Concept
Statements |
Emphasis
in
your teaching
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General
importance
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1.
Ecology is the study of the inter-relationships between organisms
and their environment. It includes how organisms are impacted
by their environment and how they, in turn, impact their environment.
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2.
The major source of energy that flows through ecological
systems is the sun. This energy is captured primarily through
photosynthesis. Additional sources of energy are found in
chemicals.
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3. A number
of different approaches are used to characterize ecological
processes. The trophic-dynamic
concept,
tracks energy flow through populations, communities,
ecosystems and the entire globe.
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| 4. The
biogeochemical cycle concept, tracks materials
and elements through populations,
communities, ecosystems and the entire globe. |
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| 5. Ecological
interactions can occur at the level of individuals, populations
and communities. Such interactions include symbiosis, competition,
predation,
succession, and stability. |
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6. Population
dynamics are a complex function of environmental factors, organismic
behavior and fecundity, predation, pathogenesis, and cooperation
(interorganismic and intrapopulation interactions).
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| 7.
Much of what is meant by the term natural
selection can be
best understood in terms of ecological interactions
and principles. |
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