What is the difference between ecosystem and ecology?
Ecosystem is the physical system (an open system) in which the mutual interaction between
biotic and aboitic component motored by the energy component is studied.
While the Ecology is the science which study the interrelation between Abiotic (inorganic) and
Biotic (organic) components as well as the interaction among the biotic component.
To make it more clear, ecosystem is the fundamental unit of ecological study. Ecology vs
Ecosystem
Ecology and ecosystem are two confusing concepts for those who are not aware of them.
Ecology is sometimes called study of nature. Well, it is, but it is much more than life sciences
like biology and physics, and includes geography, environment, oceanography etc. It is a
comprehensive study of organisms and their relation with the environment they live in and
interact with one another. It includes the amount and spread of organisms and how and why
their distribution is affected by their relationship with the environment. An ecosystem on the
other hand is a subset of ecology and refers to a system that includes all the organisms in an
area along with the physical environment they live in. There are many more differences
between ecology and ecosystem that will be discussed in this article. What is Ecosystem?
As described above, an ecosystem is the entire biological community in an area along with the
physical and chemical environment that includes the non living, or abiotic components. An
ecosystem boundary is not fixed in any way though sometimes they are obvious like a pond.
However, those involved in studies of ecosystems generally demarcate the boundaries of an
ecosystem for their convenience. The main focuses behind study of ecosystems are the
processes that link the living organisms in an ecosystem with the non living things or
components. The energy transformations and biogeochemical cycles are the two processes
between biotic and non biotic components that make up the subject matter of any study of an
ecosystem. Transformation of energy in an ecosystem begins with input of energy from the sun.
This energy is utilized by plants through photosynthesis to make food. Herbivores eat these
plant and carnivores eat herbivores for their energy requirements. This is an oversimplification
of food chain really, and there are many food chains existing in an ecosystem that have cross
links. These linkages are referred to as food web. Biogeochemistry is a study that includes
elements of biology, chemistry and geology. It is a detailed study of how living systems
influence and in turn are themselves influenced by geology and chemistry of earth. Thus it
includes
many
aspects
of
both
biotic
as
well
as
abiotic
world.
What
is
Ecology?
We often hear phrases like ecologically bad or something that is not good for ecology.
However, ecology is not a normative subject and is a purely an academic discipline. The vast
subject of ecology is divided into 4 categories namely physiological ecology, population ecology,
community ecology, and ecosystems ecology. Physiological ecology has to do with the response
and effect of environmental conditions on a specific species. Population ecology studies the
amount and distribution of species and the environmental factors affecting this distribution.
Community ecology is concerned with particular number of species found in an area and their
interactions, and ecosystems ecology studies the structure and function of entire population of
living (biotic components) things, abiotic components, and their interactions. What is the
difference between Ecology and Ecosystem?• An ecosystem is a natural unit comprising all
living and non living things in the area and how biotic and abiotic components function
together while influencing each other. Thus it talks about not just the living organisms but also
abiotic factors that affect life inside the system• Ecology is the study of relationships between
different organisms and their environment• Ecosystem is thus a subset of ecology which is a
vast
subject
area|
Ecosystem is an ecological unit which includes all the organisms living in a particular area and all
the
abiotic
(non
living)
features
of
the
local
environment.
Ecology is the scientific study of the distribution and abundance of life and the interactions
between organisms and their natural environment. The environment of an organism includes
physical properties, which can be described as the sum of local abiotic factors such as insolation
(sunlight), climate, and geology, and biotic ecosystem, which includes other organisms that
share its habitat.