Autecology and synecology are two branches of ecology that study the interactions and relationships between organisms and their environments. Autecology focuses on the ecology of a single species, including its distribution, population dynamics, and adaptations to its environment. Synecology, on the other hand, focuses on the relationships between multiple species within a community and the interactions between them.
In autecology, ecologists study the factors that influence the distribution and abundance of a particular species, such as habitat preferences, diet, and competition with other species. They may also study the ways in which a species adapts to its environment, such as through physical or behavioral adaptations. For example, an autecologist might study the ways in which a species of bird has adapted to living in a particular type of forest, such as by developing specialized feathers for insulation or by foraging for food in a particular way.
Synecology, on the other hand, is concerned with the relationships between different species within a community and how these relationships affect the overall functioning of the community. For example, an ecologist might study the ways in which predators and prey interact, or the ways in which plants and animals depend on each other for survival. They may also study the ways in which species interact with their physical environment, such as the role of decomposers in breaking down organic matter and returning nutrients to the soil.
Both autecology and synecology are important for understanding the dynamics of ecosystems and the ways in which species interact with each other and their environment. By studying these interactions, ecologists can better understand the factors that influence the distribution and abundance of different species and how they contribute to the overall functioning of an ecosystem. This knowledge is crucial for the conservation of biodiversity and the management of natural resources.
Difference Between Autecology and Synecology
Autecology terutama bersifat eksperimental. Itu tidak dapat diamati di dalam laboratorium. In fact, dimensionally, ecosystem ecology has more in common with organismal ecology in which the thermoregulation and physiology of a single organism is studied, which also often relies on energetic units. Many other factors such as temperature, pH, oxygen concentration, inorganic and organic nutrients are necessary for many living creatures. If your style isn't in the list, you can start a free trial to access over 20 additional styles from the Perlego eReader. One of the most quantitative measures is the functional response, which returns the per capita feeding rate of consumers based on the resource density Holling, 1959a; Solomon, 1949.
[PDF] Autecology by Gimme H. Walter eBook
Autecology is, nevertheless, commonly perceived as anecdotal natural history rather than general theory see General Overviews Relatively few books deal explicitly with autecology, and these have tended to focus on plants or animals, for no good reason. Soil organisms of a certain size, for instance, those belonging to the mesofauna, are important drivers of litter decomposition rates Wall et al. Ecosystem ecology, therefore, is the implementation of synecology. For the same reason the light requirements differ widely among phototrophs, and the depth limit where rooted plants can grow may range from a few meters up to 100m. Network analysis provides a systems-oriented perspective because it is based on uncovering patterns and relations among all the objects in a system. Synonyms Population ecology is a synonym to Autecology.
Autecology
Evidence, for a deficiency between research need and the provision of this information from dedicated research programmes is discussed in relation to four key factors: 1 inadequate public sector funding, 2 gaps in knowledge within the research community of the existence of a statutory conservation framework and associated research needs, 3 a poor perception of conservation-oriented research and internal organisational pressures, and 4 a lack of an integrated government approach resulting in conflicts between national biodiversity obligations and support for conservation-oriented research. This approach considers two aspects. Study of an entire grassland ecosystem is an example of a Synecological study. The overall implication of the limiting factors that act upon a given population is that the abundances or biomasses of specific populations vary considerably in time and space and among ecosystems Table 2. Selanjutnya, dapat digambarkan sebagai tingkat studi yang berada di bawah satu cabang dalam biologi di mana ia berurusan dengan penyelidikan ilmiah interaksi yang berbeda antara organisme milik spesies yang berbeda atau spesies yang sama itu sendiri sehubungan dengan habitat alami mereka. Species living near their thermal limits are likely to be excluded as temperatures rise Chevaldonné and Lejeusne, 2003; Hering et al.
Synecology
It involves measurable variables such as light, nutrient availability and humidity, etc. However, in nature there are almost always one or several conditions that are not optimal â even not suboptimal. This book spells out the theoretical structure, methodology and philosophy of the science of autecology. Interaction strength is a commonly used term for ecologists if they want to investigate stability Layer et al. Autecology is the study of a single organism, a single type of species or a population of species in respect to their natural habitat while Synecology is the study of a group of organisms belonging to different species and communities in respect to their natural habitat.
