Introduction to Ecology

Ecology is the study of the interactions between organisms and their environment. In this section, we will cover:

Ecosystems and Their Components

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with each other and their non-living environment. The main components of an ecosystem are:

• Biotic factors: Living organisms such as plants, animals, and microbes
• Abiotic factors: Non-living components such as air, water, soil, and sunlight

Energy Flow and Nutrient Cycling

Energy flows through ecosystems in a unidirectional manner, from producers to consumers to decomposers. Nutrients, on the other hand, are recycled within ecosystems through biogeochemical cycles (e.g., carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle).

Population Dynamics

A population is a group of individuals of the same species living in a particular area. Population dynamics refers to how populations change over time due to factors such as births, deaths, immigration, and emigration. Carrying capacity is the maximum population size an environment can sustain.

Community Interactions

Organisms in a community interact with each other in various ways:

• Competition: Organisms compete for limited resources
• Predation: A predator feeds on its prey
• Symbiosis: Close interactions between two species (mutualism, commensalism, parasitism)