Environmental Factors of Ecology

Environmental Factors of Ecology

The ecology ("house" or "living relations"; and  "study of") is the scientific study of the distributions, abundance and relations of organisms and their interactions with the environtment. The ecologys is a complex of environmental factors that interact not only with the organism but also interacts with other factors. The term environment is different in terms of habitat, habitat is a refers to the residence or "address" organism. Ecology includes the study of plant and animal populations, plant and animal communities and ecosystem. Ecosystems describe the web or network of relations among organisms at different scales of organization. Since ecology refers to any form of biodiversity, ecologists research everything from tiny bacteria's role in nutrient recycling to the effects of tropical rain forest on the Earth's atmosphere. The discipline of ecology emerged from the natural sciences in the late 19th century. Ecology is not synonymous with environment, environmentalism, or environmental science. Ecology is closely related to the disciplines of physiology, evolution, genetics and behavior.

Like many of the natural sciences, a conceptual understanding of ecology is found in the broader details of study, including:

Life processes explaining adaptations

Distribution and abundance of organisms

The movement of materials and energy through living communities

The successional development of ecosystems, and

The abundance and distribution of biodiversity in context of the environment.

Broadly speaking environment are divided into three groups:

1.      Environmental biotic or biotic factors

2.      Environmental abiotic or biotic factors

3.       Cultural Environment

I. Biotic Factors

In connection with the living creatures that consist of plants, animals, humans and microorganisms. Biotic factor is also the limit of distribution for other factors. In the steady state, the influence of biotic factors are not too visible. The influence of biotic factors that occur in ecology, namely:

1.      Against plant

Effect of biotic factors on plants usually in the form of interaction.

2.      For the animals

Effect of biotic factors on animals would seem more real,  directly or indirectly.

3.      The human will give more influences against other factors compared to other biotic factors.This happens because humans have a more complex nature than the other biotic factors.

II. Abiotic Factors

Most of abiotic factors vary according to space (spatial heterogeneity) and time (temporal heterogeneity). The fluctuations in abiotic factors will reinforce inter-regional differences and will also affect the regional distribution within the restrictions. The following are the abiotic factors that influence the ecology.

1.      Temperature

Temperature is an important factor in biological processes. Every organism has a tolerance and a range of different temperatures adapted to the biological processes that occur in him. The temperature was positively correlated with radiation or solar radiation.

Occurred similarity between high-latitude temperatures with altitude. Plants that live far from the equator typically point out the similarity with plants living in the mountains. This shows that the temperatures at high latitudes are the same as in the mountains. In the tropics, the temperature rarely used as a limiting factor compared to temperate. While in high latitudes, temperature is a frequent fixture at times used as a limiting factor. Total insolation or the average temperature of an area affected by some of the following.

1.1 Latitude (location of latitude)

In  equator, insolation more rice and less variation when compared with the sub-tropical and moderate areas. In the sub-tropical and temperate, insolation is getting smaller with increasing latitude, as the angle of solar radiation falling the greater or the distance between the sun and the earth's surface even further.

1.2  Altitude (height of the sea level)

The higher the altitude, the lower insolation. Whenever the temperature rises 1000 feet then it will be down 3 ̊ F.

1.3 Season

Season effect on insolation in relation to the humidity and the state of the cloud.

1.4 Wind

The wind effect on insolation, if the winds bringing in hot air. Temperature also affects the soil moisture (soil moisture). It link with the mechanism of transpiration and evaporation.

2.      Sunlight

Sunlight affect ecosystems globally for m, this artery is the limiting factor. Sunlight played a role in determining the environmental temperature.

3.      Water

     Variations in water availability will affect the distribution of species that make their ability to acquire and convert the existing water. The presence of water depends on the water cycle.

This water cycle there are three types:

- Small cycle

- Cycle was

- Great Cycle

Water used as a limiting factor because its function is very important and complex, both internally and externally.

$  Internal factors, which affect the physiological processes.

$ External factors, which affect the non-physiological processes (such as help in pollination and seed dispersal).

5.      Salinity

Salinity affects the internal linhkungan balance or homeostasis of the organism.

6.      The atmosphere / Air

The atmosphere is a protector of life from the sun's radiation. Gas concentration in the atmosphere is relatively stable at 78.08% N2, 20.94% O2, 0.03% CO2, 0.93% argon, and 0.02% other. Elements that most variations are gas SO2, CO, water vapor, dust, especially in large cities and industrial areas.

7.      Wind

The wind caused by differences in air pressure. The wind is an important factor that can affect other factors if the winds bring hot air.

8.      Rocks and Soil

Is a particular minerals that support the growth and development of organisms. The state of rocks and soil also varies which will lead to differences in organisms that live in it.

9.      Fire

Is a limiting factor and as a part of the designing and the mineralization process. Fires are divided into two, namely:

-         Fire header (croen fires)

These fires can turn off all the vegetation and it takes a long time to become productive again (succession).

-         Fire surface (surface fires)

Uncontrolled fires destroy vegetation and the effect is more selective.

10.  Climate

Climate is a factor that is complex because it has major components such as temperature, rainfall, sunlight and wind. The climate patterns can be translated into two scales: macro climate (macroclimate) and the micro-climate (microclimate).

The macroclimate patterned on a sufficient level of comprehensive, global, regional and local. macro climate is determined by the input of solar energy and the movement of the planet in outer space. Solar heating, variations in temperature, air movement and evaporation cycle water is a factor that bears responsibility for the drastic climate variations according to latitude.

The microclimate have a more subtle pattern, for example, were found under a shady tree. The microclimate will create shade, affecting evaporation from the soil or altering wind patterns.