Carachteristic of Community

1. Individual (Organismal) Ecology

Organismal Ecology: Study of the life history of an individual (i.e., species) & its response to its environment

•Species: all individuals that can potentially breed with one another and produce viable offspring.

Acacia koa individual

2. Population Ecology

Population ecology: Study of the abundance, distribution, & dynamics of a group of individuals of the same species

•Population: group of potentially interbreeding & interacting individuals of the same species living in the same place & time.

Acacia koa population

3. Community Ecology

Community ecology: Description & quantification of natural assemblages of different species/populations

•Community: Collection of organisms/populations interacting directly and indirectly in the same place & time.

Acacia koa-”dominated” community

4. Ecosystem Ecology

Ecosystem ecology: Study of interactions among organisms and their physical environment as an integrated system

•Ecosystem: Bounded ecological system consisting of all organisms in a given area & the physical environment.

Tropical Rainforest Ecosystem

5. Landscape Ecology

•Landscape ecology: Study of the spatial arrangement of ecosystems & how this affects biotic & abiotic components

•Landscape: heterogeneous region consisting of ≥2 interacting ecosystems exchanging organisms, energy, water, nutrients, etc.

Windward Mauna Kea Landscape

6. Biosphere (Global Ecosystem)

Biosphere: Global sum of all ecosystems (biotic and abiotic) as an integrated system

•Earth as an ecological entity or system.

The Earth Biosphere