Understanding Ecological Processes and Environmental Rhythms

Posted on Jan 25, 2025 in Geology

Environmental Rhythms

Living things respond to environmental changes. Rhythmic movements are also important.

  • Diurnal Rhythms: Organisms comply with these changes by altering their periods of rest and activity.
  • Seasonal Rhythms: A wide range of behavior is associated with seasonal changes.
  • Tidal Rhythms: Changes in sea level periodically affect organisms living on the coasts.

Regeneration After Fire

In a fire, only some underground elements and seeds survive, and the soil suffers significant damage. If the soil has not been totally destroyed, the process of regeneration begins.

  • First years: A pasture comprising herbaceous plants is created.
  • Following 10-15 years: Dominated by low shrubs.
  • 30-35 years: Dominated by large shrubs.
  • 50-60 years: The installation of a forest composed of oaks and cork trees or large shrubs.

Ecological Succession

It is an orderly transition phenomenon of one community to another.

  • Primary Succession: If it starts in an area that has never been colonized by organisms.
  • Secondary Succession: If it starts in an area where there was previously a community that has been partially or totally eliminated.

The Ecosystem

An ecosystem is characterized by:

  • It consists of a set of items or components.
  • These elements produce mutual influences, i.e., interactions that cause changes in the elements.
  • The interactions provide a separate entity to the ecosystem and keep it working as a unit, that:
    • It has specific properties that the individual elements do not possess.
    • It exchanges matter and energy among its components and with the outside.
    • It is self-maintained as a structure and changes over time.

The Soil

It is a layer of loose material in which plants are or may be rooted and is the habitat for a wide variety of organisms. It is composed of inorganic and organic material.

Soil Formation

  1. Bedrock: Changes in temperature, water, and air fragment the rocks. Lichens are installed on the surface of the bedrock, from which the soil forms.
  2. Young Soil: Hundreds of years later, the combined action of water, air, and living organisms allows the formation of a young soil.
  3. Mature Soil: Some thousands of years later, the land has been fortified with organic matter, and a mature soil with horizons is formed.

Soil Horizons

  • O: Formed by leaf litter and other organic debris.
  • A: Generally dark color due to a great quantity of humus.
  • B: Light color because it lacks humus.
  • C: Altered bedrock.
  • R: Unaltered bedrock.

Soils evolve in two ways:

  • If forming processes predominate, soil thickness increases.
  • If erosion processes predominate, soil thickness decreases.

Some human activities degrade soils. These activities are:

  • Deforestation
  • Over-cultivation
  • Overgrazing

Pest Control

A pest is any unwanted organism that interferes, directly or indirectly, with human activities. Initially, when there is a pest, biological controls are used, such as:

  • Introducing natural predators, parasites, and pathogens to regulate the population of the pest.
  • Neutering the males of the pest insects and releasing them to compete with fertile males.
  • Setting up attractive traps with substances like pheromones.