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2 Basic Ecology
What are your ideas about the ecological carrying capacity of the human
environment? How can the carrying capacity of the human population be
done? Identify three terms that must be present in any definition of carrying
capacity for it to have a complete meaning. Differentiate between biological
and cultural carrying capacity. Why do people ignore issues of carrying
capacity? What are some of the activities that we can engage in to ensure
that we do not strain the carrying capacity?
2.1.4 Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (animals, plants, and microorganisms) that interact with each other in a specific area and the non-living environment.
The components of the living environment include the climate, soil, and weather. For
example, when foxes eat more rabbits, the plants increasingly begin thriving due to
the fewer number of rabbits eating them. At the basic functional level, the ecosystem
has varieties of primary producers and consumers. The producers harvest from the
sun through photosynthesis. The energy flow is then facilitated by the food chain,
where producers attract consumers and consumers seek out producers. Consumers
can be primary or secondary consumers and feed on captured energy. Whatever
remains is further consumed by decomposers (Brooks et al. 2006). Decomposers
are considered the bottom of the food chain. There are three types of ecosystems:
freshwater, terrestrial, and ocean. Freshwater ecosystems are categorized into pond
ecosystems, river ecosystems, terrestrial ecosystems, forests, and grasslands.
Identify some of the goods and services provided by the ecosystem? Which
of these goods is most important for life sustenance?
2.1.5 Biosphere
In ecology, biosphere refers to parts of the Earth that are occupied by life. Bio is
a Greek word meaning “living,” while sphere refers to “globe” which encompasses
the varieties and differences seen in the environment. Some authors suggest that the
biosphere consists of the lithosphere, hydrosphere (water), and atmosphere (air).
These spheres are essential for the sustenance of life. The lithosphere consists of
a crust and supports the biosphere. Conventional currents in the mantle lead to a
shift of tectonic plates, leading to the formation of mountains, earthquakes, and
2 Basic Ecology
What are your ideas about the ecological carrying capacity of the human
environment? How can the carrying capacity of the human population be
done? Identify three terms that must be present in any definition of carrying
capacity for it to have a complete meaning. Differentiate between biological
and cultural carrying capacity. Why do people ignore issues of carrying
capacity? What are some of the activities that we can engage in to ensure
that we do not strain the carrying capacity?
2.1.4 Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (animals, plants, and microorganisms) that interact with each other in a specific area and the non-living environment.
The components of the living environment include the climate, soil, and weather. For
example, when foxes eat more rabbits, the plants increasingly begin thriving due to
the fewer number of rabbits eating them. At the basic functional level, the ecosystem
has varieties of primary producers and consumers. The producers harvest from the
sun through photosynthesis. The energy flow is then facilitated by the food chain,
where producers attract consumers and consumers seek out producers. Consumers
can be primary or secondary consumers and feed on captured energy. Whatever
remains is further consumed by decomposers (Brooks et al. 2006). Decomposers
are considered the bottom of the food chain. There are three types of ecosystems:
freshwater, terrestrial, and ocean. Freshwater ecosystems are categorized into pond
ecosystems, river ecosystems, terrestrial ecosystems, forests, and grasslands.
Identify some of the goods and services provided by the ecosystem? Which
of these goods is most important for life sustenance?
2.1.5 Biosphere
In ecology, biosphere refers to parts of the Earth that are occupied by life. Bio is
a Greek word meaning “living,” while sphere refers to “globe” which encompasses
the varieties and differences seen in the environment. Some authors suggest that the
biosphere consists of the lithosphere, hydrosphere (water), and atmosphere (air).
These spheres are essential for the sustenance of life. The lithosphere consists of
a crust and supports the biosphere. Conventional currents in the mantle lead to a
shift of tectonic plates, leading to the formation of mountains, earthquakes, and