organisms are benefited from each other
B. Commensalism- only one of the interacting organisms is benefited.

2. Antagonism- at least one of the species is harmed.

A. Parasitism- occurs in a relationship wherein one organism is harmed while the

other is benefited (parasite).
B. Predation- one organism (predator) feeds on the other organism (prey).

The abiotic factors are non-living components and they are basic elements and compounds of
the environment in which an organism lives texture, topography, etc). It includes:
A. Organic substances (e.g. carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins)
B. Inorganic substances (e.g. CO2, H2O),
C. Climatic factors (e.g. light, temperature, rainfall)
D. Edaphic factors (e.g. soil types, texture, topography, etc).

Limiting Factors- are the forms of environmental resistance that limit the population. It could
be an abiotic or biotic factor that restricts the numbers, reproduction, and distribution of
organisms because each ecosystem has carrying capacity which is the maximum number of
organisms of a single species that an area can hold.

Other key concepts are related to the environment where an individual organism survives

1. Habitat- It is a specific place or physical environment where an organism or a population of

organism lives.
- There are four essential things that organisms should have on its habitat or the
reason why organisms still in contact or dwell with its habitat (Cadiz & Macasil,
2021)
1. Food 2. Water 3. Cover/Shelter 4. Space

- Table 1: Factors Contributing to the Habitat Choice of Organisms

Physcial Factors Biotic Factors

Elevation Grass
Steepness Shrubs
Slope Direction Herb species
Soil type
Water availability
2. Ecological Niche:
- Defined as the role and position of a species within its habitat or ecosystem. It includes
the species' interactions with other organisms and its use of resources, such as food,
shelter, and reproduction. Species occupy specific niches to minimize competition for
resources, and niche differentiation allows coexistence.

- Many scientists describe ecological niches in different ways. Some of them are the following
(Cadiz & Macasil, 2021):

a. Grinnellian niche- the ecological meaning of niche comes from the meaning of
niche as a recess in a wall for statue, which itself is probably derived from the Middle
French word ‘nicher’, meaning ‘to nest’. This concept embodies the idea that the
niche of a species is determined by the habitat in which it lives and its accompanying
behavioral adaptations.

b. Eltonian niche- “The ‘niche’ of an animal means its place in the biotic environment,
its relations to food and enemies.”, as defined by Charles Sutherland Elton, a British
ecologist in 1927. Elton classified niches according to foraging activities (“food
habits”).

c. Hutchinsonian niche- is an n-dimensional hyper volume, where the dimensions of

environmental conditions and resources define the requirements of an individual or a
species to practice “its” way of life, more particularly, for its population to persist.
This concept was popularized by the zoologist G. Evelyn Hutchinson in 1957.

3. Population:
- It refers to a group of individuals of the same species that occupy a particular area and
can potentially interbreed. Population dynamics, including factors like birth rates, death
rates, and migration, influence the size and distribution of populations. Studying
populations helps ecologists understand how species respond to environmental changes
and how they interact with other species.

Table 2: Characteristics of Population

1. Size It pertains to the individuals in a population.
Factors that can affect the size of the population:
a. Emigration
b. Immigration
c. Natality
d. Mortality

2. Density It is the number of the individuals of species living in a

particular area of that population.
3. Distribution It is another characteristics of population that tells how
individuals are located in a particular area.
Three ways that organisms can be distributed:
a. Random Distribution
b. Uniform Distribution
4. Community
- It is a collection of populations of different species living in the same habitat and
interacting with each other. Ecologists examine the structure and dynamics of
communities to understand species interactions, such as competition, predation, and
mutualism. Community ecology provides insights into the web of relationships that
shape ecosystems.

Table 3: Community Roles

COMMUNITY ROLES DESCRIPTIONS
PRODUCERS (Autotrophs) are living things that can
make their own food in the process of
photosynthesis.
CONSUMERS (Heterotrophs) are organisms that do not
produce their own food and depends on
organic matter.
Types of Consumer:
a. Carnivores
b. Herbivores
c. Omnivores

DECOMPOSERS Organisms that feed on dead plants and

animals.

5. Biomes:
- It is a large-scale ecological region characterized by distinct climate, vegetation,
and species composition. Biomes help classify and understand the distribution of
ecosystems across the planet, and they play a critical role in global patterns of
biodiversity and climate.

Table 4: Different Types of Biomes

TYPES OF BIOMES DESCRIPTIONS

DESERT It is a very dry, often barren biome characterized
by temperature extremes and by widely spaced
plants with thick waxy leaves and often protective
spines.

COOL DESERTS- these are dominated by sage

"Simpson Desert" by Tensaibuta is
licensed under CC BY 2.0. bush, and rabbit bush.
HOT DESERTS- these are dominated by cactus,
acacias, agave, and yucca.
GRASSLAND Are dominated by grasses, and a rich away of
deep-rooted beautifully flowering non-grass
species. They have a few trees because of
inadequate and frequent grass fire that kills
woody seedlings.

"Grassland" by Derikz is licensed

under CC BY-SA 2.0. Temperate Grassland- this covers extensive
areas in the interior of continents where there are
enough moisture to support forest or woodland.

FORESTS Are regions where trees grow as a result of

inadequate temperature.
Examples of this are the following:
a. Tropical Rainforest
b. Tropical Seasonal Forest
c. Temperate Decidous Forest
d. Temperate Evergreen Forest
"Forest" by Wackybadger is
e. Temperate Rainforest
licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
f. Temperate Woodland
g. Coniferous Forest

SAVANNA

Dry open grassland biome containing stunted

widely spaced trees that is situated in tropical
forest and desert.