ECOLOGY

Have u ever stepped into your garden and noticed a display of nature from ladybirds crawling on leaves to worms burrowing in the soil? Or have you been to the beach and seen variety of marine organisms that are washed ashore like crabs or seaweed, even fishes? If yes, then you have witnessed ecology. Ecology is a branch of science that studies everything about an organism or a living thing and its environment. Ecology explain how an organism interact or relate with it environment. People who study ecology are called ecologist.Ecologist seeks to explain:

1. Interaction between living organisms
2. How organisms interact with their habitat 3. 3. Energy transfer between organisms
3. The distribution of organism in the world.

Ecological relationship between an organism and the environment is called ecosystem. Ecosystem is divided into biotic and non-biotic factors.The major part of ecology is to understand how and why living organisms live where they do and why their population increase or decrease. Biotic and abiotic factor influence their patterns.We have the example of a woodlice, they live in a damp environment like soil (abiotic factor) that is why we see them in the garden, they also feed on plants(biotic factor) thats why we see them in the garden. We also have the example of bird. Weather conditions make them to migrate to a far distance and stay for a long time until when they find the weather soothing, then they travel back. These the effects biotic and abiotic factors have on living things that make them to react the way they do. It also explains why plants grow and thrive in some areas and why they do not in another area.That is why we varieties of plants and animals from one place to another. Variety is the spice of life.

Furthermore, lets discuss ecological niche: this explains the role of an organism in an environment ; where it is a predator, parasite, whether it is enjoying mutual relationship or symboism .In my country, Nigeria, for a example, in this farming season, we have a parasite called army worm. It thrives very well during heatwave that precedes farming season, it destroys all maize crops unless strong pesticides are used severally, a farmer has no hope of harvesting maize.This writeup is in participation of the Aprilinleo.
Photo credit: all photos from pixabay