Principles of Ecology

  1. Community ecology focuses on the interactions and relationships among different species living in a shared environment.
  2. A community is a group of different species living together and interacting within a defined area.
  3. Succession refers to the natural and gradual process of change in species composition in a community over time.
  4. Primary succession occurs in lifeless areas where no soil exists initially, such as after a volcanic eruption.
  5. Secondary succession occurs in ar
  1. Population ecology studies the dynamics of populations, their size, density, distribution, and interactions with the environment.
  2. A population is a group of individuals of the same species living in a specific area at a specific time.
  3. Population density refers to the number of individuals per unit area or volume.
  4. Population distribution can be uniform, random, or clumped based on environmental factors and species behavior.
  5. The age structure of a population indicates the
  1. A habitat is the physical environment where an organism lives, while a niche is the functional role of an organism in its ecosystem.
  2. The habitat is defined by abiotic factors like soil, water, temperature, and light.
  3. A niche includes the organism's interactions with other species, such as competition, predation, and symbiosis.
  4. The fundamental niche is the potential range of conditions an organism can occupy without competition.
  5. The realized niche is the