2.1 What is Ecology?
Term Definition Explanation Example
Species A group of organisms that This concept cannot Koalas. Kangaroos, Tasmanian
interbreed and produce identify whether Devils
fertile offspring. geographically isolated
populations belong to the
same species, classify
species in extinct
populations, account for
asexually reproducing
organisms, or clearly define
species when barriers to
reproduction are
incomplete.
Population A group of organisms living N/A Snails of one species in a pond
in the same area at the form a population but the snails
same time and which are in another pond form a different
capable of interbreeding. population. If there was no
barrier between them, they
could interbreed.
Habitat The environment in which a It is the natural The habitat of wildebeest is the
species normally lives. environment in which a savannah and temperate
species or a population of a grasslands of eastern and
species lives and includes south-eastern Africa.
the physical (abiotic)
environment. It can be
shared by a community.
Niche Where, when, and how an An organism's niche The niche of a kangaroo
organism lives. depends not only on where includes all the information
it lives (habitat) but also on about what defines this
what it does. It includes species: its habitat, courtship
every relationship an displays, grooming, alertness at
organism may have. No water holes, when it is active,
two different species can interactions between predators
have the same niche and similar activities.
because the niche
completely defines a
species.
Community A group of populations living Contrasts with the term The Great Barrier Reef in
and interacting with each "population" which refers to Australia contain marine algae,
other in a common habitat. just one species. krill, sea horse, red bass, and
tiger shark. Communities
include all biotic parts of the
ecosystem, both plants and
animals.
Ecosystem A community of Coined in 1930 and Rainforest ecosystems have a
interdependent organisms modified by Arthur Tansley, large biomass of trees with a
(biotic) and the physical a British ecologist, to canopy of over 50 metre in
environment they inhabit describe the complex height. The have high
(abiotic). relationships between productivity despite often thin
organisms and their abiotic and infertile soils.
environment.
2.1 Population Interactions
Competition occurs when resources such as space, light, mates, food, or nutrients are finite (a fixed amount). If they are used there
is less available to others and they may become limiting factors. This is competition and it can intraspecific (within species) or
interspecific (between species). Interspecific competition exists when the niches of different species overlap. No two species can
occupy the same niche, so the degree to which niches overlap determines the degree of interspecific competition. In this relationship,
neither species benefit, although better competitors suffer less.
Example: Competition between red foxes and the Tasmanian devil. The foxes are better competitors and as a result the Tasmanian
devil decline in population.
Paratism is when species live closely together, but one of the species gains at the others’ expense. Parasites may consume body
parts or fluids, or capture the host organism’s own nutrients from its gut.
Example: There are two types: endoparasites, which live inside their host (tapeworms) and ectoparasites, which live on the surface of
their host (ticks and mites).
Mutualisms are relationships between species where both benefit. Also known as symbiosis (paratism is a form of symbiosis where
one of the organisms is harmed).
Example: Coral reefs are symbiotic with the coral animal (polyp) and unicellular brown algae that live within the coral polyp.
Herbivory is the consumption of autotrophs by a primary consumer.
Example: Kangaroos feeding on grass.
Predation is the consumption of a primary consumer by a secondary consumer or higher. Eats animals (note – not other organisms).
Complex feedbacks lock predator and prey into cycles.
Example: Tasmanian tiger eating wallabies.
2.1 Population Changes
Limiting factors are factors that limit the distribution or numbers of a particular population. They are environmental factors which slow
down population growth. Some limiting factors include temperature, water and nutrient availability. Each species has a tolerance
range, which is the concept that there are upper and lower levels of environmental factors beyond which a population cannot survive,
and that there is an optimum range within which species can thrive.
Carrying capacity refers to the maximum number of organisms that an area or ecosystem can sustainably support over a long period
of time.
Sigmodal
(S) curves are
population
growth curves
which show an initial rapid growth (exponential growth) and then slow down as the carrying capacity is reached. In some cases, there
may be an overshoot, followed by die back. The three stages are:
Exponential growth stage – population growth at increasingly rapid rate
Transitional phase – population growth slows but still continues
Plateau phase – the number of individuals stabilizes and population growth stabilises
In contrast, a J-curve is a population growth curve which shows only exponential growth. Growth is initially slow and becomes
increasingly rapid; it does not slow down.
