Introduction to Ecology | Limiting Factors in Ecology and their law

ECOLOGY

The original definition is from Ernst Haeckel, who defined ecology as the study of the relationship of organisms with their environment in which they grow and reproduce. The word ecology was coined by the German zoologist Ernst Haeckel, who applied the term OEKOLOGIE to the “relation of the animal both to its organic as well as its inorganic environment.” The word comes from the Greek OIKOS, meaning “home” or “place to live.” Thus, ecology deals with the organism and its environment.  

Showing relationship between human and their environment

Abiotic factors are the non living things present in the ecosystem, such as temperature, nutrition, gases, etc.

Biotic factors are the living things present in the ecosystem, such as microbes, plants, animals, etc.  

But sometime there are so many difficulties face by the organisms present in the environment or to their habitat that reduce the potential growth of the population. These obstructions knows as Limting Factors.

LIMITING FACTORS IN ECOLOGY

• Limiting factors are most important for the selection mechanism or control population growth.
• These factors are Aboitic and Biotic in nature which are very useful for the ecosystem.
• Limiting Factors are based on the concept of Liebig law of minimum.

Desert and its Habitat

Example ➤ Lack of water in the desert.

By the lack of water the plant population growth and animal population growth present in that ecosystem are reduced. Here water is the limiting factor.

Example ➤ Too much water and fertilizer in the ecosystem.

Excess amount of water and fertilizers are also harmful  for the plant and animal population growth present in the ecosystem. Here Water and Fertilizer are limiting factors.

↦Liebig Law of Minimum ↣

LIEBIG was the German scientist who gives the "Liebig law of minimum" in 1840. It states that population growth {Animals or Plants} are not dependent on the total amount of resources present in the ecosystem. But population growth is dependent on the minimum nutrition present, which are present in the minimum quantity in the ecosystem.

Different type of spices (nutrition)

↦Shelford's Law of Tolerance↣

⇨Shelford's law of tolerance proposed by Ernest Shelford in 1913. It's law told that minimum present nutrition not only reduce the potential growth, but maximum present nutrition also reduces the potential growth present in the ecosystem.

⇨Organism have certain Minimum, Maximum and Optimum environment factors.

⇨Presence of Optimum nutrition and Optimum biotic and abiotic factors in the ecosystem are responsible for increase the population growth.

Optimum level ➝"Bell Shaped Curve" 

Optimum environment/temperature: -
Optimum environment is the environment where an organism easily reproduces and increases its population growth.
Optimum temperature is the temperature where the organism easily survives and feeds to its own body and to their progeny. 


Theories of Tolerance: - 

• Tolerance is the power of  the ability to bear something painful or nasty from their environment to their {Animal or Plant} body for a very long time. 
• Different organisms have different Tolerance Capacity. Some organism has the maximum tolerance capacity or some have minimum tolerance capacity.
• The Tolerance capacity of an organism are changes according to their environment changes.