LAWS OF ECOLOGY
Biology
INTRODUCTION 1. Everything is connected to
(Think of a topic or issue) everything else
- Does man contribute to this 2. Everything has to go somewhere else
problem?How? 3. Everything is always changing
-Do we still experience this? 4. There is no such thing as free lunch
-What can we done to express this issue? 5. Everything has its limits
LAWS OF ECOLOGY 1. Everything is connected to everything
else
Barry Commoner
We have an interrelationship with one
Pioneering contribution in Biology-
another. These relationships may exist
establishment of the virus and plant cell
evidently, indirectly, positively or
interactions
negatively.
free radicals play a vital role in cell
metabolism a.) Food Chain and Food webs; Trophic
important in Ecology because he Pyramids
stopped nuclear bomb tests. Based on -Can be express through food
his study Radiation in living tissue has a pyramids,top eats whats below
detrimental effect in tissues of all living -Chains are shortening because of
things. man Eg. Dodo,Moa
He extended his concern to the
b.) Competition- beneficial – improves
chemical and biological damage to the
gene pool
biosphere.
He became the leading spokesperson LAWS OF ECOLOGY [VIDEO]
for environmental protection. He was the (Continuation…)
founder of a political party -Citizen’s c.) Predator-Prey Relationships
Party
Wrote 2 influential books: Science and Form of competition that
occurs between two
Survival & The Closing Circle
different species.
The Closing Circle : rapid growth of
Predator
technology has a rapid effect to the An animal that captures and kills
ecosystem.To mitigate our ecosystem we its prey.
have to synthesize,inform and educate Predators often eliminate the
ourselves about our connection to the weakest or diseased members of
natural world. the prey species, leaving
Laws of ecology is a summarization of stronger members behind to
different environmental concepts. reproduce and pass their genes
Problem : Not all aspect of our nature on to the next generation.
can be answered by the laws of ecology The populations of predators
rather there would still mysteries that will and prey often “cycle,” with
remain but at the least we would still prey populations, increasing
when predator pressure is low
have a clear understanding and
and decreasing when predator
appreciation about our connection with
pressure is high. This dynamic is
the ecosystem. Having this clear repeated over and over again
understanding on the Laws of Ecology at regular intervals in some
established our connection with our instances thereby shows a cycle
ecosystem, established our niche as a of their population.
member of the living community
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2. Everything has to go somewhere or At each level of food chain, consumers
there is no such place as away are restricted to a narrow selection of
food.
No matter what we do or no matter how
we use resources, we basically produce EXAMPLE: Heron choosing between ants
waste. And such waste do not go away or fish:
but thrown on other location. Waste can
Choose ant : it will soon starve because it
be thrown into processing facilities. Can
will use more energy in pursuing the ants
be used for some purposes such as
than he could receive from eating the
composting.
ants.
Life-support cycles or biogeochemical
3. Everything is Always Changing
cycles
Organisms : plants and animals in a
there is a limit to the amount of
particular habitat is not constant.
minerals, nutrients, air, water and soil
that are available within the system, If were given enough time the
and the rate at which they can be composition of species in a particular
imported from outside the system. community in a given place will
These resources must be recycled to eventually change.
support the living members of the The activities of all members of a
system. Any disturbance in these community along with the influence of its
cycles can jeopardize the entire physical environment will shape the
system. composition of a community.
Carbon dioxide Cycle; Oxygen Cycle; This CHANGE is refer to us ECOLOGICAL
WATER CYCLE AND NUTRIENT CYCLE SUCCESION.
As humans, our activities can alter the
Such change is evident for example in an
flow or dynamic of such cycles. Extensive
abandoned farmland:
utilization, exploitation of resources,
It will eventually change to become a
production of waste can ultimately
forest and this will happen on a course of
affect the flow these cycles.
decades or in a few centuries.
WATER CYCLE: If we continuously dump If undisturbed, ecosystems become
waste or excessively utilize our water , the more and more stable in the later stages
natural process of replenishing water of ecological succession process. This is
may not cope up. Thus to mitigate , allow because organisms in an ecosystem
the system to naturally recuperate. adapt to survive and make better use of
ecosystem’s resources.
NUTRIENT CYCLE: P, Ca, K, N ,S Each stage of process brings about new
ENERGY sets of organisms. All or something must
be occupying ones place relates in the
does not cycle in an ecosystem same area.
Rather, energy enters an ecosystem and Each preexisting species could be very
flows through it well suited in such environment.
An ecosystem is unable to create this This concept tell us as well that if we are
energy and must rely on an outside going to remove humans from the
source: sunlight. Every organism alive is picture, planet may naturally heal and
dependent on the sun’s energy for its the impact we have cause may be
survival.That’s why organism in a food reverse and the condition may revert
chain must be efficient and effective in back to what it was between human
spending that energy since its limited in civilizations and modernization.
account.
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4. There Is No Such Thing as a Free Lunch The energy costs are enormous.
Consider the following:
In everything you do there must be a reason
behind it. Nothing is really free given for The cost of running farm
machinery for sowing, planting
everything comes with a prize.
and harvesting.
Example : You’ve been given a passing Transportation costs for moving
grade for this sem means you’ve worked raw, processed and finished
hard for it. products around the country.
What has been the effect? Energy, costs to run ovens,
In modern times, we have seen substantial stoves and toasters to prepare
changes in medical care, world-wide the buns.
communication, modes of travel, 5. Everything Has Limits
computer capabilities and other Two possible interpretations :
sophisticated technologies.
Many of these have made our lives better The resources that we obtain or utilize
and easier. But at what cost? These gains may it be renewable or nonrenewable
and advances have not come free, either have limits.
in terms of dollars or in environmental stress. Man believed that the resources we
Example : Eating in McDonalds unknowingly have is bountiful (e.g. trees we cut, fish
causes environmental stress in our planet : we harvest ) Such resources are classified
Toasted sesame seed bun , one-quarter into :
pound hamburger, milk shake , French fries Renewable resources: can be replace if
Toasted Sesame Seed Bun: What are some conditions are available: replace them
of the costs to ourselves, others and the faster than we used them.
environment? Here are a few: Nonrenewable resources: Many of the
Insects and weeds become resistant to products we use on a daily basis,
chemicals when they are constantly including energy, are made from non-
exposed to them. renewable resources, especially oil, coal
The farmer may attempt to control and minerals.
insects by using more chemicals. Conservation and recycling can make
Overuse of these chemicals may result these resources last for more than a
in the excess being washed into period
streams during storms or seeping into
groundwater supplies, contaminating Nature has its own way to absorb the
them. waste we produce on top of the Earth at
Extra chemicals cost more money and certain extent it will collapse and come
larger doses destroy birds, mammals back to us.
and other insects that the farmer Ability of the Earth to absorb waste
doesn’t necessarily wish to kill. products, particularly toxic wastes.
Overuse of fertilizers can also result in Ocean dumping of wastes was, and in
the excess running off into streams, some cases continues to be, a common
lakes and ponds, causing subsequent practice. It was believed that because
algae blooms and resulting in the oceans were so vast that they would
depleted oxygen levels for aquatic be able to dilute toxic materials to such
life.
an extent that we would never be able
Farmers risk exposure to chemicals that to detect them, and they would never
may cause temporary illness or, in cause any harm. We now know that that
extreme cases, permanent is not so, and have begun to restrict
disabilities.
ocean dumping.
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Similarly on land, some ecosystems,
such as wetlands and certain types of
soil, are known to be able to absorb
large amounts of toxic materials and
neutralize or absorb them. Again, we
have learned that there are limits to
what these systems can handle.
Hence, by educating, informing and
synthesizing ourselves we can prevent such
event from taking place.
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