Several generations of an aphid population can exist over the lifespan of a single leaf. A single tree is of little consequence to the classification of a forest ecosystem, but critically relevant to organisms living in and on it. An ecosystem's area can vary greatly, from tiny to vast. Ecosystems are dynamic, they do not always follow a linear successional path, but they are always changing, sometimes rapidly and sometimes so slowly that it can take thousands of years for ecological processes to bring about certain successional stages of a forest. Ecosystems, for example, contain abiotic resources and interacting life forms (i.e., individual organisms that aggregate into populations which aggregate into distinct ecological communities). The scope of ecology contains a wide array of interacting levels of organization spanning micro-level (e.g., cells) to a planetary scale (e.g., biosphere) phenomena. Levels, scope, and scale of organization 5.3 Radiation: heat, temperature and light.5.2 Metabolism and the early atmosphere.1 Levels, scope, and scale of organization.
Ecosystems sustain life-supporting functions and provide ecosystem services like biomass production (food, fuel, fiber, and medicine), the regulation of climate, global biogeochemical cycles, water filtration, soil formation, erosion control, flood protection, and many other natural features of scientific, historical, economic, or intrinsic value. Ecosystems have biophysical feedback mechanisms that moderate processes acting on living ( biotic) and abiotic components of the planet. Ecosystem processes, such as primary production, nutrient cycling, and niche construction, regulate the flux of energy and matter through an environment. Evolutionary concepts relating to adaptation and natural selection are cornerstones of modern ecological theory.Įcosystems are dynamically interacting systems of organisms, the communities they make up, and the non-living ( abiotic) components of their environment. The word ecology ( German: Ökologie) was coined in 1866 by the German scientist Ernst Haeckel, and it became a rigorous science in the late 19th century.
Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology (from Ancient Greek οἶκος ( oîkos) 'house', and -λογία ( -logía) 'study of') is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment.
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