Three Important Concepts in Ecology

What is a concept? A concept is an idea, an impression or a perception on something. Here, I present my three important concepts in Ecology - the study of environmental systems.

Concept 1: Living and non-living things in a particular community (place) are interrelated.

Living things (organisms/biotic factors) in a particular "oikos"(place where they live) are interconnected with each other and with their environment (non living/abiotic).

Cheetah, for example (the one we see in a Pepsi commercial), depends on its prey, the gazelle, for survival. Survival in the sense that the gazelle is the FOOD. Without food, organisms will not survive. Similarly, snakes and crocodiles feed on bats who are trying to hide from an eagle. Bats occupy the lower portions of a tree to evade the sights of an eagle not knowing that just below, crocodiles and snakes are already waiting.

Leaving the context of biotic dependent on biotic factors, we have animals (imagine those in the outback of Australia) that thrive near water resources. Here our biotic factors, the animals, are dependent on an abiotic factor which is water.

2. The relationship between living and non-living organisms will influence the behavior of organisms.

Let us take predation as relationship referred to in this concept. The race between the predator and its prey influence the living behavior of both the prey and the predator. This influence may be on the shape and behavior of the organisms, such that these are molded by the need TO HUNT or TO ESCAPE. Example for this is that of the elephant which "reshaped"to become the largest land animal in order to prevent being preyed upon by cheetahs, tigers and lions. Hence, you should not be surprised why tigers and lions just look at the huge meat passing in front of them.

3. Organisms undergo an update of genes in order to survive.

An analogy for this concept is that of books. Authors revise/update their books in order to be saleable. If books are left unrevised, say still in the 1960s, then nobody will buy it since it lacks facts from current discoveries or newly developed theories. In ecology, organisms similarly update genes - although not at their own will. Cheetah, from parent to offspring, receive the üpdated genes, hence they become faster in order to hunt to survive. Gazelles on the other hand, also receive and update genes to develop greater stamina and turning quickly in order to escape to survive.