ecology & real estate v1.11.11 part 1 ecology

8/12/2019 ECOLOGY & Real Estate v1.11.11 Part 1 Ecology

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ECOLOGY andthe Real Estate

Practice

By: Jesse E.

Sarmiento Jr.


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OBJECTIVES Understand Ecology and Ecosystems andwhy these are relevant to the Real Estate

profession Know the Basic Principles, Terminologies

and Concepts of Ecology

Be familiar with the PhilippineEnvironmental Impact System (EIS) andrelated terms (EIA, ECP, ECA, and ECC)

Gain the necessary knowledge to pass theEcology portion of the Real Estate BrokersExam


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OutlineI. Definition of EcologyII. Ecosystem the concept

III. SystemsIV. Trophic Levels

V. Population

VI. Community (Diversity & Stratification)VII. Ecological Succession

VIII. Abiotic Components

IX. EIS ECC*** Glossary***


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I. Definition of ECOLOGYEcology

The study of the interactions of organismswith:

Other organisms, and

The physical environment or habitat It is also defined as the study of

relationships among organisms and their

environment and among the variousecosystems in the biosphere


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II. ECOSYSTEM the concept Ecosystem = the complex of a community

of organisms and its environmentfunctioning as an ecological unit

Two Basic Parts:

BIOTIC the component of an ecosystemcomposed of living organisms

ABIOTIC the component of an ecosystem

that is composed of energy and non-livingmatter


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Abiotic and Biotic


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Ecological Hierarchy - BioticLevels-of-OrganizationHierarchy

- Ecosphere/Biosphere- Biome

- Landscape

- Ecosystem

- Community

- Population

- Organism

- Organ system- Organ

- Tissue

- Cells


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III. Systems

Each level of biological organization involves

abiotic and biotic interaction throughmatter and energy exchange. Each levelis a system. Each system can be thoughtof as an energy transformer and a matterprocessor.


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Definition of SYSTEMS

A system is a collection of parts or events

that can be seen as a single whole thingbecause of interdependence andinteraction of the components.


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Types of SYSTEMSOpen systems: systems that depend upon outside

environment to provide inputs and accepts outputs.Example of which is the Earth, it receives inputs ofenergy from the sun and outputs heat energy whichis passed to outer space. Solar energy is radiatedtowards the Earth but the atmosphere shields andkeeps some solar radiation from reaching thebiosphere. Approximately 50% of sunlight reachingthe upper atmosphere continue to Earths surface.The Ozone layer absorbs ultraviolet radiation. Solar

radiation derives major atmospheric cycles,evaporates water, generates winds, waves andcurrents as well as powering virtually all of theorganisms existing on earth.


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Cybernetic systems: systems that use

some sort of feedback mechanism toregulate themselves. Cybernetic systemshave ideal states or set points (the statesor points at which the system maintainsitself.)

Ecological Systems are both open andcybernetic.

Types of SYSTEMS (cont.)


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Systems Matter & Energy Exchange

What are Abiotic components? What are Biotic components?

What is the fundamental energysource? How does this energy source vary

at different locations aroundEarth?

Where are Plants in the flow ofenergy and materials?

Why are plants calledthe Producers, or for moreemphasis, the Primary Producers?

What is meant by Consumers? What are Herbivores? What are Carnivores? What are the sources

of Energy and Materials forcarnivores?

What are Decomposers; what istheir "role"?

Why can they be called Recyclers?

Where do Humans fit in?


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IV. TROPHIC LEVELSThe Greek root of the word troph, means food or

feeding. Links in food-webs primarily connect

feeding relations or trophismamong species.Biodiversity within ecosystems can be organizedinto vertical and horizontal dimensions.

A Trophic Level is defined as "a group of organismsacquiring a considerable majority of its energy fromthe adjacent level nearer the abiotic source. Thehorizontal dimension represents the abundanceor biomass at each level. When the relativeabundance or biomass of each functional feedinggroup is stacked into their respective trophic

levels they naturally sort into a 'pyramid of numbers'.


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Trophic Levels and Food-Webs


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Roles by Trophic Level

DetritivoresDecomposersDecomposers

Carnivores

Secondary

ConsumersConsumers Heterotrophs

HerbivoresPrimaryConsumers

SecondaryProducers

AutotrophsPlantsProducersPrimaryProducers

TrophicLevel

Type ofLiving Thing

ConsumptionBasis

ProductionBasis


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V. (Ecological) POPULATIONSPopulation is a group of individuals of the

same species that occupy a given areaand interbreed with each other.

Characteristics of Populations:

1. Statistical

2. Genetic


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POPULATIONS (Char. cont.)1. Statistical birth and death rates,

immigration and emigration (dispersal),

dispersion patterns, intrinsic rate ofincrease, biotic potential, agedistribution, growth forms and density.

2. Genetic adaptability, Darwinianconcept of reproductive fitness,persistence (probability of leavingdescendants over a long period oftimes).


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Factors Affecting Population Size1. Limiting Factor - Law of Minimum under a steady state

conditions the essential material available in amounts closelyapproaching critical minimum needed will tend to be limiting.

2. Limiting Factor - Law of Tolerance Organisms have anecological minimum and maximum range, which represents the

limits of tolerance. Beyond this critical points the organism isabsent.If an organism is absent in an area, it does not necessarily mean that thephysicochemical environment is not within its tolerance range. It might be merelythe inability of the organism to reach the place (dispersal problems/geographicbarriers) or the presence of strong biological deterrents (competition, herbivory,

predation, parasitism, etc) or preferences (habitat selection).3. Factor Compensation - Organisms modify their environment so as

to lessen the limiting effects of physical conditions of existence4. Extrinsic and Intrinsic Factors

Extrinsic Factors: Factors that operate on population from

outside it (climate, food supply, etc.)Intrinsic Factors: Factors that are generated within thepopulation (territorially, social stress)

6. Population regulation the tendency for the population to returnto its equilibrium density while population stability is the tendency

to remain at constant size.


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Factors that can regulate Populations

1. Competition2. Physical environment

3. Predators

4. Behavioral phenomena/socialinterference

5. Genetic phenomena


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VI. COMMUNITYAn ecological community is any

assemblage of different populations livingin an area with a certain degree ofintegration. Similar communities and

ecosystems that cover a specified areaare referred to as biomes. The largestmajor community is the biosphere, all

biomes taken together containing all livingcreatures.


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DiversityBiodiversity (Biological Diversity)

- Generally, in a community there is a relativelysmall percent of usually abundant species anda large percent of rare species.

- Diversity tends to be low in physically

controlled systems, tends to be high inbiotically controlled systems. When cost ofmaintenance is high, diversity tends to be low.

When the environment is stressful, diversitytends to be low.


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Diversity (cont.)Diversity has two components namely:

1. Varietal refers to the kinds of speciesoccurring in a prescribed area.

2. Evenness refers to the distribution of

individuals among the species.Diversity is related to stability. Generally,

diversity enhances stability through a

greater feedback mechanism among theco-occurring species.


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Stratificationa. Most spatial (vertical) stratification ofaquatic systems tends to be dictated by

the physicochemical environment. Interrestrial systems the stratification is afunction of the biotic component.

b. Stratification creates environmentaldiversity, which in turn increases thenumber microhabitats and allows a

greater degree of community diversity.c. Generally, the more stratified the

community, the greater the biotic

diversity.


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d. All ecosystems tend to have theheterotrophic and autotrophic strata.

e. Horizontal stratification results fromclimate differences and dispersion

patternsf. The transition between two terrestrial

communities is referred to as an ecotone.

It contains species from two adjacentcommunities as well as speciescharacteristic of the transition zone.

Stratification (cont.)


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Stratification (cont.)


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PeriodicityPeriodicity is another type of stratification(temporal). This refers to regularly

recurring changes determining rhythmicor cyclic changes in biological activities.

a. Seasonal (i.e. phenology, mating,migration)

b. Daily circadian (i.e. Phytoplankton

migration)c. Lunar (most marine organisms have

lunar rhythms)


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VII. ECOLOGICAL

SUCCESSIONEcological succession processes of

changes over time. This involves:a. colonization

b. site modification, andc. species replacement.


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Autotrophic succession begins withpredominantly inorganic environment andis characterized by early and continueddominance of producers.

Heterotrophic succession is characterizedby early dominance of heterotrophs (i.e.sewage or a fallen log). Energy ismaximum at the beginning but declinesand unless autotrophic activity takesplace, the whole community dies out ormigrates.

SUCCESSION (cont.)


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Characteristics of Ecological Succession:

a. Orderly process that involves species structure

and community changes with time.

b. Directional and predictable

c. Results from modification of environment.Environment sets the limit to the rate and stateof development but the changes are biotically

controlled.

d. Culminates in a quasi-steady state withmaximum biomass maintained by a unit ofenergy flow.

SUCCESSION (cont.)


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LIGHT or, generally, RADIATION and,specifically, SOLAR RADIATION

(sunlight)

TEMPERATURE affected by specific heat

and heat capacities in calorific or metricmeasurements of the biome and/or itscomponents

VIII. ABIOTIC COMPONENTS


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WATER - The rate of diffusion of CO2 and O2 is

approximately 10,000 times slower in water

than it is in air. When soils become flooded,they quickly lose oxygen and transform into alow-concentration environment and eventually

become completely anoxic where anaerobicbacteria thrive among the roots.

Water also influences the spectral composition and

amount of lightas it reflects off the watersurface and submerged particles

ABIOTIC (cont.)


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ATMOSPHERIC GASES oxygen, nitrogen,

greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide,

methane, water vapor, nitrous oxide,ozone)

SOIL - composed of particles of broken rock that

have been altered by chemical and mechanicalprocesses that nclude weathering and erosion.In engineering, soil is referred to as regolith, or

loose rock material. For our discussion, Strictlyspeaking, soil is the depth of regolith thatinfluence and have been influenced by (lackof) water and plant roots.

ABIOTIC (cont.)


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PRESSURE Climatic and osmotic

pressure places physiological constraints on

organisms, such as flight and respiration athigh altitudes, or diving to deep ocean depths.These constraints influence vertical limits of

ecosystems in the biosphere as organisms arephysiologically sensitive and adapted toatmospheric and osmotic water pressuredifferences. Oxygen levels decrease withincreasing pressure and are a limiting factor forlife at higher altitudes.

ABIOTIC (cont.)


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Proceed to EIS presentation

ecology & real estate v1.11.11 part 1 ecology

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