Earth is the only planet where life thrives. It is constant interaction between different organisms that allows life to prosper. The study of this constant interaction between organisms and their environment is called Ecology.
A living organism’s environment can be divided into two components- biotic (biological) and abiotic (physical)
Biotic components include plants and animals. Abiotic components include physical elements like air, light, soil, temperature, minerals and water.
The biotic elements need the abiotic components to work in harmony and maintain the delicate ecological balance.
Relationship between Abiotic and Biotic Elements
• Plants and animals need sunlight to manufacture their food directly or indirectly. Plants need the sunlight to directly synthesize their food by the process of photosynthesis. Meanwhile, animals depend on plants for their survival.
• About 70% of the planet Earth and the living organisms are made up of water. It transports nutrients in both plants and animals. It helps in the bio-chemical reactions in organisms for their survival.
• Temperature affects climate, which in turn is responsible for the distribution of pants and animals on planet Earth.
• Soil supplies nutrients to plants for their growth. It also serves as habitat for many organisms like earthworm, centipede, scorpion, ants and snakes.
Let us see how plants, animals and human beings are interdependent on each other for their survival and why marinating the ecological balance is critical.
Dependence of Animals on Plants
• Animals directly or indirectly depend on plants for their food. Herbivores, plant eating animals directly depend on trees, shrubs, fruits, leaves, and grass for feeding themselves. However, carnivores, ...
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...i. Bacteria and fungi are called Decomposers because they break up (decompose) the dead animals or plants that turn the dead matter into material that will be used by the producers and the cycle begins again.
Decomposers get rid of all of the organic (natural) garbage that humans, animals and plants produce. They eat, digest, munch and generally reuse all of the dead plants and animals that are on the Earth. Once that stuff is all ground up, they put it all back into the air and soil so that we can use the nutrients and raw chemicals again.
Decomposers are the last step in the food chain. If we didn’t have bacteria and fungi, we’d be up to our eyeballs in dead leaves and animal bones. When the chemicals go back into the soil and air, the plants start the cycle again.
The food chain cycles repeat again and again, which maintains the balance in nature (ecology).
The next topic for discussion in this paper is ecology. This will include, preferred habitats and interactions with abiotic and biotic elements of the environment.
...uring the age of discovery, it is that environments and ecosystems are fragile and can be easily altered with devastating results. Therefore, as humans continue to discover exciting new worlds, either in the darkest depths of the ocean or on the surface of a strange new planet, it is important that we as humans consider the ecological impacts that may result from those discoveries.
Ecology, according to the oxford dictionary, is “the branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and their phy...
Ecosystems are the basic biological units of ecology, and consist of biotic organisms and their interactions amongst other living organisms, as well as the surrounding abiotic environment (Putman and Wratten 1984). One facet of ecosystems that is less-often mentioned is the process of decomposition, as it many may view it as an unclean, unpleasant process that occurs after an organism has ceased to exist. To those with an ecological framework, however, decomposition is viewed as the opposite – an interesting, intricate process teeming with biological activity and life (Swan and Kominoski 2012). What is decomposition? Formally, decomposition is defined as the process to which complex organic matter is broken down to its basic constituents (i.e.
Humans interact with the ecosystem in every way imaginable. We humans have a huge impact on the Earth’s biodiversity, whether it’s positively or negatively.
Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to investigate the various components of different ecosystems in a smaller representation and study the conditions required for the ecosystem’s sustainability as well as the connections between
We depend on plants to obtain our oxygen. Plants produce glucose that assists in its living and growing and we contribute by releasing carbon dioxide. In order for us to live, we need the oxygen that plants produce by making glucose.
The main biotic factors are the plants, fish, and microorganisms. The plants are the main component of an aquaponic system, and they play a significant role in forming a symbiotic ecosystem, the plants also provide water full of nutrients for the fish. Additionally, the fish play a role in forming the ecosystem, but they also assist in the growth of the of the plants by allowing for clean water to be produced from their waste. The bacteria allow for the nitrification cycle to take place, in turn, cleaning the water in the
The process of disposing waste, producing food, and purifying bodies of water is useful today. For example, communities that live in the desert, like in the southwestern United States and in the Middle East, can use this process to farm and survive. They can use the newly purified water for their crops or for their own consumption. In addition, when algae purifies water, it releases oxygen.
As human beings we have a responsibility to protect ourselves, each other and our environment. The term environment refers to a complex set of social/cultural conditions that affect an individual or community. However, there are events and processes that occur in the environment that human beings have no control over. Environmental science, the systematic study of processes and materials in our environment, identifies temperature, precipitation and humidity as a few natural conditions. Natural conditions force us to be reactive, while things that we can control, such as consumption and waste, allow us to be proactive.
The branch of science that deals with how living things, including humans, are related to their surroundings is called ecology . The Earth supports some 5 million species of plants, animals, and microorganisms. These interact and influence their surroundings, forming a vast network of interrelated environmental systems called ecosystems. The arctic tundra is an ecosystem and so is a Brazilian rain forest. The islands of Hawaii are a relatively isolated ecosystem. If left undisturbed, natural environmental systems tend to achieve balance or stability among the various species of plants and animals. Complex ecosystems are able to compensate for changes caused by weather or intrusions from migrating animals and are therefore usually said to be more stable than simple ecosystems. A field of corn has only one dominant species, the corn plant, and is a very simple ecosystem. It is easily destroyed by drought, insects, disease, or overuse. A forest may remain relatively unchanged by weather that would destroy a nearby field of corn, because the forest is characterized by greater diversity of plants and animals. Its complexity gives it stability.
Water covers about seventy one percent of Earth’s surface. Earth is the only planet to have stable bodies of liquid water on its surface which is crucial for all known life forms. Water is a substance which acts as a solvent in which organic compounds can mix, and it is the substance which is thought to be necessary to facilitate the formation of life. There are many forms of water which include ice, liquid, and gas. Because water can exist as a gas, it can be stored in the atmosphere and be delivered as precipitate. Water also helps regulate the climat...
Biogeochemical cycle is crucial for every living organism on Earth. It is strongly influenced by life forms, especially plants and microorganisms. A biogeochemical cycle can be defined as a continuous pathway by which conversion and circulation of chemical nutrients through both biotic and abiotic compartments of Earth (Butcher, 1992). Generally, biogeochemical cycles can be classified into three major categories which are nitrogen cycle, sulfur cycle and carbon cycle (Refer to Figure 1 in Appendix 1).
Biodiversity refers to wide diversity found in the living components of the earth which refers to the numerous varieties of flora and fauna including those of microorganisms too. The interaction of biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem is very important aspect of life on earth. Biodiversity helps us to understand the variations among species and also how life originated on earth. Its study helps us to understand the inter-relationship between various forms of life and their adaptation to different conditions.
The animals turn roughly two thirds of their ingested food into gas or fecal waste, while the last third is digested and repurposed as meat or dairy products. There are also different ways of growing produce and feeding livestock that could ultimately reduce waste(Galanakis, 2015).