Ecology and Ecosystem

The concepts of environment, ecology, ecosystem, energy flow and nutrient cycling in the foundation course on Science and Technology. As you are aware ecology is the scientific study of the reciprocal relationship between organisms, including microbes, plants, animals as well as man, with their environment. It deals with the ways in which organisms are moulded by their environment, how they make use of environmental resources including energy flow and mineral cycling.

Everything that surrounds or affects an organism during its life time is collectively known as its environment ' which comprises both living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) components. The extinction of many plant and animal species, pollution of the environment and population explosion are some of the major ecological problems affecting the balance of nature on a global scale. In order to manage the earth and its life support systems, it is thus imperative to understand its ecological processes.