Plant ecology and its bio factors

Okunlola Latha^*
*Correspondence: Okunlola Latha, Department of Microbiology, University of Carbondale, Carbondale, USA, Email:

Received: 03-Dec-2021 Published: 24-Dec-2021

Description

Plant ecology is the study of plants’ interactions with their physical and biotic environments. Plants must obtain their light, water, and nutrient supplies directly from the environment because they are sessile and photosynthetic organisms. Their source of energy is light, which is unidirectional in nature. As a result, plant size and location have an impact on the amount of light captured and prospective photosynthetic rates. Low light availability is a requirement for understory plants. Potential energy, as represented by water potential, determines root absorption and water flow in the plant. In the soil, nutrients are made available by biological and chemical processes. Phosphorus uptake is dependent on Mycorrhizae. When one or more resources are in short supply, resource competition arises. The winning competitor must acquire resources while tolerating the resource’s low level in the environment. Allelopathic interference occurs when one plant releases organic material into the environment that harms another. Plant community dynamics entail the growth of a community through time. On new substrate, primary succession occurs, while secondary succession occurs where plants previously existed. Disturbances like as fire, wind damage, flooding, grazing, and disease start secondary successions. The frequency and intensity of disturbances have a significant impact on the development of vegetation.

Plants are among the densest ecotypes, having vicariate variation in their life histories based on their preferences. Plants are the practical pioneers of the planet earth; therefore their ecology is completely reliant on them. They meet their living requirements by consuming plants as they progress from microbes to macroorganisms. Despite this, distinct vegetation types, such as grassland and forests, are key biomes that aid in the flux of global environmental shifts. Daily breakthroughs in science and technology, as well as the ever-increasing needs of living species, are examples of anthropogenic activities that have completely altered the global green system picture.

Ecology is the scientific study of the interactions between living species, such as humans, and their physical surroundings. It aims to comprehend the vital links that exist between plants and animals and the environment in which they live. Ecology also informs us about ecosystem advantages and how humans might use Earth’s resources in ways that preserve the environment for future generations.

Climate affects plants in two ways: their unique physiology and the distribution of diverse vegetation types around the world. In recent decades, there has been substantial evidence of changes in plant ecology as a result of rising temperatures. Seasonal phenomena such as leafing and blooming are occurring earlier in the spring in many temperate locations. Many plants are being found at higher latitudes and altitudes than they have been in the past. As species adapt to climate change differently and intricate interactions occur, community composition the mix of different species is beginning to shift. Changes in precipitation patterns are more difficult to link to climate change and project into the future, but they could have important ecological consequences. Droughts, in particular, have been found to have a significant impact on plant growth and community composition. Dispersal is an ecological process that involves an individual or several individuals moving away from their birth population to a new area, or population, where they will settle and breed. There are two types of dispersal: natal and dispersal. The first movement of an organism from its birth place to the spot where it seeks to reproduce is known as natal dispersal. Adult dispersal refers to a change in location in space after reaching reproductive age, which typically comprises moving from one habitat patch to another. Gamete dispersal, which is especially widespread in non-motile adult individuals such as plants, is a sort of dispersal that does not fit into either of these categories. Many plants and animals move to a new area as part of their life cycle, and it is considered an adaptive quality in life history.

There are three sorts of ecological factors that influence plant growth and determine the form of plant communities.

Climatic Factors

Rainfall, atmospheric humidity, wind, temperature, and light are all key climatic aspects in a location. Each of these climatic elements influences the life processes of the plants that make up the vegetation, thereby contributing to the total effect of climate.

Physiographic Factors

The form, behaviour, and structure of the earth’s surface, which includes erosion of land, silting up of rivers, lakes, buildup of sand and shingle along the sea shore, and so on, as well as topography and elevation of land above sea level, are all physiographic aspects of the habitat. Strong topographic relief, such as steep hills and deep valleys, has a significant impact on vegetation, mostly because it creates distinct “local climates” (also called microclimate).

Biotic Factors

Biotic factors are derived from the actions of living organisms such as plants, both green and non-green, and animals, including humans. These living animals’ actions have significant direct and indirect influence on plant growth, structure, reproduction, and distribution on the planet. These impacts are the result of biotic connections between the plants that make up a plant community, between these plants and animals that live nearby, and between the soil’s microfauna and flora.