The main objective of the study of ecology is to look at the use of ecological resources and to stay them during a healthy condition for the longer term generations. There are certain principles that govern the evolution and distribution of plants and animals, extinction of species, biological succession, consumption and transfer of energy in several components of biological communities, cycling and recycling of organic and inorganic substances through various bio-geo-chemical cycles, the life cycle of organisms, interactions and inter-relationships among the organisms and between organisms and physical environment, etc.
The basic ecological principles could also be summarized as under:
1. Ecosystem is that the fundamental unit of ecological study. The ecosystem consists of both biotic and abiotic components. Ecosystems are well structured and arranged units through biotic and abiotic components.
2. Physical and biological processes follow the principles of uniformities. it's the idea that geologic and ecological events are caused by natural processes, many of which are operating within the times.
3. All living organisms and the physical environment are mutually reactive.
4. Ecosystem functions through the input of energy, mainly radiation which is trapped by green plants (primary producers). Thus, the radiation is that the main driver of an ecosystem. The energy flow and pattern are governed by the subsequent first and second laws of thermodynamics:
Law I: In any system of constant mass, energy is neither created nor destroyed but it is often transformed from one type to a different type. In other words, the energy inflow or input during a system is balanced by energy outflow.
Law II: When work is completed, energy is dissipated and therefore the work is completed when one sort of energy is transformed into another form.
5. The circulation of energy within the biosphere is unidirectional. there's an increase in the relative loss of energy through respiration with increasing trophic levels.
6. Circulation of matter within the biosphere is accomplished through cyclic pathways, e.g. through geo-biological cycles. The materials are cycled in such how that their total mass remains almost constant.
7. Ecosystem productivity refers to the speed of growth of organic matter per unit time per unit area by autotrophs (primary producers—plants).
8. There's an inbuilt self-regulatory mechanism referred to as a homeostatic mechanism in a natural ecosystem. Any change brought within the natural ecosystem is counterbalanced by this mechanism and ecosystem and ecological stability are re-established.
9. If the changes brought by external factors are so immense that they exceed the resilience of ecosystem stability, adjustment of the ecosystem becomes unstable and a number of other environmental problems are created.
10. There's successional development of plant community during a habitat of given environmental conditions. there's a direct correlation between radiation and first ecological productivity.
11. The transitional stages of sequential changes from one vegetation community to another vegetation community are called sere which is complete when the succession of vegetation community after passing through different phases culminates into equilibrium condition. The vegetation community developed at the top of succession is named climax vegetation, climax community or climatic climax.
12. Man being a lively agent of the environment, modifies the ecosystem.
13. Increase in the diversity of food webs promotes ecosystem stability and ecological balance.
14. The last word goal of the ecological study is to preserve ecological resources by maintaining ecological diversity and ecosystem stability.
15. Biodiversity conservation is feasible by judicious utilization of resources.
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