Ecology

Ecology is a chapter in Junior Cycle Science

Ecology is the study of interactions between living things and between organisms and their environment

## Ecosystem

* An ecosystem is a group of organisms that interact with their environment
* An ecosystem contains many habitats

## Habitat

* A place where a living thing lives
* A habitat is carefully selected by an organism based on **food**, **water** and **climate**

### Examples

* A robin lives in a nest in a tree
* A rabbit lives in a burrow in the ground
* A blackberry plant lives in the hedgerow

## Food Chains

* "Energy flow" is often represented by a food chain
* Food chains always start with a producer
* A producer is an organism capable of making food within cells - always a plant
* An arrow shows the direction of energy flow
* Energy being passed on is in the form of the element carbon
* When animals and plants die, decomposers feed on them and recycle carbon
* Sunlight energy is converted to chemical energy during photosynthesis
* The atoms in food (carbon and hydrogen) are held together by this chemical energy in bonds

### Food Web

* Two or more interconnected food chains
* Gives a more detailed picture of an ecosystem
* They can be very complicated

### Decomposers

* Microorganisms (bacteria, fungi) are never featured in food chains as they are known as decomposers
* Decomposers feed on dead organisms meaning there is no flow of energy
* Food chains are strictly for living things, so decomposers tend to not appear on them
* Decomposers are vital for the recycling of nutrients

## Pollution

Pollution is where harmful substances are added to the environment

### Examples

* Soil pollution e.g. littering
* Water pollution e.g. littering and fertilisers / slurry entering rivers
* Air pollution e.g. producing large amounts of CO2 and methane gas

### Waste Management

Waste management is the careful management of all waste in order to reduce pollution and long term impacts to our planet

#### Examples

* Reduce, reuse, recycle
* Compost bin
* Incineration
* Landfill

### Benefits of a Healthy Ecosystem

* They provide a wide array of food, plants and animals
* Lakes and freshwater ecosystems provide a source of clean water
* Many medicines are created due to plants
* Ecosystems affect the climate e.g. Deforestation can cause flooding
* Air quality: Plant ecosystems remove carbon dioxide from the air
* Recreation: Ecosystems are very enjoyable to visit

## Conservation

The management of our natural resources to prevent these resources from running out

### Conservation Methods

* Plant two trees for every one chopped down
* Local plans to reduce pollution
* Don't over fish
* Reduce, reuse, recycle

## Fieldwork

### 1. Map the Habitat

Draw a simple map to show main features of the habitat e.g. walls, fences, ponds, large trees, hedges or paths. If possible, photograph the habitat

### 2. Measure Environmental Features

The environmental (non-living) features of a habitat are called abiotic factors. Some of these factors that you can measure and equipment used are given below. You should measure and record as many of these facts as possible

 Light Intensity
 Soil pH
 Wind Direction
 Rainfall

### 3. Identify and Name All of the Organisms in the Habitat

You can identify organisms using a key or an app

### 4. Collect Organisms for Identification in the Lab

Plants are easy to collect as they do not move away. Slow or non-moving animals can be collected easily. Most animals will have to be trapped or collected using special devices

### 5. Estimate the Number of Plants

A quadrat is a square frame that is thrown at random in the habitat