Living things are listed as follows according to the degree of organization; protoplasm, cells, tissues, organs, systems, organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems and biosphere. Let's look at some of the ecological concepts in more detail.
Ecology
The branch of science that studies the relationship of living things with each other and their environment is called ecology. The place where a living being carries out all kinds of biological, sociological and cultural activities that meet its needs such as nutrition and shelter is called the environment. It is possible to solve global warming, environmental pollution and other environmental problems in cooperation with ecology. Therefore, ecology is seen as a branch of science that is gaining more importance day by day.
Population:
A community of individuals of the same species in a particular place is called a population. Pine trees in a forest, people in a city are examples of populations. The individuals who make up the population are affected by similar environmental conditions and they use the food sources of the environment in which they live.
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Community:
The community of all populations occupying a particular place is the community. While a population consists of a single species, the community consists of many species and populations. A community can contain thousands of populations of plant, animal and microorganism species. Communities can be plant and animal communities or mixed. For example, all living things in the forest constitute the forest community. The most prominent organisms that stand out in terms of number and activity in a community are called the dominant species. In land communities, plants are usually the dominant species. In the water communities, no dominant species is generally encountered.
Biosphere:
All of the air, soil and water layers that enable living in the world are called biospheres. This area extends from the deepest part of the oceans to 16 km of the atmosphere. If the autotrophic, heterotrophic organisms in the biosphere did not interact, the world would become uninhabitable due to the excessive accumulation of matter. As a result of this interaction, the transfer of matter in nature continues regularly.
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| Biosphere |
Habitat:
The place where an organism can live and reproduce naturally is called habitat.
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| Habitat |
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Ecotone:
The transition zone between two opposite communities is called ecotone. Organisms living this area are rich in species diversity, as they have the characteristics of both living associations. |
| Ecotone |
- Over time, a dominant species is replaced by a new dominant species called succession.
- The plant community that lives in a certain region is called flora.
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| Flora |
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- The animal community living in a certain area is called fauna.
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| Fauna |
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Ecological Niche
The task of a species in the ecosystem is called an ecological niche. This term does not refer to the area of residence, but to the work done. For example, there are different types of bacteria that live in the soil, although they all share the same habitat, they have a different ecological niche. Some allow the nitrogen in the soil to return to the atmosphere, while others live on deceased or rotting organisms and act differently.
Ecosystem
The creatures that live in a certain area in nature and all the inanimate elements that these creatures interact with are called ecosystems. The largest ecosystem is the world, and the energy source of all ecosystems is the sun. The continuity of an ecosystem depends on the existence of producer, consumer and decomposing organisms. If these three groups of organisms have healthy relationships with each other and their environment, that ecosystem is self-sufficient.
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| Ecosystem |
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The Original Author: Mrs. Şerife (Erden) SARICA
