Ecology Flashcards
What is Ecology?
The study of reciprocal relationships between organisms and their environment.
What do you mean by ecological factors?
Ecological factors are the components of the environment that can influence the organisms directly or indirectly.
How many types of ecological factors are there?
Biotic and Abiotic
The term ecology was coined by?
Reiter
The term ecology was popularized by?
E. Haeckel
The types of ecology are?
Autecology : Focuses on the study of a single species and how it interacts with its environment. It looks at factors like habitat, food, and behavior of that species in isolation.
- Synecology: Examines groups of species living together in a community and how they interact with each other and their shared environment. It looks at relationships like competition, predation, and cooperation among species.
In short, autecology is about individual species, while synecology is about communities of species.
The hierarchy of ecosystem is?
-Individual - Smallest living entity capable of performing all physiological actions independently.
-Population - The number of org living in a particular place at a particular time is population.
-Community - The interrelationship between living org and their environment where flow of energy takes place.
-Landscape - Heterogeneous land area where different kind of ecosystem interact with each other.
-Biome - Large complex area with similar climate
where different ecosystem interact with each other.
-Biosphere - Self-sufficient and self- regulated large area where all organisms interact with each other.
The types of ecological factors are :
( 1. Climatic Factor
2. Topographic Factor
3. Edaphic Factor ) - Abiotic Factors
4. Biotic Factor
Light :
Radiant energy coming from the sun in the form of visible spectrum is light.
Its range is - 380nm - 760nm
It’s packet of energy is called - Photon
The significance of light for organisms (1) :
- Photosynthesis : Rate depends upon the wuality, intensity and duration of light. Red colored light is best for photosynthesis.
- Formation of Chloroplast : Light helps in formation of chloroplast from plastid
- Growth and Development
- Phototropism : -ve and +ve
- Photoperiodism :Physiological reaction of organisms to the length of day or night.
Photoperiodism :
Long day - >12
Short day - <12
Day neutral
The significance of light for organisms (2):
- Seed Germination - In presence of Light - Photoblastic seed, In absence of light - non photoblastic seed
- Distribution - Moderate intensity - High number of organisms
The significance of temperature for organisms:
- Metabolism : Best at optimal temperature
- Growth and Development : Highest rate in optimum temperature
- Thermal Migration
- Reproduction : Helps to activate gonads ( forms sperm and ova)
- Germination of seed : Optimum temperature : 20-27 °C
- Distribution of organism : 16°C - 30°C ( Ideal - 27°C)
- Rate of transpiration : Increases with increase in temperature due to stomatal opening.
- Photosynthesis: Best at moderate temperature.
What do you mean by precipitation?
At saturated point, if the temperature is low, then the water holding capacity of air is reduced and water vapor condenses in the form of rain, hail stone , snow, fog, dew , etc.
The significance of precipitation for organisms:
- Photolysis : Photolysis is the process in which chemical compounds are broken down by the energy from light, typically sunlight. eg : Photosynthesis and ozone depletion
- Pollination
- Dispersal of seed
- Destruction of aerial parts of plant ( hail, flood, erosion)
Ultraviolet light causes photolysis of ozone (O₃) into oxygen
The type of plants on the basis of growth on availability of water?
- Hydrophytes - Plants which grows on excess amount of water.
- Xerophytes - Plants which grow in less supply of water.
- Mesophytes - Plants which grow in moderate supply of water.
