ECOLOGY
Science, Economics, and Levels of Organization
Organisms in the biosphere interact with each other and also to their environments. Biosphere embraces the entire life on Earth and every region in which life exists. Organisms are able to change the landscape of their environments to suit their needs.
Human economics and ecology are "linked." Humans rely on the process of ecology to supply food such as fruits, and drinkable water that can be used to gain profits.
*Level of organizations:
Since the questions about living environment that ecologists often ask can vary, level of organizations is made to help for further understanding about organisms groupings.
Biotic and Abiotic Factors
- Biotic factors are defined as "the biological influences on organisms." (Competition, Predation)
- Abiotic factors are the "physical components of an ecosystem." (Air, Water)
- The mixture between biotic and abiotic factors can also change the shapes of the environment.
Ecological Methods
No matter what tools any ecologists require, the three most important methods used in ecological studies are observation, experimentation, and modeling.
Observation: As the first step in asking ecological inquiries, observations form the first step in designing the experiment and models.
Experimentation: Experiments are conducted mainly to test the hypotheses made to answer the question(s) formed earlier during the observation.
Modeling: Problems such as the effects of global warming might interrupt the process of the experiment because of its long periods of time. Thus, ecologists make models to help them understand any particular situation.
Observation: As the first step in asking ecological inquiries, observations form the first step in designing the experiment and models.
Experimentation: Experiments are conducted mainly to test the hypotheses made to answer the question(s) formed earlier during the observation.
Modeling: Problems such as the effects of global warming might interrupt the process of the experiment because of its long periods of time. Thus, ecologists make models to help them understand any particular situation.
