Understanding Basic Ecological Concepts

The environment is everything that surrounds us. It can therefore be an urban environment or, more broadly, a natural environment. It is generated by the natural world and influenced by humans. This applies to both transformed and non-transformed environments.

What is Ecology?

The science that studies ecosystems is **ecology** (from Greek: *oikos* 'house' + *logos* 'study'), meaning the study of the 'living house' or ecosystems. Ecologists seek to explain phenomena that occur in the environment.

Earth's Spheres and Ecosystems

On Earth, there are several layers: the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. There are broader terms that encompass the Earth as a whole: the biosphere, ecosphere, and ecosystem.

• Biosphere

  The part of the planet that contains and sustains life. Life develops here. It includes parts of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere where living organisms exist, including microorganisms.

• Ecosphere

  In ecology, the ecosphere is considered the global ecosystem. It includes all living organisms, as well as their interactions with the environment (rocks, water, air).

• Ecosystem

  The ecosystem is the combination of the physical environment and the species living in it, in addition to the relationships established between them.

Components of an Ecosystem

• Biotope

  The physical environment where different species are found (the 'home' of living beings). Factors like soil properties, moisture, etc., influence the biotic components.

• Biocenosis

  The set of living beings that make up the ecosystem. It's like the 'residents' who live in a biotope.

Species and Populations

• Species

  A species is a set of individuals similar in their morphological, genetic, and anatomical characteristics, who can reproduce among themselves and produce fertile offspring.

• Populations and Communities

  Populations are made up of individuals of the same species that live in the same area. Populations of different species are grouped into communities. The community within a biotope gives rise to an ecosystem, with the community being the biocenosis.

Individuals → Species → Populations → Community → Biocenosis → Biosphere

Types of Species

• Euryoic Species

  Species that can live in a wide range of conditions within a given environmental factor.

• Stenoic Species

  Species that are only able to live in environments with a very narrow range of conditions for a given factor.

• Generalist vs. Specialist Species

  Generalists are species that can adapt to various environments, while specialists are those that specialize in one type of environment.

Ecological Relationships

Relationships between living organisms in ecosystems can occur between individuals of the same species (**intraspecific**) or between individuals of different species (**interspecific**).

Intraspecific Relationships

• **Courtship:** Attraction between sexes for mating.
• **Territoriality:** Defense of an area by individuals of the same species.
• **Group Formation:** Includes the formation of colonies, societies, and family associations.

Interspecific Relationships

Examples include: Mutualism, Symbiosis, Competition, Parasitism, Predation, Commensalism, and Amensalism (sometimes called Antagonism or Antibiosis, related to 'liquidalismo' in the original text).

Trophic Relationships

Trophic relationships determine the so-called **food chains** or **food webs**. These are relationships of sustenance between different species, where each species represents a link in a chain.

Example Food Chain: Wheat → Grasshopper → Frog → Snake → Hawk